Stress and digital overdose: insomnia (and its market) is on the rise in China

According to a report, almost half of citizens over the age of 18 suffer from sleep disorders, with a sharp increase in the number of young people receiving treatment in healthcare facilities. Sales of increasingly sophisticated melatonin-based products are rampant on e-commerce sites. Meanwhile, mattresses equipped with artificial intelligence capable of performing functions that promote night-time rest, such as the option of setting massages, are hitting the market.

Milan (AsiaNews) - For about half of the Chinese population, sleeping well has become a luxury. According to the ‘Report on the 2025 Sleep Health Survey in China’ published by the China Sleep Research Society, 48.5% of Chinese citizens aged 18 and over suffer from sleep disorders, of whom 51.1% are women and 45.9% are men.

To get a more concrete idea of the problem, just look at the local situation. In the western city of Chengdu, for example, the number of sleep clinics has grown exponentially in recent years, reaching 144. In a recent interview, Ran Ningjing, deputy head of the neurology department at a hospital in the Sichuan capital, said that around 40% of the more than 150 patients seen each week required assistance for sleep-related problems.

This is an alarming phenomenon, indicative of a society that forces people to live at an increasingly frenetic pace, with young people bearing the brunt of the cost. Wang Kai, a doctor at Chengdu First People's Hospital, admitted that compared to last year, the growth rate of patients under the age of 30 suffering from sleep disorders is around 20%.

Among the main causes of insomnia, in addition to genetic, physiological and environmental factors, are stress and the need to work late into the night. It is therefore no coincidence that sleep disorders are more prevalent in large Chinese cities, among computer programmers, healthcare workers, and professionals working in finance and new media. Another high-risk group is students, many of whom sleep less than five hours a night in the run-up to the gaokao, the university entrance exam.

Certain habits that have become an integral part of the night-time routine of many young Chinese people, such as watching short videos online, following television series and playing video games before bed, can also affect the quality of sleep. As is well known, using electronic devices up to two hours before going to sleep inhibits the secretion of melatonin and delays the sleep phase.

This is a problem that should not be underestimated, considering that, according to the latest “Statistical Report on Internet Development in China” by the China Internet Network Information Centre, the average daily internet usage time for Chinese citizens aged between 18 and 35 is six and a half hours, most of which is concentrated in the middle of the night.

The bedside tables of those who have difficulty falling asleep are certainly not lacking in melatonin-based dietary supplements, the real driving force behind the “sleep economy” (shuimian jingji) in the Middle Kingdom. The Chinese market for this valuable ally against insomnia is booming, set to grow from 1.54 billion yuan to over 5 billion within the next five years, according to the latest forecast report by the China Research Institute of Industry.

The distribution channels preferred by young consumers are online, which account for over 70% of the total market share. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the e-commerce platform Vipshop, to name one, recorded a 30% year-on-year increase in sales of melatonin-based products. A report published by the JD Consumer and Industry Development Research Institute and Jing Insight also highlighted that almost half of buyers belong to Gen-Z. Meanwhile, for Chinese online shopping giant Meituan, those born after 1990 account for over 70% of consumers.

Equally indicative are figures released by Tmall Health, according to which more than 10,000 people type the word “melatonin” into the Chinese marketplace website every day, with young people aged between 18 and 29 accounting for over 30% of this figure, making them the largest group.

What's more, competition between leading Chinese and international brands has led to the development of increasingly diverse and sophisticated melatonin-based products: from extended-release tablets and sprays designed for frequent business travellers to gummy candies in all shapes and flavours. Recommendations from influencers and live-streamed advertising help shape the preferences of young consumers.

Recently, the lucrative Chinese market for sleep aids has also attracted the food industry. The well-known brand Hema, for example, has launched “Goodnight Milk”: each 250 ml bottle of this special drink contains 12,500 mg of melatonin. As revealed by Red Star News, online sales of “goodnight milk” exceeded 50,000 orders last month.

However, the new frontier in sleep wellness is “smart” mattresses, so called because they are equipped with an AI system that performs functions that promote a good night's sleep, such as the ability to set massages.

According to forecasts, the global market for AI mattresses will grow by 7% annually over the next five years. For Wu Xiankun, head of the furniture department at the JD Mall shopping centre in Chengdu, the success of this product in China is assured, given the interest it is already generating among young people, who are more receptive to new products and health-conscious.

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