מבחן הבנת הנקרא: Let Us Sleep!

A letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to last week's article "Lazy Teenagers?", in

which a teacher claimed that students are tired in the morning because they

stay up late on their phones. As a grade 11 student, I would like to offer a

different explanation – and a possible solution.

Scientists have known for years that the body clock changes during the

teenage years. Melatonin, the hormone that makes us feel sleepy, is released

up to two hours later in teenagers than in adults or young children. This

means that many teenagers simply cannot fall asleep before eleven at night,

even when they turn off their phones. At the same time, doctors say that

teenagers need between eight and ten hours of sleep a night. If school

starts at eight, and many students have to get up at half past six to catch

a bus, it is almost impossible to get enough sleep.

Lack of sleep is not a small problem. Tired students find it harder to

concentrate, to remember what they have learned and to control their mood.

They are also more likely to have accidents on the way to school, especially

those who ride bicycles or scooters.

Some places have already tried a different approach. In 2016, high

schools in Seattle, in the United States, moved their start time from 7:50

to 8:45. Researchers found that students slept, on average, 34 minutes more

each night, and their grades improved. Fewer students arrived late or missed

lessons.

I understand that a later start is not simple. Parents who work would

need to change their plans, and bus companies would need new timetables.

Some teachers might have to stay later in the afternoon. However, our school

could begin with a small step: starting at nine o'clock twice a week, and

checking the results after one year.

Instead of calling teenagers lazy, let us look at the science. A school

day that fits our bodies will make us better students – and much happier

people. I hope that our principal will read this letter and give the idea a

fair chance.

Ori Ben-David, grade 11