Exercise can help reduce stress

In Hong Kong, there are many people who suffer from sleeping problems. My mum is one of them.

She works until 2 in the morning and leads a very stressful life.

Stress from work is brought home, and as a result, poor mum can't sleep at night!

I would really like to get some advice for her and for other Hong Kong insomniacs.

Sleeping problems are often caused by stress. Why are people stressed out?

One of the reasons is work.

People often work late because they can't complete their duties during normal hours.

They are worried about their work so they find it difficult to sleep.

People should learn to relax. They can listen to music or watch TV. Playing computer games is also a good way to relax.

Ip Hei-man

From the Editor

Thanks for your letter, Hei-man. Stress is not an uncommon problem in big cities and Hong Kong is no exception. Too much work and not enough relaxation time can lead to stress-related problems, like insomnia.

There are many ways of coping with stress. The first step is to acknowledge that there is a problem - by refusing to accept the problem, people will not be able to overcome it.

There are many stress-busters - from taking a relaxing bath to listening to music. My favourite stress-buster is exercise. If I exercise during the day, I burn off any stress and am guaranteed a good sleep that night.

I would advise against computer games as a way of relaxing, as they can stimulate the mind and make it hard to sleep.

Kate, Editor