Beijingers' lives no slumber party

Beijingers' lives no slumber party

• Source: Global Times
• [08:30 March 21 2011]
• Comments

A security guard takes a nap on a bench along Chang'an Avenue in September 2009. Photo: Guo Yingguang

By Xu Tianran

Half of all Beijingers reportedly are not getting a good night's rest, so to mark this year's World Sleep Day, which is Monday, a Beijing Hospital will hold free consultations this morning for the capital's insomniacs.

A total of 20 sleepless members of the Healthy Sleep Sodality, a fellowship of patients established last Thursday by the Huilongguan Hospital, in Changping district, will also take part in the consultation as their first event.

The sodality will hold events such as lectures and consultations every month for free, according to Song Chongsheng, a doctor of the hospital's sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment center and the sodality's organizer.

Song claimed that he has already received at least 30 to 40 telephone inquiries, but explained that the number of club members is limited to 20 and is determined on a first-come, first-served basis. The number is relatively small because it is the hospital's first time organizing such a group, according to Song.

Members range in age from 27 to 65, and suffer from sleep disorders that can cause, among other problems, mood swings, attention-deficit disorder, depression and anxiety, Song said.

"I eat poorly because I sleep poorly. My skin gets bad and I'm in no mood to study. I'm easily irritated," complained Shao Chen, a 20-year-old student at the Communication University of China, who saw Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors in vain and now plans to try western medicine.

However, Shao is confused and suspected that she might not be sick.

"Maybe I only need to be optimistic and eat better," she said.

Over 30 percent of the Chinese population suffers from sleep disorders, while city dwellers are far more vulnerable to sleep problems than rural residents, according to Guo Xiheng, the director of Chaoyang Hospital's sleep center.

An ongoing online poll conducted by sohu.com and the Life Times newspaper suggests that 55.97 percent of 4,213 Web users who took part in the survey have serious sleeping problems. According to a 2007 Guangzhou Daily report, about 57 percent of Beijing citizens suffer from sleep disorders.

"Generally speaking, women are more vulnerable to sleep disorders because they are more emotional. Also, white collar workers suffer more than blue collar workers," Guo said, adding that people who keep irregular sleeping hours also put themselves at risk of disorders.