In honour of World Sleep Day on March 21, China’s instant messaging software service QQ joined hands with Chinese online psychological counselling service platform Yidianling to release the “2023 Youth Sleep Quality Survey”. The study, consisting of over 3,000 collected questionnaires from teens born in 2005 and later, aims to understand and build awareness of sleep quality and mental health in modern-day teenagers.
According to the survey results, 75% of teenagers sleep less than 7 hours a day, and only 25% sleep for 8 hours. Poor sleep quality, falling asleep late, and waking up in the middle of the night were listed as the most common sleep problems by the adolescents interviewed. In addition, more than 90% of teenagers say that lack of sleep has brought emotional and psychological problems; 60% of teenagers feel that lack of sleep has seriously affected their studies. Still, more than 30% of teenagers are aware that the impact of lack of sleep on physical and mental health is not enough.
The reasons behind the poor sleep quality prevalent among these teens were mainly concentrated in two areas. On the one hand, the teenagers mentioned the impact of psychological and emotional problems, including anxiety caused by a high-stress learning environment, worries about interpersonal relationships, and troubles in growth and development. On the other hand, teenagers reported their sleeping environment as being the source of their insomnia.
The survey results also showed differences in the influence of the two factors between girls and boys. For example, girls were more likely to be affected by growing pains and interpersonal relationships with family, friends, and classmates than boys, who were more likely to be affected by the sleep environment.
Overall, both QQ and Yidianling share a common interest in promoting the mental health and well-being of Chinese youth, who are likely to be users of both apps. By conducting a survey together, the two entities can gather valuable data on the issue, which can then be used to develop targeted interventions to improve sleep hygiene and overall well-being among young people in China. Moreover, by partnering with each other, the two companies can leverage their respective strengths in technology and psychology to reach a wider audience.
