A Good Night's Sleep

Difficulty drifting off

For college students, keeping up a healthy sleeping routine takes a bit of self-discipline, but for others, the difficulties are somewhat more complex.

On November 8, the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) revealed the "sleep index" of the Chinese populace, 64.3, which is just above the passing mark of 60. This shows that more than 90 percent of the population aren't getting high-quality sleep, even though the hours they spend sleeping may be enough. On average, Chinese people sleep for eight hours and 50 minutes every day, much more than the seven to eight hours' sleep recommended by medical experts.

In March, the CMDA launched a survey on the sleep quality of residents in 20 cities, 20 counties and 20 rural areas across China, polling a total of around 107,000 people in two months.

The results showed that 14 percent of the respondents stayed up after midnight, 15 percent found it hard to get to sleep, and more than 55 percent reported that they have to resort to additional measures to help them fall asleep—such as listening to soft music or reading. Bad moods, physical ailments and stress have the strongest effect on sleep quality.

Generally, more than 70 percent of people have problems getting decent sleep, due to insomnia, sleep apnea (irregular or interrupted breathing during sleep), or physical discomfort, among other issues.

Young adults are more likely to have sleep problems, with about 62 percent of young adults stating that pressure at work is the main reason behind poor sleep, with the use of technology for entertainment being another major factor.

Nearly 70 percent of residents surveyed in the 20 Chinese cities said that they used mobile phones, tablets or computers before going to sleep, and among those who kept late hours, nearly half said that they were chatting online or playing games during the time immediately before sleep.

"I feel very tired when I leave the office every evening and always tell myself that I need to go to bed early," said Liu Yuxiao, a 25-year-old bank clerk working in Beijing. "But the moment I lie down in bed, I pick up my cellphone."