In Korea, 1 out of 2 general academic high school students sleeps less than six hours a day because of schoolwork.
According to the 2024 Basic Analysis Report on the Human Rights Status of Children and Adolescents published on Jan. 7 by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI), a survey of 2,258 students enrolled at general academic high schools nationwide found that 46.7% reported sleeping less than six hours a day.
Of these, 29.7% slept "at least 5 hours but less than 6 hours," and as many as 17.0% slept "less than 5 hours." The most common response was an "at least 6 hours but less than 7 hours" daily sleep duration at 30.8%.
The average sleep time among all respondents was 6.0 hours. Only 5.5% said they sleep at least eight hours, the recommended amount for adolescents.
The main reason for insufficient sleep was cited as "studying." The largest share, 25.5%, said they lacked sleep due to home study such as online lectures and homework, followed by cram schools and private tutoring (19.3%) and night self-study sessions (13.4%).
The burden of studying also appears to significantly affect students' mental health and happiness. Among general academic high school students who said they have suicidal thoughts—30.5% of the total—46.4% pointed to grades and academic pressure as the reason. Another 25.2% cited anxiety about their future path.
Among students enrolled at general academic high schools, 19.5% said they are "not happy," or about 1 in 5. The top reason for unhappiness was also academic issues. More than half, 54.9%, cited grades and academic pressure, and 24.0% cited anxiety about their future path as the biggest reasons they feel unhappy.