VietNamNet Bridge - A survey has found that 80 percent of students sleep less than seven hours a day.

80 percent of students sleep less than 7 hours a day

The survey was conducted by two high school students Tran Thuy Trang and Pham Thi Khanh Vy from Gia Dinh School in HCMC and made public at a city competition for high school students.

The survey was carried out both directly and on online of 7,363 students from high schools in HCMC. 

Eight out of every 10 polled students said they cannot concentrate in class because of lack of sleep. 81.8 percent of students said they slept for less than 7 hours a day, 13.7 percent said they slept for less than five hours, and 44.1 percent cannot take an afternoon nap.

Nearly 40 percent of students said they go to bed between 11pm and midnight while 20.7 percent go to bed after midnight and only 8.6 percent go to bed before 10 pm.

Two reasons behind the lack of sleep have been cited – the pressure from lessons/exams and the effects of technological devices, while the former is the major problem. 

Ninety percent of students said they cannot sleep if they have to prepare for examinations, 89 percent cannot sleep to prepare for the tests the next day, and 86.8 percent need to spend time to do home exercises and learn lessons. 

Ninety percent of students said they cannot sleep if they have to prepare for examinations, 89 percent cannot sleep to prepare for the tests the next day, and 86.8 percent need to spend time to do home exercises and learn lessons.

More than 62 percent said the timetable is unreasonable.

“The survey shows that the majority of students cannot get enough sleep, which is contrary to the recommendation that everyone needs 8-10 hours of sleep per day,” Trang said.

Trang and Vy decided to conduct the survey after they noticed classmates nodding off in class. They also were sleepy and had to go outside or pinch their arms and legs to wake up.

Vo Van Nam, a lecturer of the HCMC University of Education, warned that the lack of sleep will harm student’s health and affect intellectual and personality development. 

“It will do more harm than good in the end if educators still insist on maintaining the current overloaded curriculum,” he added.

Pham Minh Duy, a parent of a student at Go Vap High School, complained that students have to take too many tests and exams. 

The Ministry of Education and Training has been violently criticized for overloading students with heavy curricula. Most students complain that they are so busy that they nearly do not have free time to relax or go out with friends.