I refer to the article, SleepLESS in Singapore (MYB, June13). I found it very relevant to what is faced by most teenagers in Singapore - insufficient sleeping time.

I have a 15-year-old daughter who is currently in secondary school. Being an active member of her CCA and her school leadership board, she has to balance schoolwork with her co-curricular activities.

But to do so, she has to sacrifice a few hours of sleep so that she can complete the day's homework. She has lamented that she is overwhelmed by the workload given by her school teachers.

She receives at least four sets of homework a day and, as her CCA and other school activities usually end at 6pm, she has only three hours to complete her homework, if she wants to get at least seven hours of sleep.

In addition, she has tests almost every week. Revision for these tests is almost impossible with the heavy homework load and the exhaustion which sets in after her CCAs end.

Completing her homework has become a struggle, and she hardly has time for revision or entertainment. On average, she receives about four to five hours of sleep a day.

She is not alone - her classmates have similar problems, and most of them end up having difficulty concentrating in class, and doze off in the middle of lessons.

This lack of sleep will greatly affect the student's ability to learn, and places a great deal of stress on them.

There is no doubt that most schools strongly emphasise excellent CCA and academic conduct. However, I feel it would be ideal if teachers could be more understanding and not give homework to students in the midst of their preparation for school examinations and CCA competitions.

Students also need time for their own studies and entertainment. This fast-paced and stressful lifestyle that teenagers face may be too much for them to handle, especially when they are getting not enough sleep.

- SERENE LIM SUI LIN