People with Insomnia Need to Address Psychological Issues First | NPC Deputy

Chongqing - More than 300 million people in China suffer from sleep problems, with a rising number in the generation born after 1990. 

To tackle the issue, Ran Ran, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and the chairman of the Chongqing Writers Association, researched the living situation of the depressed crowd with sleeping problems, preparing a relevant motion for China's Two Sessions. 

"Ten years ago, I was surprised by official data indicating that China had hundreds of millions of patients struggling with sleep disorders," said Ran. Since then, she has been paying attention to the health of people with insomnia and preparing to write about it.

After studying many typical cases of insomnia patients, Ran created a full-length novel about how a severe insomnia patient overcame despair and brought hope to more people.

"This is a great and heartwarming story, from saving oneself to saving others," said Ran. She hopes her story will inspire more people to care about the issue.

While serving as a deputy, Ran conducted research and investigations in communities, hospitals, and psychological counseling rooms and found that people with insomnia are likely to suffer from depression.

"People with insomnia need to address their psychological issues first," said Ran. "But the problem is that finding a compassionate and competent therapist is difficult."

Ran believes this is due to the current lack of scientific understanding of insomnia and depression and the absence of a complete system of related treatment and psychological health resources, including experts, psychologists, and counselors.

Ran proposes raising awareness of healthy sleep among the public and promoting a healthy sleep lifestyle. 

She believes the government should introduce related policies and encourage public hospitals to add psychiatric departments or clinics to ensure people's mental health.

(Cai Jiajia, an intern, also contributed to this report.)