香港大學發表有關香港管理專業人員的睡眠質量返回

最新香港大學調查報告顯示
九成四本地管理專業人員有睡眠不足的徵狀
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五成三被訪者未能擁有無中斷的睡眠

二○○二年六月十九日 ─ 香港大學民意研究計劃今天發表了一份「香港管理專業人員睡眠質量調查報告2002」，調查結果令人關註：

* 94%的管理專業人員有睡眠不足的徵狀
* 53%被訪者未能擁有無中斷的睡眠
* 53%被訪者承認駕車時會打瞌睡
* 48%被訪者承認自己睡眠不足，但有61%被訪者從來沒有嘗試改善睡眠質素，當中的72%認為完全沒有需要 (即總樣本中43%)

是次調查由蓆夢思床褥傢具(香港)有限公司委託香港大學民意研究計劃進行，調查對像集中在二十五至五十五歲的現職本地專業人士、經理、行政人員及商人(簡稱「管理專業人員」)。調查以隨機抽樣方式成功向531名管理專業人員進行電話訪問，蓆夢思更特別邀請睡眠研究專家 ─ 香港大學醫學院精神醫學系助理教授鍾家輝醫生，為調查結果進行分析。

蓆夢思床褥傢具(香港)有限公司董事及總經理鄭旭光先生，於記者會上表示：「香港人生活緊張，睡眠不足已成為一個普遍的社會現象，其中又以公務繁忙的管理專業人員情況最為嚴重。有見及此，我們首次委託香港大學民意研究計劃，向本地管理專業人員進行有關睡眠質量的調查，以瞭解他們的睡眠需要，並希望可以喚起大家對睡眠質量的關注。」

是次調查就四個範疇去探討本港管理專業人員的睡眠習慣及質素，包括：

「本地管理專業人員的睡眠習慣及模式」
「本地管理專業人員睡眠失調的情況及其影響」
「本地管理專業人員對優質睡眠的認知」
「本地管理專業人員睡眠不足徵狀測試」

調查結果顯示，在「睡眠習慣及模式」方面，48%被訪者認為自己睡眠不足，42%被訪者則覺得自己有充足睡眠。而被訪者於週一至週五的平均熟睡時間為六小時，於週末的熟睡時間則為七小時十五分鐘，顯示他們傾向於不用上班的日子多睡一點，爭取休息時間。六成被訪者會於睡覺前一小時收看電視節目，是最普遍的睡前活動。

香港大學醫學院精神醫學系助理教授鍾家輝醫生表示：「被訪者的平均熟睡時間為六小時，基本上並不足夠，能多睡一至兩小時會較理想。而大部份被訪者於睡覺前都有看電視的習慣，只要不是收看過份暴力或恐佈的節目，基本上問題不大。但其他活動例如閱讀或聽輕鬆音樂可令人更加容易入睡。」

在「睡眠失調的情況及其影響」方面，53%被訪者會在半夜睡醒一次，而睡醒兩次或以上的則有25%，顯示被訪者大都有中斷睡眠的問題；35%被訪者表示需要三十分鐘或以上方可入睡，43%被訪者表示曾有持續睡眠欠佳的經驗。在本調查中，持續睡眠欠佳的定義是連續三天都難以入睡。在曾經持續睡眠欠佳的被訪者中，73%認為睡眠欠佳對其工作表現會構成影響，其餘依次為「個人進修」(52%)、「消閒娛樂」(44%)、「運動」(43%)、「社交生活」(42%)、「家人溝通」(32%)及「性行為」(29%)。另外，接近60%的被訪者表示曾經試過睡醒後感到腰酸背痛。

值得注意的是53%被訪者未能擁有無中斷的睡眠，而睡醒兩次或以上的也有25%，顯示他們的睡眠質素欠佳。令人擔心的是35%被訪者表示需要三十分鐘或以上方可入睡，根據鍾家輝醫生的分析，需要三十分鐘或以上方可入睡，如果情況持續一星期或以上，便可稱之為失眠徵狀。

在「優質睡眠的認知」方面，雖然有近五成被訪者認為自己睡眠不足，但調查顯示61%被訪者從來沒有嘗試改善其睡眠質素，反映出大部份管理專業人員對健康睡眠的忽視；在這61%被訪者中，72% (即總樣本中43%) 更認為沒有需要改善自己的睡眠質素。另外，22%被訪者表示不知道改善睡眠質素的方法，顯示大部份管理專業人員都忽略了睡眠的價值，而且缺乏改善睡眠質素的知識。

在「睡眠不足徵狀測試」這個部份中，民意研究計劃採用了七條由暢銷書籍「Power Sleep」的作者 ─ 美國康乃爾大學心理學教授Dr. James Maas訂立的「睡眠不足徵狀測試問題」，以測試被訪者是否有睡眠不足的徵狀。這七條題目分別是：

1. 你經常需要在週末的早上多睡數小時。
2. 你經常要用鬧鐘、或者由其他人喚醒你才能在原本的時間內起床。
3. 你有時在駕車的時候很渴睡。
4. 你經常在看電視的時候無意間睡著。
5. 你早上通常要掙扎一段時間才肯起床。
6. 你經常會在沈悶的會議或講座中無意間睡著。
7. 在吃飽午飯或晚飯稍作休息的時候，你經常會不經意地睡著了。

在531位被訪者中，只有6%表示沒有一句句子可以形容自己，換句話說，有94%的管理專業人員有睡眠不足的徵狀。最多人認為「經常需要在週末的早上多睡數小時」可以形容自己(71%)，其次是「經常要用鬧鐘、或者由其他人喚醒你才能在原本的時間內起床」(60%)，接著是「有時在駕車的時候很渴睡」(53%)。

鍾家輝醫生指出：「從這個測試可以看出，很多人根本睡眠不足而不自知。如果平時睡眠充足，所有徵狀都不應發生。也因為這個原因，很多專業人員的日間表現會受到影響，但他們可能未有為意。」

根據鍾家輝醫生的分析，晚上睡眠不足會有很多不良影響，例如日間會感到疲倦、精神難以集中、脾氣變得暴躁等，大大影響我們的日常生活。長期睡眠不足，會令腦部反應緩慢，除了會影響我們的工作效率和身體健康外，更嚴重者會引致各種意外。

為了讓大眾可培養健康的睡眠習慣，鍾家輝醫生特別提出了「優質睡眠錦囊」供大家參考，包括：

• 重視睡眠
• 作適量運動，保持身體健康
• 保持心境愉快
• 有均衡飲食
• 謝絕吸煙
• 減少咖啡因及酒精的攝取量
• 睡房要保持輕鬆愉快的氣氛
• 不要刻意令自己入睡
• 睡眠時要拋開煩憂及牽掛
• 不要賴床

鍾家輝醫生補充：「是次調查雖然只針對本地的管理專業人員而進行，但其實每個人都應該重視睡眠和注意自己的睡眠質素，尤其是睡眠時間少的人士。總之，儘量讓自己睡得更好。」

是次調查後，蓆夢思將繼續進行其他睡眠調查、舉辦有關睡眠健康的研討會或講座，印製和派發有關調查內容及推廣優質睡眠的小冊子，進一步提高港人對睡眠質量的重視和知識。

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Latest HKU Sleep Survey Shows
94% of PMEBs Possess the Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation
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53% of respondents do not have uninterrupted sleep

19th June, 2002: - The Public Opinion Programme (POP) at the University of Hong Kong today announced the results of a survey on the quality and quantity of sleep of Hong Kong's professionals, managers, executives and businessmen (PMEBs). The findings are alarming:

* 94% of PMEBs surveyed suffer from sleep deprivation
* 53% of respondents did not have uninterrupted sleep
* 53% of respondents reported drowsiness while driving
* 48% of respondents were aware of their sleep deprivation, yet 61% admitted they had done nothing to improve it, among which 72% thought it unnecessary (i.e. 43% of the total sample)

Sponsored by Simmons Bedding & Furniture (HK) Ltd., the survey was carried out by POP at HKU, which successfully conducted 531 telephone interviews with Hong Kong's PMEBs aged between 25 and 55, all randomly selected. In addition, sleep expert, Dr. Chung Ka Fai, Assistant Professor of HKU's Dept. of Psychiatry, was invited to shed light on the findings.

Mr. John Cheng, Director and General Manager, Simmons Bedding & Furniture (HK) Ltd, said, "Hong Kong people lead hectic lives and sleep deprivation is a very common phenomenon. Sleep deprivation among busy PMEBs is even more prevalent. Therefore, we appointed POP to conduct this survey to study the sleep quality of local PMEBs and understand more about their sleeping needs, and to generate public concern about the importance of getting quality sleep."

The survey was structured along the following areas:

The sleeping habits and patterns of Hong Kong PMEBs
Degree of sleep deprivation and its effects among Hong Kong PMEBs
Knowledge of quality sleep among Hong Kong PMEBs
Occurrence of sleep deprivation symptoms among them

On sleeping habits and patterns, 48% of PMEBs admitted they did not have sufficient sleep, while 42% of respondents considered themselves as good sleepers. On average, respondents slept for six hours on weekdays, and for approximately seven hours and fifteen minutes in weekends. The survey revealed that PMEBs tended to sleep more on non-working days. Watching television was the most popular activity before sleep, according to 60% of the respondents.

Dr. Chung Ka Fai, Assistant Professor of HKU's Dept. of Psychiatry said, "The average sleeping hours of the respondents are six, which is not adequate. It would be more ideal if they could sleep one to two more hours per night. Most respondents will watch TV before they sleep and if the programmes are not too violent or disturbing, it will not be a problem. But other activities such as reading, listening to light music, etc. are more helpful to a good sleep."

On sleep deprivation and its effects, 53% of respondents woke up at least once during the night, 25% of them even woke up two or more times, indicating the prevalence of interrupted sleep. 35% of respondents required 30 minutes or more to fall asleep, and 43% of PMEBs reported having experienced prolonged spell of poor sleep. The definition of prolonged poor sleep in this survey is the inability to sleep well over the course of three days. Among the 43% of respondents who reported prolonged spell of poor sleep, 73% of them stated that their work performance was affected, other areas affected by poor sleep included `self study' (52%), `entertainment' (44%), `exercising' (43%), `social life' (42%), `family relationships' (32%) and `sex life (29%). About 60% of respondents experienced back pain when they woke up in the morning.

It was worth noting that 53% of respondents could not have uninterrupted sleep, 25% of PMEBs even woke up two or more times during the night, showing that they did not have quality sleep. It was alarming that 35% of respondents required 30 minutes or more to fall asleep. According to Dr. Chung, if this phenomenon continues over a week, it will be classified as a symptom of insomnia.

In the section on "Knowledge on quality sleep among Hong Kong PMEBs", nearly half the respondents admitted they did not have sufficient sleep, however, 61% of them had never tried to improve their sleep quality. This clearly showed that most of the PMEBs did not care much about their sleep quality. Among the 61% of respondents, 72% (i.e. 43% of the total sample) of them considered it unnecessary to improve their sleep quality, whereas 22% of respondents had no idea how to improve it. These results indicated the majority of PMEBs did not value sleep, and knew little about how to improve sleep quality.

On the `Tests of sleep deprivation symptoms', POP adopted seven questions proposed by Dr. James Maas of Cornell University, a sleep expert and author of the international best-seller "Power Sleep". These seven questions are:

1. I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.
2. I often need an alarm clock or other people to wake me up at the appropriate time.
3. I sometimes feel drowsy while driving.
4. I often fall asleep watching TV.
5. It's a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.
6. I often fall asleep in boring meetings or lectures.
7. I often fall asleep while relaxing after lunch or dinner.

Among the 531 respondents, only 6% of them gave negative response to all of the questions. 94% of respondents responded positively to one or more of the descriptions, indicating various degree of excessive sleepiness. 71% of respondents reported that `I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings', followed by `I often need an alarm clock or other people to wake me up at the appropriate time' (60%) and `I sometimes feel drowsy while driving' (53%).

Dr Chung Ka Fai said, "From this test, we can see many respondents are unaware that they do not have sufficient sleep. If they always sleep well, all sentences should be inapplicable to them. Without knowing it, the majority of PMEBs are performing below their peak."

According to Dr. Chung, poor sleep quality has a devastating effect on many aspects of our lives. It will result in daytime drowsiness, poor concentration, bad temper, etc. These will all affect our overall daytime performance. It will also reduce our reaction time, and causes the happening of accidents.

To help the public establish healthy sleeping habits and obtain quality sleep, Dr. Chung introduced "The Golden Rules of Sleep":

• Value sleep
• Exercise to stay fit
• Keep mentally stimulated during the day
• Eat a proper diet
• Stop smoking
• Avoid alcohol or caffeine
• Maintain a relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom
• Avoid trying too hard to get to sleep
• Clear your mind at bedtime
• Limit the time in bed

Dr. Chung added, "Although our survey this time only focused on the PMEBs, everyone should value sleep and do something to improve sleep quality, if not quantity. Do what you can do to achieve continuous sleep in the amount of time you can afford."

After this survey, Simmons plans to continue promoting the importance of better sleep by organizing similar research, sleep seminars and distributing literature to educate the public on the importance of quality sleep.

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