Insomnia

We have all heard about the case of a patient who collapsed four years ago after overdosing on hypnotic pills. His family thought it was a suicide attempt, but when the patient came back he said he just wanted to sleep. Shan, 37, is one of the first doctors at Beijing University Hospital to specialize in psychiatric treatments and mainly insomnia. Medicine for the treatment of insomnia appeared in China in the 1980s.

Before then, all this was considered superfluous. In today's China, however, sleep disorders are common and widely researched. A study conducted by the Medical Committee on Sleep Medicine of the Chinese Medical Association ahead of the 18th World Sleep Day shows that over 60% of the adult population worldwide are not sleeping well.

Especially young Chinese sleep very little. About 75% of people under the age of 30 suffer from sleep disorders due to depression, nervousness and anxiety. Stress at work, obesity, and poor nutrition can also affect sleep quality. Another major cause of insomnia is the use of smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices, as the screens emit a blue light that stimulates the optic nerve, leading to a significant decrease in melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Those who suffer the most from insomnia, according to the survey, are media workers, IT developers, and e-commerce professionals.

A Chinese sleep research company released a report last year showing that 93.8% of young Chinese spend a lot of time online before going to bed. It is ironic, however, that these young people often turn to the Internet to combat insomnia. A report that came to light last December showed that nearly 79% of people who click the word "insomnia" to buy related products on the Alibaba platform are between 18 and 35 years old. The most popular products are tranquilizers and massage machines. In 2012, approximately 23.8 million people made online purchases between 11 pm and 5 am.

Wang Weidong, a leading sleep expert, has developed a mobile app that provides online diagnostics, medical advice, and traditional Chinese medical treatments. Since its launch in 2017, more than 30,000 users have subscribed and received information. In addition to conventional medicines, traditional recipes such as lavender oil for massage, recipes, and exercises are available online.

"Our generation is more susceptible to insomnia and we care about sleep more than our predecessors," says Match, the founder of the online group: "Sleep Bar - Say Goodbye to Insomnia", created in 2010 and has over 20,000 members. Match was always troubled from insomnia when he realized that constantly complaining about the problem was not the solution. He then began reading books on sleep medicine and sharing this knowledge online.

"Scientific methods are the key to improving sleep quality. Ultimately, the cure is inside the individual himself,” he says.