Students might be able to hit the snooze button a few more times each morning with proposed later start times for classes.

The Winnipeg School Division (WSD) is currently gauging public interest in students starting school later to allow for longer sleep cycles.

A change in students biology during puberty results in the shifting of their internal clocks by an hour or two in their teen years, says WSD Acting Director of Research, Planning and Technology Services Jamie Hutchison.

"They tend to fall asleep later, wake up later," Hutchison said.

But while teenagers need around eight to 10 hours of sleep a night for proper development and growth, Hutchison says that the WSD is seeing students receiving much less than that, and it can impact their academic performance.

Current research is asking whether a later start time in the morning would be beneficial for students.

Beginning the process of looking into this change as a way to give students a better chance for success, the WSD has posted an online survey for parents to fill out with their thoughts on a later start to the day for their kids.

"It starts with just getting a sense of is there a public will to even explore this," explained the research director.

A number of considerations, including bus schedules, the ability of parents with more traditional work hours to accommodate a later start to their child's day, and before and after school extra-curricular will require careful weighing in the event of public favour towards the proposed time change.

"We understand there's going to be a number of concerns associated with a later start time," Hutchison said, further citing concerns regarding child care arrangements and reduced time in the evening for students to complete homework and spend time with family. "All of those things would need to be considered.

"We're gauging public interest first and then pursuing those kinds of things if that is established."

Should a later start time be deemed viable and favorably viewed by parents and guardians, Hutchison says specifics are still very much up in the air. However, the next most important group to address regarding the potential shift would be the students.

"They need to have a voice as well."