Report: Irregular sleep tied to health problems

Around nine in 10 people who were asked about their sleep are troubled by their current sleep quality, and more than 80 percent say they have problems falling back to sleep if awakened, according to a report released in Chongqing on July 28.

The document — the 2022 Chongqing Sleep Satisfaction Report — is said to be the first of its kind in the municipality. It was jointly produced by the Chongqing 96320 Health Hotline, which is affiliated with the Chongqing Health Statistics Information Center, and EnjoyZ, a sleep health company.

Researcher collected more than 1,000 surveys and other data analyzing the correlation between sleep and physical diseases, genetics, psychology, behavior and environment, said Su Chang, an official at the information center.

The report said that sleep patterns might indicate different health problems. For example, 33 percent of respondents snore. Of those, 58 percent feel thirsty, dizzy or have?a headache upon getting up, and 65 percent feel sleepy during the day. The symptoms coincide with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

The report cited several external factors that disturb sleep — for example, 19 percent respondents keep an inappropriate diet before sleep such as drinking tea, alcohol, coffee or eating too much food.

The bedroom environment, including air quality, light, temperature and noise, add variables to sleep quality as well.

"We hope to lead more citizens to pay attention to sleep health and to find a scientific solution through our report," Su said, adding that the 24-hour psychological assistance hotline found that sleep disorders are often linked to psychological problems.

"We also hope the release of the report will push forward more professional institutions, such as a sleep center in the future," Su said.