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Sleeping sickness

Liu Qiong, 22, whose name has been changed for privacy, is haunted（被困扰） by insomnia. She believes the problem is costing her much more than sleep.

March 21 marks World Sleep Day, which serves as a reminder of the necessity of quality sleep to human health.

Sleep problems have become a social issue, say experts.

Freshman Liu at Changchun University found it hard to fall asleep in a communal dorm with roommates chatting, tapping on keyboards and texting all night.

After a month, she had lost 10 kilograms in weight and was prone to catching colds as winter approached.

“Many classmates complained about lack of sleep, so I did not take it seriousely,” said Liu.

According to a report in 2010 by the World Health Organization, sleep problem like Liu’s are universal. More than 27 percent of the world’s populations is affected.

The figure in China is 38 percent according to a report by the Chinese Sleep Research Society last year.

Sleep disorders can cause health risks such as heart attack, obesity and a weaker immune（免疫的） system, said Liu Jiaoyan of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

She went on: ”Sleep disorders are somehow inevitable due to the accelerating pace of life from social development.”

Research by Mathias Basner at University of Pennsylvanis, US, supports Liu’s opinion of adult sleep disorders.

The fact that work influences sleep time was not surprising, but we were amazed by the fact that for every hour of sleep you lose, you work 30 minutes more,” Basner told the Time Magazine,

Previous surveys conducted over the past decade had found that for every hour of sleep lost, the average person worked seven to eight more minutes.

So the nes finding of “working 30 minutes more” suggests a disturbing trend toward increased work–related slepplessness.

Students fall victim

Younger people also experience disrupted sleep.

In a study of more than 1,600 students in Belgium, scentists at KU leuven found that almost 60 percent of them used their cell phones either to talk or text message at bedtime.

Tan Xiaojun, professor of public health at Wuhan University reckons intensive traffic and light pollution are undermining people’s sleep quality.

Moreover, all kinds if electronic deivices are “competing”with sleeping hours, especially among college students.

“New Internet-based entertainment are hooking studenta online. Schools change of curriculum from paper to electronic media, such as Powerpoint, and visual aid teaching are also responsible,” said Tan.

Another factor which causes sleep disorders among students is the growing pressure of study and career.

Changchun student Liu would agree. Due to lack of sleep, she constantly felt tired and found it difficult to concentrate in classes.

Gradually, her rating as a top scorer in the university entrance exam faded.

She felt anxious at bedtime.

“I became allergic（过敏的） to any sound during the night,” said Liu. “The mire I wanted to sleep, the harder it was to do so.”

Professore Tan Xiaojun at Wuhan University does not believe it is realistic to have less pressure on students.

Bet he says the concept of healthy lifestyle should be promoted.

“We should promote a healthy lifestyle among students as part of their education. It will serve them well for the rest of their lives,” said Tan.