More than 10,000 people in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou will participate in a worldwide survey this month on sleep and insomnia.

It will be the first time for China to take part in such event sponsored by the International Foundation for Mental Health and Neuro-Science.

To help people know more about the importance of sleep and the problem of insomnia, the foundation, with the support of the Sanofi-Synthelabo Corp. of France, initiated the World-Wide Sleep and Health Project -- International Sleep Day set on March 1 every year.

Professor Li Shunwei of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital said that the whole of society is asked to pay attention to the quality of sleep.

Professor Gu Niufan of the Shanghai Mental Health Center noted that over 10 percent of the population in industrial countries suffers from insomnia.

A survey conducted by the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital shows that more than 15 percent of Shanghai citizens are troubled by insomnia.

Experts point out that insomnia is a disease that should be treated according to different causes.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2002)