As more Chinese people experience sleeping difficulties, the demand for sleep-monitoring smartwatches saw a 20% surge last year, making the country the most significant market.
According to the 2025 China Sleep Health Survey Report released by the China Sleep Big Data Center, 48.5 percent of adults aged 18 or above in China experience sleep-related difficulties, including issues such as frequent night-time urination, daytime fatigue, early awakening, and difficulty falling asleep.
Meanwhile, a recent report by research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that global shipments of wrist-worn devices dipped by 1.4 percent in 2024; China's market defied the trend, growing by nearly 20 percent to cement its position as the world's largest wearable device consumption market. Huawei, Xiaomi, and Apple are the market leaders.
"I usually stay up late, sometimes till 1:00 or 2:00. I sometimes even stay up all-night to play video games," said a resident.
The trend reflects a broader shift. Around 78 percent of Chinese respondents now use smartwatches or similar devices to track sleep patterns, as revealed by healthcare tech firm ResMed.
"In the past, I used to wake up with a start by the sound of my alarm. And I would feel very tired. The smart watch can wake me up with slight vibrations and wake me up slowly," said the resident.
This sleep watch wearer from Shanghai started using a smartwatch to monitor his sleep quality in 2022.
"At the beginning, I wore both my heart rate belt and the watch to monitor my sleep quality. And they turned out have the same results. But the watch had very detailed data for the durations of deep and light sleep," he said.
For innovation spearheading Huawei, it ranks first in the world with a year-on-year smartwatch shipment increase of 33.6 percent, with a nearly 35 percent market share in China, according to the IDC report.
"I bought a watch at the beginning of the year for my father. It can measure blood pressure and sleep quality, as my father has high blood pressure," said a customer in the store.
More Chinese use smartwatches to battle sleep difficulties
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
