Celebrating sleep

World Sleep Day, observed on 21 March, was created to bring attention to the growing number of sleep problems worldwide. Sleep is a natural part of human life, but many people in the modern world ignore its importance. As a result, sleep problems are increasingly common.

In 2002, scientists at the University of Athens in Greece conducted a survey of over 35,000 people in 10 countries around the world, including China, Belgium and South Africa. Of the people that responded to the survey, 24 percent said that they did not sleep well, and based on their responses, 31.6 percent were diagnosed with insomnia (失眠) and another 17.5 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. In addition, 30.7 percent of survey respondents reported visiting a doctor for help with sleep problems and 11.6 percent said that they felt very sleepy during the day.

Overall, the survey found that many people suffer from the effects of poor quality sleep, some examples of which are being unable to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. The main factors causing these problems are pressure from school or work and a fast pace of life, but noise pollution and light pollution also interfere with sleep and contribute to poor quality sleep. The survey’s findings are particularly troubling because large numbers of people were found to have difficulty sleeping at night. The short­term effects of this are tiredness and trouble concentrating. If this happens for a long time, the risk of gaining weight and having a heart attack may increase.

There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. First, you should have regular sleep habits. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You also need to make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep so that heat, light and noise do not disturb you. At night, you should also avoid things that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and many soft drinks, as caffeine may keep you from sleeping.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for everyone. By following the advice above, you can rest better at night and work better during the day.

Title: Celebrating Sleep

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A student tries to figure out a major that suits her.

Bored by the Chinese courses he was majoring in, Zuo Cheng, 18, couldn’t imagine having to drag himself into class day after day, week after week, for four years. After rounds of examinations and interviews, he managed to transfer to the Department of International Accounting.

“It may seem like I’ve wasted a year and have to start college all over again, but now that I’ve settled on a field I’ll be able to concentrate,” Zuo said.

Zou is not alone.

“When we were in high school very few of us understood how maajor relates to career. Many students picked colleges before majors, only to discover their mistake a few weeks after arrival on the campus,” said Jiang Xin, 20, who was able to switch to electrical engineering and automation from physics. He said that physics graduates had few other options besides going into teaching. He added that a career in education just didn’t suit him.

“I should have better job prospects（前景）and the chance to earn more money once I graduate,” Jiang said.

A new survey, of 2,500 students nationwide starting in September this year, suggests that as much as 35 percent of the students are disappointed by their courses. The least happy are those majoring in bioengineering, traditional Chinese medicine and math, while students of architecture, economics and foreign languages are the happiest, owing to good career prospects.

However, Shao Yanfang, who works at the admissions office of University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, advised students to consider both short-and long-term goals.

“After graduation do you want to find yourself in a job very specifically related to your college major? Or, would you like to posses the knowledge and skills that will enable you to work in many areas? There are the questions students need to consider. Above all, your choice of major should be based on your own interests, abilities and personality.” Shao said.