Feel Free to use the following letter and to insert the applicable action paragraph from those that follow the letter. Change any of the local information so that it applies to your situation.

Dear __________,

As a [teacher/principal/superintendent/PTA member/school board member/someone who works with the school district/etc], you are in a strong position to improve students’ educational experiences, as well as their overall health and well-being, by looking out for their best interests. As you may know, adolescents are among the most sleep-deprived groups in our society. Teenagers require on average 9.25 hours of sleep each night to function at their highest level; the average teen gets as few as seven hours per night. The consequences of sleep deprivation during the teen years are particularly serious. They include difficulty paying attention, along with impaired cognitive function and decision-making; greater likelihood of emotional and behavioral problems such as irritability, depression and violence; increased likelihood of drowsy driving and tobacco or alcohol use; greater susceptibility to illness; and lower overall performance in everything from academics to athletics.

Addressing this issue will benefit students, educators, parents, and the overall community. If this were merely a self-discipline problem, it could be tackled by urging students to go to bed earlier to get more sleep. But research shows that during adolescence, there is a shift in teens’ circadian rhythm—the internal body clock that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness throughout the day—so that teens are biologically programmed to have difficulty falling asleep before 11 p.m. Because of this sleep/wake phase delay, early school starting times set nonnegotiable limits on the amount of sleep students can get each night, leading to chronic sleep deprivation. As a result, when it’s time to wake up for school, the adolescent’s body says it is still the middle of the night, and he or she has had too little sleep to feel rested and alert.

This biological shift in sleep patterns has an important impact on teens’ lives, particularly in the early hours when they are less alert and not able to take full advantage of the teaching-learning process. It also leaves teens sleepy throughout the entire day, so their academic performance, participation in sports and other activities, relationships with family and friends, and overall health can all suffer. Many schools have responded by setting later school start times that are more in line with adolescent biology, with positive outcomes. For example, a study of a Minnesota school district that changed its start time to 65 minutes later showed that students got an average of one hour more sleep per night, and there was improvement in attendance rates and less tardiness. Students also made fewer trips to the school nurse, and counselors reported fewer students seeking help with academic stress and for relationship problems with peers and family. There were also fewer disciplinary referrals to the principal. In addition, teachers noted that students were more alert and ready to participate in ways that promote a real education. Students reported less sleepiness in class or while doing homework, and parents reported that their children were easier to live with, with fewer confrontations and more actual conversations and “connect time.”

We felt it would be helpful to share with you this information on adolescent sleep and the benefits of later school start times. Chronic sleep deprivation among adolescents is a serious problem that impacts significantly their development, health and ability to be prepared for the future. We understand that it can be difficult to balance the needs of students, teachers, parents and the community, and at the same time provide a safe and functional educational environment. We also feel though, that acknowledging the role of proper sleep in the students’ lives is vital, and that adjusting the school schedule is critical if we are truly looking out for our students’ needs. We hope that you feel the same, and are confident that you have students’ health and well-being in mind when you examine this issue.

[INSERT ACTION PARAGRAPH]

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

ACTION PARAGRAPHS:

PTA/Teachers: We request that you share this information with parents, faculty, staff and students, and consider it a high priority issue for the students of [YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT]. We also urge you to recommend to the school board that they adopt a later start time for the high schools in the district. This change is extremely beneficial to the students’ education and overall health, as well as to parents, faculty and staff. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about research on adolescent sleep and steps we can take to improve our current system.

BOARD: We request that you share this information with educators, parents, students, and anyone else who is interested in improving students’ health and education. We hope that you will consider this change a high priority issue for the students of [YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT]. We also hope that you will recommend to other school board members that they adopt a later start time for the high schools in the district. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about research on adolescent sleep and steps we can take to improve our current system.

HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS: We request that you share this information with parents, faculty, staff and students, and consider it a high priority issue for the students of [YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT]. We also urge you to recommend to the school board that they adopt a later start time for the high schools in the district. This change is extremely beneficial to the students’ education and overall health, as well as to parents, faculty and staff. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about research on adolescent sleep and steps we can take to improve our current system.

MAYOR: We request that you share this information with the school board of [YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT], and urge you to recommend that the school board adopt later start times in the best interest of students. This change is extremely beneficial to the students’ education and overall health, as well as to parents and educators. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about research on adolescent sleep and steps we can take to improve our current system.

TRANSPORTATION: We request that you share this information with educators, parents, students, and anyone else who is interested in improving students’ health and education. Since a significant aspect of a successful start time change involves school transportation, we would be eager to meet with you to further discuss this and hear your ideas. We realize that moving to later start times will require careful consideration of logistical and economic impacts, but we hope that you will consider this change a high priority issue for the students of [YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT]. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about research on adolescent sleep and steps we can take to improve our current system.

ATHLETIC DIRECTORS: We request that you share this information with parents, faculty, staff and students, and consider it a high priority issue for the students of [YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT]. This change is extremely beneficial to the students’ education and overall health, as well as their performance in athletics and other activities. Since a significant aspect of a successful change in school start times involves students being able to participate in sports and other activities, we would be eager to meet with you to further discuss this and to hear your ideas. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about research on adolescent sleep and steps we can take to improve our current system.