Study material PASSAGE 1 📝 - Doctors gear up as Japan sleeps less On average, Japanese sleep about 7 hours and 20 minutes a night, a 2021 survey found - the least among 33 OECD member countries. And the number of insomniacs is growing. But even as more people suffer from insomnia, help can be hard to find. Doctors are gearing up to deal with the problem. As one step, they're asking the government to make "sleep disorders" a category in formal lists of hospital departments. PASSAGE 2 📝 - The growing pull of international schools for Japanese families Thousands of Japanese children in Tokyo are skipping the traditional school system — and heading instead to international classrooms where lessons are in foreign languages and curriculums are flexible. These schools aren't part of Japan's official education system, and they come with steep tuition fees, but their popularity is rising. In Tokyo's central 23 wards, more than 4,800 Japanese children are enrolled in one. PASSAGE 3 📝 - Why the month of May feels tough and how language can help There’s an English proverb that goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” In Japan, however, the month of May also brings on something a little less positive: May sickness. Another translation for May sickness might be the “May blues,” as this isn’t an actual medical term. That doesn’t make it any less of a struggle for those who are suffering from it, though. Japan’s new fiscal year and new school semester both begin in April, making that particular month very busy for students and workers alike. April is a time to get used to new situations and things. Just as you’re getting used to everything, the Golden Week period of consecutive holidays hits. And when it comes to an end, it can be difficult for some to get back on the treadmill and start work or school again.