“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!” Teen student hits the snooze button and struggles to get out of bed for the start of the school day. Teens need an average of 9.5 hours of sleep (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Teens currently sleep less than 7 hours on average (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). The problem is hectic schedules, poor sleep habits, homework and family obligations (Backgrounder: Later School Start Times). Schools are considering starting classes later in the morning. For example, one Minneapolis school considered pushing back its start time from 7:15 to 8:30. Another Seattle school is considering delaying the start of the school day, Jean Enersen reported. Would this benefit students or harm students? Is this for better or worse? These are the questions many superintendents and school board members are asking. Everyone wants to do what's best for their students, so the topic requires a lot of thought, planning, and conversations. Starting school later can be a very controversial issue. A normal school day starts between 7:00 and 8:00 (Canapari). The typical wake-up time for students is 6:00 am (Canapari). An average teenager goes to bed between 10 and 11 (Canapari). This means that the average teenager sleeps an average of seven to eight hours when they need an average of 9 and a quarter hours of sleep, as indicated in the previous paragraph. One man, Matt Gaetz, said, “The evidence is pretty one-sided: High school students don't have the same cognitive function as they do at eight or nine in the morning.” (Blessed). There are many benefits to starting the school day later. One advantage is the reduced risk of accidents among teenagers. Late start times would allow teens to be more alert as they drive to school (Pro...... middle of paper...... Start Times." Delaying School Start Times. NationalSleep Foundation, n.d. Web. April 04. 2014. Erbacher, Megan. "Students, Officials Weigh Pros and Cons of School Start Times | GALLERY." Evansville Courier & Press, September 14, 2013. Web April 3 2014. “Navigating the Pages.” For High School Students, ndWeb. April 5, 2014. “Pros and Cons of Later School Start Times.” " Star Tribune (n.d.): n. page. Inspire. Web. April 1, 2014. Smith, Kelly. "Research Links Later School Start Times to Benefit Teens." Mar. 13. 2014:n. 2014.