A survey conducted by The New Express Daily has revealed that insomnia is prevalent among 57 percent of adults in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjiang, Tianjian and Hangzhou. Another recent survey by Fuzhou News in Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian Province, indicated that one-fifth of its citizens have insufficient sleep, and 50 percent of the population requires at least an hour to go to sleep. About 60 percent of adult Beijingers have suffered sleep disorders in the past 12 months. The rates are higher than those in developed countries.
Cause and effect
Modern society puts a great strain on people, resulting in many individuals suffering from insomnia, insufficient sleep, or poor quality slumber.
"Most cases of insomnia were triggered by such psychological illnesses as depression and anxiety, as well as external factors such as excess smoking and alcohol," said Jia Fujun, head of Guangdong Mental Health Research Institute. He also attributed the causes of insomnia to such diseases as diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis.
The surveys showed that 23 percent of people sleep for over nine hours, 32.2 percent for seven to eight hours, and 25.5 percent for five to six hours. The other 20.3 percent of people sleep for less than five hours.
According to experts, both inadequate sleep and excess sleep are harmful to one's health. Young people usually need seven to eight hours a day, and seven hours for adults is appropriate.
Less than five hours of sleep per night could, in the long term, cause lowered immunity, poor memory and a risk of heart attack and diabetes. In addition, women with less sleep are likely to have irregular menses.
Experts say that it's normal for people to fall asleep in 30 minutes. However, the surveys showed that people who need more than half an hour to fall asleep accounted for 46.1 percent, and those who required over two hours comprised 3.1 percent.
"It's hard for me to sleep every night," said Xiao Xia. "I have to count from one to 10,000, but it's usually in vain. Many annoying things crop up in my mind at that time, which makes me even more irritated, keeping me awake for one or two hours at night."
Among people suffering from insomnia, 12 percent often have extra work shifts; 10 percent engage in activities relating to public relations; and 47 percent suffer work-related stress. Twenty-five percent identified disease, mood swings and daily trivialities as the reason for their insomnia, and those who blamed noise and pollution accounted for 4.8 percent.
A child who does not get enough sleep will not grow to his full potential since the hormone for growth is produced only when children fall into deep sleep.
A trial conducted on white rats revealed that a rat without sleep for six days would suffer symptoms of ataxia until its death. Compared with rats, human beings depend more on sleep. An individual can survive over seven days without food or drink, but only about four days without sleep.
Active measures
To draw attention to the significance of sleep quality, the International Foundation for Mental Health and Neuro Science launched a global program for sleep and health in 2001, stipulating March 21 as the World Sleep Day. The China Sleep Research Society (CSRS) introduced the program to China in 2003.
The three internationally acknowledged cornerstones of health are ample sleep, balanced food and drink, and proper exercise. However, many people lack awareness of the importance of sleep. Some 25 percent of insomniacs address the problem by taking pills without the guidance of doctors. But long-term ingestion of such medicines, experts believe, will produce harmful side effects and even exacerbate the syndrome.Tranquilizers, for instance, have been used for over 30 years in Europe and the United States, and although they work for a lot of people, their obvious side effects and addictiveness counteract whatever good they might do. As a result, they are not prescribed as frequently as before.
Experts in China have now taken due notice of the fact that the young are suffering from sleep disorders. Some of them have appealed to give students more time to sleep.
Several of the people surveyed displayed a willingness to fight insomnia, with 17 percent of them cutting down on caffeine. Some 43 percent acknowledged that they are workaholics, often staying up late and eating and drinking excessively, thus throwing their biological clocks off kilter and courting obesity. Exercise is also imperative for healthy sleep. Light fatigue can often be a sleep lubricant. In addition, physical activity can treat anxiety and depression caused directly by insomnia.
Insomniacs are more likely to cause driving accidents. In 2001, the major cause of traffic accidents was fatigue. Subsequently an announcement released by the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Public Security stipulated that two more drivers are needed for passenger buses with routes of over 400 km, or with a highway-route exceeding 600 km. A driver must not drive over three hours, and his accumulated driving hours should not surpass eight hours within 24 hours.
(Source: Xinhua, Fuzhou News and New Express Daily)