Chinese sleep long, but not well

BEIJING - Chinese people sleep an average of eight hours and 50 minutes every day, but nearly half feel sluggish when awake, according to a report released Tuesday.

The report on Chinese people's sleep habits was based on a survey conducted in November and December through random household visits in 20 cities, 20 towns and 20 villages.

The results show that some 55 percent of respondents admitted that work pressures have affected their sleep patterns and they have resorted to various methods to improve sleep quality.

According to Qin Xiaoming, vice head of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, which sponsored the report, the survey revealed a trend in which people in south and west China tend to sleep better than those in the north and east, and bachelors sleep better than the married.

Also, men sleep better than women, and people in rural regions have better sleep quality than their urban counterparts, according to the survey results.

Noting new media's negative influence on sleep, the survey found that 67.1 percent of people chat on mobile phones or computers before sleeping, and 43.2 percent of those going to bed after midnight do so due to online gaming and messaging.

Stressing moderate sleep durations, the report urged people to avoid overusing networking devices, while turning to relaxing music, massage and naps to improve sleep quality.