Sleeping aid market booms in China

The sleep economy is booming in China as insomnia cases rise among adults, with over 300 million Chinese suffering from sleep disorders, according to the Annual Sleep Report of China (2022) on Monday.

Though economic growth has offered a substantial improvement in the quality of life, it has also increased problems like stress, mental anxiety and insomnia, which has brought up a market of sleeping aids and techniques on the cusp of a boom.

Insomnia cases among adults are as high as 38 percent, according to a study conducted by the China Sleep Research Society. Data provided by a Chinese e-commerce platform shows that sleep sprays, functional pillows and steam eye masks are the three most popular sleep products. Besides traditional products such as oils and incense, there are also sophisticated and advanced 'smart' equipment such as the gravity duvet providing more choices for the growing customers group.

Insomnia is troubling more and more people, among whom Cui Kun has been suffering for a long time.

"My sleep quality has always been bad, and I always find it very difficult to fall asleep. I usually go to bed at about three or four in the morning. But if I take some tea or coffee or if my brain gets active in the evening, I cannot sleep until dawn," said Cui.

As sleep disorder is becoming a common problem, Cui found that there are more helpers she can turn to.

"To solve this problem, I would regularly buy sleep aid products, such as sleep incense, sleep sprays, earplugs, and steam eye masks. In addition, I also downloaded a sleep assistance app on my mobile phone, and listen to the white noise and hypnotists' audio in it. Many of those are available to membership only, so I usually spend about 20 yuan a month for membership," said Cui.

Besides big and small companies, beverage giants have also jumped into the fray with a variety of sleep aid drinks. Hot-Kid Milk Drink Want Want has launched a fruit-flavored drink for insomniacs.Various ingredients are added to help eliminate fatigue and restlessness.

Other popular beverage companies such as Mengniu Dairy and Six Walnuts have also launched sleep aid beverages. However, most of these drinks are high-priced, with a 200ml bottle of Sleep Aid Milk costing as much as 20 yuan, twice the price of ordinary milk

drinks.