Do you really sleep like a baby?

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Many Chinese do not sleep well, but most of them do not pay enough attention to the issue, according to the 2013 China Sleep Quality Index released by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association in Beijing on March 19, to mark World Sleep Day, which is March 21.

The report was based on a survey jointly conducted by Sleemon Furniture Co and Horizon China, a leading survey and research company. They interviewed more than 107,000 respondents from households in 20 cities, 20 counties and 20 rural areas across China in November and December.

According to the report, Chinese people sleep on average eight hours and 50 minutes every day - much more than the seven to eight hours' sleep recommended by medical experts. But, about 50 percent still feel groggy and weak when they wake up in the morning.

More than 70 percent of those who have issues with sound sleep attribute this to insomnia, sleep apnea (a frequent closing of throat while sleeping) and physical discomfort.

Additionally, falling asleep is not easy for many people. Some 15 percent of respondents find it very hard to drift into asleep, and more than 55 percent have to resort to sleep-inducing measures such as listening to soft music, and reading.

Bad moods, physical diseases and psychological pressures are the most important factors that affect sleep quality. Among the respondents, more than 66 percent of women say a bad mood affects their sleep negatively, two points higher than their male counterparts.

About 70 percent of city residents consider bad mood as one of the primary causes of poor sleep, while in rural areas, the rate is 62 percent.

About 65 percent of respondents admit they cannot sleep well because of sudden illness such as a cold.

Younger people are more likely to have sleep problems, because of work pressures, the report said.

About 62 percent of young people cite work pressure as the main cause of poor sleeping patterns, followed by 54 percent (middle-aged) and 21 percent (elderly).

Another interesting finding is, the more highly educated and higher paid, the more likely people suffer from poor sleep.

Ye Jingying, a sleep specialist and ear, nose and throat diseases specialist at Beijing Tongren Hospital, says: "People know sleep is important, but they may not be aware that they are having bad sleep.

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

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.