Behind these efforts lies a shared anxiety: In an increasingly fast-paced world, quality sleep has become both a luxury and an obsession.

"I have been suffering from insomnia around three nights a week since I entered the workforce two years ago, and I started using sleep aid products over a month ago because insomnia has really impacted my work and daily life," Zhang Hanfei, a 24-year-old Shanghai resident, told Beijing Review. "In addition to soaking my feet and massaging them before bed, I now use a warm eye mask, to help myself relax. I also drink a daily herbal wellness beverage designed to improve sleep quality, which contains natural ingredients such as red date, poria mushroom, lily bulb, longan and chamomile." In traditional Chinese medicine, dried longan, a fruit originating from south China, is used to soothe nerves and improve sleep quality.

"I find these products somewhat useful," Zhang added. "Many of my peers are also experimenting with similar methods. We see them as a step we try before considering medication or professional therapy."

Industry upgrade 

Wang's symptoms mirror a widespread problem plaguing many people. According to the 2025 Chinese Citizens' Sleep Health Survey, jointly released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Sleep Big Data Center in March, 48.5 percent of adults aged 18 and above in China experience sleep disturbances.

Additionally, the 2024 White Paper on Chinese Residents' Sleep Health published by the Chinese Sleep Research Society (CSRS) indicated that the average resident would fall asleep after midnight, with a nightly sleep duration of just 6.75 hours, far below the eight hours recommended by the World Health Organization. Sleep issues among young people are becoming increasingly prominent, with difficulty falling asleep being the most common problem for those born in the 2000s, 1990s and 1980s, affecting 22 percent, 26 percent, and 20 percent of each age group, respectively.

"The sleep health of the nation is not only a matter of personal wellbeing but also a public health issue that impacts social productivity and public happiness," Yuan Xiangshan, Deputy Secretary General of the CSRS, said at a sleep health seminar in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on August 16. "In recent years, more and more people with trouble sleeping have turned to aid products. While the market is growing rapidly, greater attention must be paid to improving product quality. For enterprises, this means adopting innovative concepts and technological approaches to provide more scientific, systematic and accessible healthy sleep solutions—an inevitable process for industry upgrading." 

The universality of sleeping disorders and people's growing health concerns has prompted the rapid emergence of a "sleep economy." According to the Report on Sleep Health Product Innovation and Consumer Insight, released by data-mining agency iiMedia Research in 2024, the Chinese sleep economy market was projected to exceed 500 billion yuan ($70 billion) by the end of 2024. From 2016 to 2023, the market grew steadily from 261.63 billion yuan ($37 billion) to 495.58 billion yuan ($69.4 billion), demonstrating remarkably strong growth momentum.

An e-commerce report on the sleep economy from data-management agency Nint shows that sales of sleep-aid bedding products grew by 13 percent year on year in March 2025. Sales of essentials, including duvets, pillows and mattresses, showed strong growth, while earplugs and scented candles emerged as the new rising stars, with earplugs leading the trend at a growth rate of 22 percent.

In addition, niche markets catering to diverse consumer demographics have also demonstrated robust growth. Against the backdrop of a rapidly aging society, with 22 percent of the population currently aged 60 and above, sleep health products for seniors saw a threefold increase since the beginning of 2025, compared to the same period last year, according to the Nint report.

These products, which often incorporate traditional nourishing ingredients such as the wolfberry, are designed to address common sleep issues among the elderly, such as light sleep and frequent waking.

Products tailored for women emphasize the combination of sleep support and beauty benefits. For instance, sleep gummies containing collagen and hyaluronic acid that promise improved sleep and enhanced skin health. Student consumers tend to favor portable blackout dorm curtains and noise-canceling earplugs, while business travelers seek foldable cervical pillows and mini aroma diffusers. Families with infants and young children opt for mild, non-irritating sleep aids such as gentle-scented diffusers and temperature-regulating sleep sacks.

"Before experiencing insomnia myself, I had no idea there was such a variety of sleep-aid products available. When I searched for 'sleep aroma diffusers' on [lifestyle app] RedNote, I found influencers explaining how different scents can address specific sleep issues—like difficulty falling asleep, frequent dreaming, nighttime waking or light sleep. You can literally choose a product based on your exact problem," Zhang said. The "sleep aromas" topic had raked in 100 million views on the app at the time of writing.

Technological advancements are driving the upgrade of the sleep market. The Nint report analyzed some devices that promise huge potential including smart wearable products and smart mattresses. Products like smart bands and watches not only track sleep duration and stages but also work with mobile apps to analyze sleep data and offer personalized recommendations—such as ideal bedtimes and routine adjustments. Smart mattresses have taken innovation even further: Some feature zero-gravity adjustment to reduce physical pressure, while others automatically adapt their firmness based on the user's sleep state to provide optimal support and comfort.

Professionalized services 

Alongside the booming sleep product market, sleep management services are also entering a phase of standardized development. In July, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security released updated national occupational classifications, officially recognizing "Sleep Health Manager" as a new profession.

"The establishment of this role holds deep significance. For a long time, sleep medicine in China has lingered on the interdisciplinary margins of respiratory, neurological and other departments. The lack of specialized physicians and insufficient insurance coverage have resulted in weak diagnostic capabilities despite rising market demand," Han Fang, Director of the Sleep Medicine Center at Peking University People's Hospital, told newspaper People's Daily.

A Sleep Health Manager is a professional who assists individuals or groups in monitoring, analyzing and evaluating sleep health, as well as providing sleep-related consultation, guidance and intervention in risk factors. Among the estimated 300 million people in China currently affected by sleeping disorders, 150 million require active intervention, according to the statistics provided by People's Daily. In stark contrast, there is a shortage of over 100,000 qualified sleep health specialists, and community-based sleep management services cover less than 5 percent of the population.

Statistics from the CSRS revealed that 3,500 hospitals in China currently offer sleep health products and services. However, critical challenges such as a severe shortage of professionals, lack of service standards and an underdeveloped training system hinder the industry's development.

"The establishment of this new profession will help promote the development of related standards and guidelines, while enhancing practitioners' professionalism, communication skills and practical competencies. It will also facilitate a more comprehensive training system, including courses in foundational theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills," Han said.

"In the future, degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels will further strengthen academic pathways for the newly registered professions, and a complete career progression framework will benefit both current practitioners and future entrants to the field," she added.

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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