Most people dream while sleeping, but there are a growing number who can only fantasise about a good night's slumber.

A recent survey found 40 per cent of Chinese urban dwellers suffer from sleep problems. [baidu]

A recent survey found 40 per cent of Chinese urban dwellers suffer from sleep problems.

Stress, noise pollution and partners who snore excessively are just some of the reason's many of us wake up feeling cranky after a restless night of twisting and turning.

The survey, released by the Chinese Sleep Research Society to coincide with World Sleep Day yesterday, also showed many more are suffering from narcolepsy - the condition characterized by an extreme tendency to fall asleep whenever in relaxed surroundings.

Last week, a group of medical experts discussed in Beijing how to improve quality of sleep.

Professor Wang Yuping from the Beijing Xuanwu Hospital believes high pressure from work and the rapid-pace and irregular life styles of modern urban living are major factors affecting our sleep.

"The rapid pace of the nation's economic development in recent years has forced many to change gear and live life in the fast lane," Wang said.

Sleep disorders have become a common illness among the middle-aged who have a family and a career to support, said Wang.

An increasing number of young are joining the sleepless in China.

Guo Wei, 29, an employee of a foreign-owned company in Beijing, says he often feels sleepy at work and cannot concentrate. But at night he finds it hard to fall asleep.

Adults are not the only ones under pressure.

Students, overwhelmed by long school hours, piles of homework, and various after-school activities are also suffering.

A survey by the China Youth and Children Research Centre shows more than half of primary and middle school students said "a good sleep is the dearest thing" they want.

The survey, conducted among 5,846 students in 10 major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing over the past two years, showed 10.4 per cent of those under 12 slept less than eight hours a day.

This was much lower than medical recommendations which suggests children and teenagers should get at least nine hours of sleep within 24 hours.

"Being asleep is just as important as being awake," said Peng Min, a Beijing pediatrician. "It's particularly important to children and youngsters," she added.

China's midnight twitchers are not alone. A World Health Organization survey shows 27 per cent of people in the world have certain sleep disorders.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It occurs more often in women and in the elderly.

As sleep disorders give rise to greater concern, the International Foundation for Mental Health and Neuro-Science introduced the World Sleep Day in 2001.

Editor: Catherine