Before the sun is even shining through your bedroom window, the blaring radio kicks on, the time is 5:45 am, and it is time to start another school day. After an eventful day yesterday, and a late bedtime, you find it terribly hard to roll yourself out of bed. Quite disconnected, you pull your heaping covers back over your head, and within seconds, you drift back off inside your paralyzed body. Suddenly the adrenaline shoots through your body as you realize you have over-slept, too late to let it heat up, you quickly rush to jump into an ice cold shower. Does this scenario sound familiar to anyone? For me, this is how the majority of my weekdays begin. Sleep deprivation among teens is a widely debated topic in our society today. According to Thomas Dixie, Baton Rouge Medical Study Center, *Quote* "This is a no-brainer: teens need more sleep" *End Quote* Have you ever wondered why you are constantly tired in class? Have you ever wondered how dangerous it actually is to not get your rest? Have you ever wondered why we are even at school at 7:45 every morning? The lack of sleep caused by a 7:45 am school start time can lead to a decline in a teens" physical, mental, and emotional well being.
Being at school before 7:40 am causes a decline in the physical well being of a growing teens" life. According to the National Sleep Foundation, *Quote* "60% of children under the age of 18 complained of being tired during the day in the past year, and 15% of the children reported falling asleep at school during the past year. Teenagers are more likely to complain of being tired during the day than are younger children." *End Quote* Tired students are more likely to doze off in class and are less able to concentrate, learn, and solve problems. The irony is that many students are staying up late to study so they can get into "acceptable" colleges. Another aspect is teenagers" physical growth needs during their high school years.
