(Photo/21jingji.com)

Sleep disorders are becoming increasingly common in China, severely endangering both the physical and mental health of Chinese citizens, 21st Century Business Herald reported Wednesday.

Over 80 percent of those interviewed said that they are losing sleep, revealed a social report released earlier this year.

Back in 2016, 38 percent of adults in China were troubled by insomnia, and more than 300 million Chinese people suffered from a sleep disorder. What’s worse, that number is rising every year, according to a report recently released by China Sleep Research Society.

Sleep disorders can occur at any age, but in general, it seems that young people are more prone to them than seniors.

84 percent of the surveyed post-90s generation said they had trouble sleeping, according to the social report. Three-quarters of those interviewed got to sleep after 11:00 p.m., while one third said they only managed to drift off after 1:00 a.m on an average night.

Aside from work pressure, it's thought that the cause could be the amount of time young people spend on digital devices in bed.

“We have seen growing morbidity rates linked to mental illness in recent years, and lack of sleep is one of the causes,” said Yu Xiaonian, chief of psychosomatic medicine at the China Medicine University.

Though sleep disorders are a common problem across the country, it’s still not easy to find correct treatment.

“Currently, treatment for a patient with a sleeping disorder and other mental illness is relatively simple. We basically just give them medical attention,” said Li Yan, a sleep psychologist from Guangdong.

Professional medical institutions should urgently improve their mental health services to better meet patients’ diversified demands, Li added.