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In high school, I would fall asleep in class all the time. Teachers would yell, I'd get in trouble, it was awful. It wasn't intentional, I was just so tired th

In high school, I would fall asleep in class all the time. Teachers would yell, I'd get in trouble, it was awful. It wasn't intentional, I was just so tired that I could not keep myself awake. If I could have stopped it, I would have been much happier, but I couldn't. Even during my waking periods, I'm sure I wasn't operating at peak mental efficiency.

TheSOB88 17y ago
Why couldn't you have stopped it? Wouldn't going to bed earlier have helped?
- gwern 17y ago
  If the melatonin isn't being secreted earlier, no, it wouldn't. If the melatonin isn't there, it isn't there. The only way willpower or just going to bed earlier would help is if he had used the willpower to go buy some melatonin supplements* and then went to bed earlier. It only takes a few instances of going to bed early, moping around for an hour or two, and still not getting a good night's sleep, before one rationally decides to just stay up later. * or similar technological hack, like blue glasses
yesimahuman 17y ago
Anecdotal evidence: I can't ever remember being as exhausted as I was having to get up every day for high school. I think my body has adjusted better to less sleep now, but I just remember it being awful. I felt even worse for the kids who came on the bus. No wonder many of them couldn't stay awake! They probably had to get up at 5:30 every morning just to go to school!
- warfangle 17y ago
  Anecdotally, I had an hour and a half bus ride to school back in the day. We were picked up at 5:45 (school started at 7:30). For much of the school year, it was pitch dark out waiting for the bus. If I wanted to be presentable and eat breakfast, I had to wake up at 4:45.
  - decadentcactus 17y ago
    I was similar. Towards the end of high school I moved far away. School started at 8:30, my alarm was set to 6. Bus left just before 7 down the road a little. It was interesting taking a bus + train + bus to school, but I wasn't really a fan of waking up that early.
- robryan 17y ago
  Same, I've never been more consistently tired as I was in high school, even though at times since then I have ran similar hours.

TheSOB88 17y ago

Why couldn't you have stopped it? Wouldn't going to bed earlier have helped?

gwern 17y ago
If the melatonin isn't being secreted earlier, no, it wouldn't. If the melatonin isn't there, it isn't there. The only way willpower or just going to bed earlier would help is if he had used the willpower to go buy some melatonin supplements* and then went to bed earlier. It only takes a few instances of going to bed early, moping around for an hour or two, and still not getting a good night's sleep, before one rationally decides to just stay up later. * or similar technological hack, like blue glasses

yesimahuman 17y ago

Anecdotal evidence: I can't ever remember being as exhausted as I was having to get up every day for high school. I think my body has adjusted better to less sleep now, but I just remember it being awful. I felt even worse for the kids who came on the bus. No wonder many of them couldn't stay awake! They probably had to get up at 5:30 every morning just to go to school!

warfangle 17y ago
Anecdotally, I had an hour and a half bus ride to school back in the day. We were picked up at 5:45 (school started at 7:30). For much of the school year, it was pitch dark out waiting for the bus. If I wanted to be presentable and eat breakfast, I had to wake up at 4:45.
- decadentcactus 17y ago
  I was similar. Towards the end of high school I moved far away. School started at 8:30, my alarm was set to 6. Bus left just before 7 down the road a little. It was interesting taking a bus + train + bus to school, but I wasn't really a fan of waking up that early.
robryan 17y ago
Same, I've never been more consistently tired as I was in high school, even though at times since then I have ran similar hours.