Every Friday, Skyline students come to school an hour late, but many wish they could be leaving earlier. Considering most schools in the state start around 8:15 a.m., Skyline has one of the earliest start times in Utah, which leads many students to appreciate the extra hour of sleep on Friday.
Freshmen coming to Skyline have to make the adjustment from middle school start times, leaving many more tired than usual. Freshman Henry Griffin says, “Honestly, I like the late start, because I’m always so tired.”
Wasatch Middle School starts at 7:45 a.m. every morning, leaving many Wasatch students able to function fine at 7:30 a.m. This has left many students wanting an early release on Fridays. Sophomore Quinn Cairns says, “After I’ve adjusted to the early start, I don’t really need the late start anymore. I feel like it would be nice to end school so early on Fridays so I could do homework or just start my weekend earlier.”
While many students see the opportunity of getting out of school at one o’clock as an exciting prospect, experts at the CDC (Sleep in Middle and High School Students | Healthy Schools | CDC) say that high school students should be getting more sleep.
says that kids between the age of 13–18 should be getting roughly 8–10 hours of sleep per night, and that only 30% of students actually achieve this. With AP season starting, homework is ramping up, leaving many students working late and waking up early.
In regards to getting enough sleep, Freshman Gavin Mercer says that he tries to go to bed around 9:30 p.m. so that he can wake up around 6:00 a.m. He said, “Even if I try to go to bed on time, I’m still usually tired the next day, which is why I appreciate the Friday late start.” Many students have important tests coming up in May, which makes sleep seem like it’s not a priority. In reality, a student’s performance in school is directly correlated to the quantity and quality of their sleep.
Studies have shown that students should be waking up at around 7:00 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. to achieve their 8–10 hours of sleep, because when they hit puberty their internal clock shifts. Freshman soccer player Remy Kinghorn says, “Balancing soccer, school, and family is super hard, so it’s nice to have a little extra time. Honestly, at the beginning of the year I wished that there was an early release, because getting out of school at one sounded so nice, but now I actually appreciate the late start.”
