(CFP)

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."

Technological aids

Considering that addiction to digital devices such as smartphones are hindering peoples' sleep, some phone applications have been developed to forcibly drag people away from them, among which the "Early to Bed" app is one of the most popular.

With Early to Bed, users begin by setting a designated time to put their phone into "sleep mode," at which point the phone is locked for two hours. An alarm also rings at the time the user has set. Clicking "sleep" when the alarm goes off locks the owner out of their own phone for two hours, although users can choose to delay the alarm. However, this results in the app letting all your friends know that you did as a punishment.

"The intention of the application is to encourage young workers and students to stick to healthy habits and go to bed early," said Yang Yuan, the 23-year old developer of the application.

Yang admits that he goes to bed late every night. "My brain is more active late at night and many of my friends are reluctant to go to bed in the evening," he said. "The application only gives you a reminder. Such tools are simply a new attempt to help people give up their bad habits through relying on their self-awareness. Even if the mobile phone is locked, people can switch to their iPad if they still want to chat online or play games."

"People know sleep is important, but they may not be aware that they are suffering from bad sleep," said Ye Jingying, a sleep specialist at the Beijing Tongren Hospital.

"If one wakes up frequently during the night, or always feels groggy during the day, then they should pay attention to their sleep patterns."

According to Ye, people need to keep away from digital devices for at least an hour before sleep as the light keeps their brains stimulated for a long while. Other suggestions include: try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends and during holidays, and to do the same thing every night to help wind down and relax before bed.

Email us at: yuanyuan@bjreview.com