Most of the Whyvillians I've met are in their teenage years and have a pretty hectic schedule. Schoolwork, soccer, band, drama . . . the list goes on and on. This could mean some late nights. I know that most kids and teenagers go to bed late on weekends, but do you know how this could affect you?

Here are some facts about sleep:

-Your brain stores more memory while you are asleep.

-When you're asleep, that's when your brain tells your body to grow. Poor sleep could affect your height and growth.

-If you don't get a lot of sleep on Friday, it could affect waking up on Monday morning.

-When you are tired, you can't concretrate as well, and you are more prone to getting hurt because of this.

-Caffeine (found in candy, soda, and basically in everything sugary) after lunch could keep you from sleeping well at night.

-Believe it or not, teenagers need eight hours to be really rested.

My siblings are always saying that you can go to bed late, get up late, and be as well rested as a person who went to bed early and woke up early. Not exactly true. Your brain is used to a schedule, and you should go to bed and get up in the morning about the same time every day.

To test this, I went to bed at 1:40 a.m. on a Friday. I got up later than usual, which was 10:55 a.m. When I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, I had deep bags underneath my eyes, and bed-head. I was also cranky. I was snapping at everyone that day. That night, I made sure I went to bed earlier so I could catch up on my sleep!

I hope you think about this article when it's time to hit the sack tonight!

Going to bed, xcarrotx
-Zzzzzz-