A poll done in six cities in China shows that 57% of adults suffer from insomnia over the past year, and 53% say that they have suffered from this problem for more than one year.

However, only 13% patients tell their doctors about their sleeping condition. Many of them, even if they have some sleeping problem, don't mention it in front of the doctor, and for most of the time, doctors don't ask them about it.

It is said that insomnia is linked with many diseases, and these diseases will make the problem even worse. However, most doctors pay little attention to insomnia problem. In light of this, Fan Dongshen, vice president of the Peking University No.3 Hospital urge doctors to raise the question with their patients.

Five years ago, the China Medical Association conducted an investigation about Chinese people's sleeping condition. The result showed that in China, 44% of people suffered from some kind of sleeping problems. Only 23% know their sleeping conditions and only one-fifth of them seek doctor's help when they have sleeping problems.

Although the issue is quite serious, the poll shows that 80% of people suffering from insomnia have not discussed the issue with their doctors, indicating that most patients seek no medical help when they have sleeping problems.

Editor: Wing