Later School Start Times: What Are the Real Benefits?

One advantage of a later school start time is obvious: teenagers could sleep longer in the morning and thus meet their sleep needs. A meta-analysis that evaluated 37 scientific studies confirms this: Later school start times significantly increase the amount of sleep teenagers get and reduce what’s known as “social jet lag”—that is, the discrepancy between the body’s internal biological clock and social obligations such as school hours.


For elementary school children, more sleep means:

• better growth and physical development

• a stronger immune system (fewer infections)

• better emotional regulation

• more energy for the school day

For adolescents, this also means:

• less anxiety and depression

• lower risk of obesity and high blood pressure

• better mood and less irritability

• improved chronotype balance (less struggle against the biological clock)

Whether in third or tenth grade: Students who are well-rested can concentrate better, absorb information more quickly, and retain what they’ve learned over the long term. Studies show that adolescents who start school later achieve better grades. The brain needs sleep to process what it has learned and store it in long-term memory. Elementary school children who sit in class feeling tired cannot optimally retain what they learned the day before. For adolescents, there’s the added factor that, biologically speaking, they’re still in deep sleep during the first school period while going through puberty. Learning is particularly ineffective at this time.

Well-rested children are more motivated and punctual in the morning. Experience shows that schools with later start times have fewer absences and late arrivals. Children who aren’t overtired get sick less often and miss fewer classes overall.

Does this sound familiar? A frantic wake-up call, grumpy kids at the breakfast table, arguments about getting dressed—and in the end, everyone rushes out the door stressed out. Consistent sleep hygiene for younger schoolchildren and a later school start time help ease this morning rush. Your child will wake up more easily, you can enjoy breakfast together in peace, and the day will start off much more relaxed for the whole family. Less stress in the morning also means a better mood for the rest of the day—for both you and your child.

Probably the most common argument against a later school start time: Many parents have to be at work by 8 a.m. or earlier. If school doesn’t start until 9 a.m. for everyone, there’s a childcare gap. This can be a real problem, especially for single parents or families without grandparents nearby—and particularly for parents of elementary school children who can’t stay home alone. The children would have to attend early-morning care, which incurs additional costs. For teenagers aged 12 or 13 and older, who are more independent, this argument no longer holds water.

A later start time also means a later end to the school day. This can limit the time available for hobbies, sports, music lessons, or hanging out with friends. For teens with part-time jobs, the daily schedule would become very tight.

If school starts at the same time as the usual commuting hours, this could lead to overcrowded buses and trains. Students would have to share public transportation with commuters: during rush hour, this isn’t always comfortable or safe for children.

A common counterargument is that if school starts later, children and teenagers would simply go to bed later, and the lack of sleep would persist. However, studies refute this argument: Research shows that children do not automatically go to bed later. For teenagers in particular, a later school start time simply better aligns with their natural wake-up rhythm: They sleep longer in the morning but go to bed at their usual time in the evening.

A later start time can significantly change the school day in middle and high school. For teachers, this means spending more time at school in the afternoon. For many, this is a challenge that requires adjusting their entire daily routine.

Sleep experts recommend that school start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.—ideally at 9:00 a.m. Even a delay of 20 to 30 minutes can have measurable positive effects on concentration and well-being. A later start time is recommended for students in 9th grade and above.

Both age groups are affected, though for different reasons. Elementary school children have a very high sleep requirement (10 to 11 hours) and are often chronically overtired due to early commutes to school and, in particular, going to bed too late. For adolescents, biological rhythms shift later: they get tired later in the evening and need more sleep in the morning. They have been shown to benefit from a later school start time.

Scientific studies show that later school start times significantly increase the amount of sleep adolescents get. Even a delay of 20 to 30 minutes has a measurable positive effect. Your child can sleep longer, is more rested, and “social jet lag”—the discrepancy between their internal clock and school hours—is reduced.

You can make a big difference even without an official change to the school start time: Ensure consistent sleep hygiene with fixed bedtimes, a dark and cool bedroom, and a calming evening routine. Reduce screen time before bed and create an ergonomic sleeping environment. At the same time, it’s worth bringing up the topic at parent-teacher conferences or school meetings.

Yes, there are a few schools that are experimenting with flexible start times. A well-known example is the Gymnasium Alsdorf near Aachen, which has offered a later start time for upper-level students since 2017—with optional self-study sessions starting at 8 a.m. and regular classes beginning at 9 a.m. The school operates according to the Dalton model. After a trial period, it adopted the model permanently. There are currently a total of over 20 schools in Germany certified by the Dalton Association of Germany. In other countries, such as England, school typically starts between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.