March 21 is World Sleep Day and at a news conference marking the occasion, Chinese Sleep Research Society announced almost 40 percent of the Chinese population suffers from one form of sleep disorder or the other.

Most of the victims either neglect the problem or seek no medical help until the condition becomes very severe, experts say.

About 38 percent of Chinese people suffer from sleep disorders, with about 30 percent having insomnia and 4 percent suffering sleep apnea (a frequent closing of the throat while sleeping) - the two most common forms of sleep disorders, according to Han Fang, director of the sleep center at the Peking University People's Hospital, and president of CSRS.