A report from CBNData said that about 84 percent of Chinese are willing to seek solutions when they experience sleeping problems, and in the past three years, sales of online products designed to help sleep have grown annually by more than 10 percent.

People born in the 1980s and '90s are the main market for such products, with those born after 1995 spending the most.

The report said work pressures are the main reason for insomnia, with 70 percent of people affected by it, followed by stress and their environment.

Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China, said fierce competition at work puts many people under great pressure, especially the younger generation who are climbing the career ladder. This will affect their quality of sleep.

Long working hours and a wide variety of leisure choices could result in them going to bed later. It has also become routine for people to check their mobile phones before going to bed as a way of releasing pressure and entertaining themselves, he said.