Dear Mr. or Madam President,

I understand that there are many other issues that most likely have more of your attention, but I would like to address why school start time should be 11 a.m instead of 8 a.m and what benefits it would have. “A growing body of research points to the physical, mental and academic benefits of delaying school start times for adolescents, most of whom do not get the 8-1/2 to 9-1/2 hours of sleep recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.” (Mareesa Nicosa) Teenagers need about 10 hours of sleep, but with school starting so early, they don’t have a chance to get that. School starts around 8 in the morning, and most students don’t actually fall asleep until about 10 or 11 at night. Speaking from personal experience, with school and after-school extracurricular activities, plus home life, I don’t get time for my homework until about eight at night. With about two hours worth of homework, at least one thing for each class, then after the time needed to relax so I can actually sleep, I don’t get to sleep until about eleven or twelve at night. To have schools start three hours later would provide students a sufficient amount of sleep so they can perform at their best and put forth full effort. “The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2011 showed that 69% of U.S. high school students get fewer than 8 hours of sleep on school nights, and 40% get 6 or fewer hours. Results from the 2013 survey were virtually identical.” Please consider this change. I and many other students would deeply appreciate it.