Governor Gavin Newson just passed a law that will have California students very pleased. Beginning in July of 2022, middle and high schools will be required to start at a later time; 8 a.m. or later for middle schools, and 8:30 or later for high schools.
State Senator, Anthony Portantino, wrote about the decision on Facebook, stating, “This will have a tremendous benefit to student health and academic performance.”
The decision to change the start times comes after research proved that early start times are unhealthy for students. Per CNN, “Due to shifts in their biological rhythms, adolescents become sleepy later at night during puberty and need to sleep later in the morning. But a combination of poor sleep habits and early school times means that most young people aren’t getting enough sleep.”
CNN also explains that according to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, children 6-12 years old should sleep nine to 12 hours a night. Teenagers should be getting eight to 10.