Brrinnnnng! Brrinnnnng!

    That’s the sound that Nico Martineau’s alarm used to make at 6:30 a.m. Every day, he would groan. Sometimes he’d hit snooze. Just five more minutes, Nico, 14, would think. Please, please let me stay in bed!

    If this sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Many teens struggle with sleep. Doctors say you should get 8 to 10 hours a night. But nearly 60 percent of middle school students aren’t getting that much.

    The effects play out in classrooms across the country. Each day, tired teens doze off. Cranky kids zone out as teachers teach lessons. 

    Could starting school later help?

    Brrinnnnng! Brrinnnnng!

    That’s the sound that Nico Martineau’s alarm used to make at 6:30 a.m. Every day, he would groan. Sometimes he’d hit snooze. Just five more minutes, Nico, 14, would think. Please let me stay in bed!

    Nico wasn’t alone. Many teens struggle with sleep. Doctors say you should get 8 to 10 hours a night. But nearly 60 percent of middle school students don’t get that much.

    The effects are clear. Tired teens doze off. Cranky kids zone out during lessons.

    Could starting school later help?

    Brrinnnnng! Brrinnnnng!

    That’s the sound that Nico Martineau’s alarm used to make at 6:30 a.m. Every day, he would groan. Sometimes he’d hit snooze. Just five more minutes, Nico, 14, would think. Please, please let me stay in bed!

    If this sounds familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Many teens struggle with sleep. Although doctors recommend you get 8 to 10 hours a night, nearly 60 percent of middle school students aren’t getting that much.

    The effects play out daily in classrooms across the country, with tired teens dozing off and cranky kids zoning out during lessons. 

    Could starting school later help?

    Sleep experts like Lisa Meltzer say yes. To her, it all comes down to science. 

    Your body makes a hormone called melatonin. Hormones tell your body what to do and when to do it. “Melatonin helps prepare our bodies for sleep,” Meltzer explains. 

    But around middle school, your body starts to create melatonin later. That’s why it can be hard for teens to fall asleep before 11 p.m.

    This wouldn’t be a problem if classes started at 9 a.m. But some teens begin school as early as 7:30 a.m. 

    Meltzer and many other experts find that troubling. Lack of sleep can wreck your focus. It can limit your ability to learn. And it can affect your mood and health. “If you don’t get enough sleep, it impacts everything,” she says. 

    Sleep experts like Lisa Meltzer say yes. To her, it all comes down to science.

    Your body makes a hormone called melatonin. Hormones tell your body what to do and when to do it. “Melatonin helps prepare our bodies for sleep,” Meltzer says.

    Around middle school, your body starts to create melatonin later. That can make it hard for teens to fall asleep before 11 p.m.

    This wouldn’t be a problem if school started at 9 a.m. But some teens start school as early as 7:30 a.m.

    Meltzer finds that troubling. Lack of sleep can wreck your focus. It can make it hard to learn. It can affect your mood and health. “If you don’t get enough sleep, it impacts everything,” she says.

    Sleep experts like Lisa Meltzer say yes. To her, it all comes down to science. 

    Your body makes a hormone called melatonin. Hormones tell your body what to do and when to do it. “Melatonin helps prepare our bodies for sleep,” Meltzer explains. 

    But around middle school, your body starts to create melatonin later—and that’s why it can be hard for teens to fall asleep before 11 p.m.

    This wouldn’t be a problem if classes started at 9 a.m., but some teens begin school as early as 7:30 a.m. 

    Meltzer, along with and many other experts, finds that troubling. Lack of sleep can wreck your focus and limit your ability to learn. It can also negatively affect your mood and health. “If you don’t get enough sleep, it impacts everything,” she says. 

    Right now, all eyes are on California. That’s Nico’s home state. In 2019, it passed the first statewide law about later start times. The law took effect last year. 

    It pushed Nico’s classes from 7:45 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. 

    Do those extra 20 minutes help? Nico says yes: “I feel better and more ready for the day.” 

    Nico lives in California. In 2019, it passed the first statewide law about later start times. The law took effect last year. It pushed Nico’s classes from 7:45 a.m. to 8:05 a.m.

    Do those extra 20 minutes help? Nico says yes: “I feel better and more ready for the day.”

    Right now, all eyes are on California, Nico’s home state.  In 2019, it passed the first statewide law about later start times. The law, which took effect last year, pushed Nico’s classes from 7:45 a.m. to
8:05 a.m. 

    Do those additional 20 minutes make a difference? Nico says yes: “I feel better and more ready for the day.” •