Eighty percent of Chinese students sleep deprived

Beijing: About 80 percent of primary and middle school students in China are not getting enough sleep, according to a report released Monday.

The study by the China Youth and Children Research Centre says the average sleeping time for elementary and middle school students was less than eight hours, even on weekends, Xinhua reported. The study was based on reactions from more than 5,000 students in 10 provinces. It was conducted in 1999, 2005 and 2010. "Heavy workload, poor study habits and long commuting times all contribute to the sleep shortage," said Deng Xiquan, a scholar with the research centre. IANS