February 21, 2001

School Board President

Windsor Unified School District

9291 Old Redwood Highway

Building 300, Suite C

Windsor, CA 95492

Dear Sir,

I am writing to address a problem that many teens face. Many teens are not getting enough sleep. The growing bodies of teens need sleep; however, many teens are not getting as much sleep as they need. According to Matlika Joy Marshall, M.D., an Instructor in Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, a large amount of teenagers say that they feel tired during the day. An astonishing 15 to 20% of teens even admit to falling asleep in class.

Teen sleep deprivation can cause consequences a lot more serious than nodding off at school. Sleep deprivation can impair a teenager's ability to learn. For example, a lack of sleep could lead to problems in concentrating and performing simple tasks. Other side effects of sleep deprivation include mood and memory problems, and possible effects to the immune system. Many sleep disorders even begin in the teenage years.

For a solution to this problem, I suggest that the school day should start later. Based on a recommendation from the Minnesota Medical Association, a number of schools in Minnesota have established later school-start times. I believe we should follow this example. Instead of starting the day around 8:00, when a teenager's body isn't ready to be awake, I think school should start around 10:00. At first glance, this change in time might seem drastic. However, according to medical research more sleep could result in more attentiveness in class and less "sick days". It is for these reasons that I wish you to strongly consider making the school day start later.

Sincerely,