Nearly 40% of Chinese suffering from insomnia

A new study shows that around 38.2% of Chinese adults suffer from insomnia to a certain degree, the Beijing Morning Post reported on Monday.

The study also found that Chinese people are feeling more tired than they have ever before, with 40% of the adults surveyed, during the past month, reporting that they tended to feel sleepy during the day.

The China Sleep Research Society, which carried out the study, says that the average sleep time for an adult in the country has dropped at a rate of 0.71 minute per year since 1900. That means the current average sleep time for an adult is 1.5 hours lesser than it was in 1900.

The report says that individuals who tend to have difficulty sleeping are three to four times more likely to develop depression than those who sleep well. However, only 21% of those suffering from sleep problems tend to seek medical assistance, according to the newspaper.

Experts suggest that instead of counting sheep or drinking wine, taking a hot bath, having a small cup of milk or reading a philosophical book can help one doze off.

Adapted from Chinanews.com