One in Three Domestic Students "Do Not Sleep Enough"

The problem of sleep deprivation among students in the Republic of Korea has become serious.

According to the "2023 Comprehensive Child Condition Survey In-depth Analysis Study" released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) on the 10th, 34.9% of children in the Republic of Korea reported that they do not get enough sleep.

This study is based on a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and KIHASA, targeting 5,743 children under the age of 18.

The research team specifically analyzed the sleep conditions of 3,137 children aged 9 to 17, finding that the average sleep time for the surveyed children was 7.9 hours.

Only 65.1% of the children felt they had adequate sleep, while those who reported feeling "just okay" (22.0%), "not enough" (10.8%), and "not enough at all" (2.1%) accounted for a total of 34.9% who were dissatisfied with their sleep.

According to the recommended sleep times from the American Sleep Foundation, which is cited by the Korean Society of Sleep Medicine, children ages 6 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours, while adolescents aged 14 to 17 require 8 to 10 hours of sleep.

When compared to these standards, many domestic children are not securing sufficient sleep duration.

The Primary Cause of Sleep Deprivation: "Academic Stress"

When examining the reasons why children are not getting enough sleep, approximately 60% of them were related to academic activities.

The top reason for sleep deprivation was "private academies and tutoring" (34.3%), followed by "smartphone use for social media and chatting" (15.5%) and "home study such as homework or online lectures" (15.2%).

Additionally, factors such as "gaming" (14.1%), "nighttime self-study" (10.8%), and "watching dramas, movies, or listening to music" (5.1%) were also identified as disrupting children's sleep.

Image source: Reference material photo for better understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank