Opening 1:

Since the creation of public schools, it has been normalized to wake up before sunrise and be expected to power through an entire day of learning and social interaction. The irony behind this is obvious – how are we supposed to be at our full potential with only three hours of sleep? Anyone who has been to high school has definitely heard more than a few people complain about being tired, which directly contrasts with the eight to nine hours of sleep teenagers are required to get on average to be considered healthy. Though, with school, sports, friends, and homework combined, it is difficult to imagine how they are supposed to obtain that high amount of sleep when they have to be awake by six in the morning. Adolescents are like machines when it comes to staying up late and usually do so even if they do not want to, but waking up just does not come as easy. If high school districts across America truly cared about the well-being of their students, they would understand that adequate sleep hygiene is one of the biggest keys to a successful life. Because sleep is what gives people the ability to function properly, waking up at later times would benefit high-school-aged children in terms of their grades and mental health, causing them to not only gain more focus and motivation but also obtain a positive outlook and enough energy to tackle the day ahead of themselves.

Opening 2:

Most high school students have at least one thing in common with one another, which is being on the verge of falling asleep every single weekday. This is expected, though, considering they have to be awake by six in the morning, before the sun even rises. For decades, psychologists have been begging school districts to look into the effects of not getting enough sleep on adolescents, and adjust their start times. These attempts never fail to fall through though, despite research proving time and time again that children who attend classes later benefit in both grades and mental health. With teenagers’ best interests in mind, school districts across the nation should begin late enough for them to be assured of their required eight hours of sleep. This would greatly improve every aspect of their schooling by preparing them with the energy they need to get through their school day. It is unreasonable to expect them to be able to focus on English and Algebra when all they can think about is how many hours they have left before they can go home and finally take a nap.