It all started with a book.  I picked up Dreamland, factual stories that delve into the mysteries of sleep, as a leisurely read at first.  Then I discovered eight pages in that book that relate to my own family life, and thus began my quest for information.

 

As you may guess, those eight pages discussed the sleep deprivation of teenagers, and the impact of school start times.  I began researching like mad; seeking out news stories, articles from scientific and medical journals, research and studies from the educational profession.

 

Next, I gathered a group of my neighborhood friends and fellow parents and shared with them the information I had discovered.  How the early start time (7:26 am) of our town's junior high and high school is detrimental to our kids' health.  We all agreed, while sitting around my dining room table, that this was important enough to share with the entire parent community, as well as our school administration and board of education.

 

So with the valuable input of many parents, the process of raising awareness of this issue started small and continues to grow.