SLEEPY DAYS ARE OVER "I have a dreamâ¦" said Martin Luther King Jr. But why was he able to have a dream? It is probably because he was able to get enough sleep, unlike the high-schoolers of today. Almost every high-schooler in the United States would agree, we need more sleep. At my high school on Southern Whidbey Island, school starts at the unbearable early time of 7:30 am. That is just too early to start school. Most high schoolers don't even wake up until lunchtime; they simply just sleep through first and second period. Take me for example, I go to sleep on average 12 o'clock ever night, wake up around 6:30 in the morning. By the time I get to school, I am ready to go to sleep again. If you looked at my 1st period grade, you would come to the conclusion that there must be something wrong; and there is! That is why I think that if the start time of high schools were to be changed just half-an-hour later, it would benefit all the teachers, students, and parents in Washington State.
English: Dr. Martin Luther King giving his "I Have...
President Lyndon B. Johnson and Rev. Dr. Martin Lu...
Martin Luther King, Jr.Scientists have been researching and documenting the sleep patterns of high schoolers for years. The have found that there is a gland in our brain called the Pineal Gland. The Pineal Gland releases a substance called Melatonin. Melatonin, when released, makes you feel tired, and make you want to go to sleep. At 7:30-8:00pm melatonin is released in ages 7-13. In ages 14-15, melatonin is released at 9:00-9:30pm. High schoolers' (upperclassmen) melatonin is not released into the blood stream until 10:30-11:00pm. Causing us high schoolers to go to sleep later and wake up earlier. Why should little kids go to bed earlier and wake up later than high schoolers? The little kids obviously...