By Valeria Rios, senior

Every school day, I set an alarm for 5:50 a.m. so I can catch a bus at 6:35 for a first period that starts at 7:25. Many of my classmates do the same. By second period, half of us are struggling to stay awake. Our district should move the high school start time to 8:30 a.m. or later.

This is not just about teenagers wanting to sleep in. During the teenage years, the body's internal clock shifts later. Most teenagers do not feel sleepy until around 11 p.m. or later, even if they go to bed early. Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get eight to ten hours of sleep a night. A student who falls asleep at 11 and wakes up at 5:50 gets less than seven.

Doctors have noticed the problem too. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Tired students have a harder time paying attention, remembering what they learned, and controlling their moods. Teen drivers who are short on sleep are also more likely to have accidents, and many of us drive ourselves to school.

Some people argue that a later start would cause problems for after-school sports and jobs. That is a fair concern. Practices would end later, and some students work evening shifts to help their families. But schools that have changed their schedules have found ways to adjust, for example by moving some practices to the morning or the weekend. A schedule that works for the bus system but not for the students it carries is not working.

Others say teenagers should simply go to bed earlier. I have tried. Lying in the dark at 9:30 does not make my body tired, any more than a younger child could fall asleep at 6 p.m. on command. Telling us to try harder does not change our biology.

The school board will discuss next year's calendar at its meeting on March 4. I urge students and parents to attend and speak in favor of a later start. We are asking for a schedule that lets us arrive ready to learn, not one that rewards whoever can survive on the least sleep.