Negative effects

The nights when she has insomnia are very tough for Perinur. Her roommates often fall asleep after midnight, leaving her awake and alone.

"The more I want to sleep, the more I cannot," she said.

Perinur said she is more irritable and has mood swings because of her lack of sleep.

Insomnia also makes her sensitive to things happening around her－she once cried when she heard others talking about her dislikes.

"I do not want to spread my negative feelings to my friends, and I want to treat insomnia rationally," she said.

She is now trying to read some poetry before going to bed, such as Sand and Foam by Kahlil Gibran, which can help her calm down.

Sleep problems have also made Xu emotional and irritable. She sometimes refuses to hang out with her friends because she lacks energy and is in a bad mood.

Her daily schedule was also affected when her sleep problems worsened in October. In December, she often felt sleepy during her practical sessions teaching primary school students. "One day I asked the students to leave early, because I was too sleepy to stand," Xu said.

Wang Xiaodong contributed to this story.