As we all know, O. Henry Middle School’s morning bell rings bright and early at 8:15 a.m. Waking up this early causes many students to suffer from “bad morning brain,” meaning they probably don’t perform their best in their earliest classes. Low performance translates to lower state testing scores, which can negatively affect students, teachers, and the overall reputation of the school. However, what if I told you the solution is simpler than just setting the bell to a later time?

Sleep is essential for a growing person. It repairs your body from the challenges of the previous day and restores it to be ready for a new start. The recommended amount of sleep for kids our age is 9–12 hours a night. When I surveyed students here at school, I found the average amount of sleep they get is about 7 1/2 hours. In reality, it is likely closer to 6 1/2 hours.

It is clear that students here are not getting enough sleep. This leads to lower grade averages, lower test scores, and a lack of productivity. While many suggest that school should simply start later, I believe the solution is a quick schedule change: put electives first.

Placing electives at the start of the day would give students time to wake up and warm up their minds and bodies. Having a heavy core subject like math for 1st period means you only have 45 minutes to get ready before you need to think critically. The ideal schedule wouldn’t necessarily have four fun classes and four core classes, but as long as the first—or perhaps the first and second—classes are electives, this idea could work.

Students are resistant to changing their own sleep schedules, but it is the school’s choice to change the daily schedule, which could improve our school’s image. School and sleep often don’t mix well; we wake up early and go to bed late. Putting difficult classes first is not a good formula for success. Changing the schedule could be a simple solution to a happier and more productive learning environment. Big change is about the little things!