There is a bizarre stress-relief trend sweeping through China these days – thousands of grownups are relying on adult pacifiers to mitigate stress symptoms like anxiety and insomnia.

From work-related stress and financial burdens like mortgages and car payments, to complex interpersonal relationships, modern life is full of anxiety-inducing problems, but who would have thought that the humble pacifier could help mitigate these issues? Well, apparently, Chinese adults have, because the popularity of adult pacifiers has turned into a full-blown craze in the Asian country, with thousands of young adults spending between 10 and 500 yuan ($1.40 and $70) on plastic pacifiers. They are often sold as stress and anxiety relief products or sleep aids, and for many people overwhelmed by daily life, these simple marketing phrases are enough to trigger a buying impulse. Chinese e-commerce platforms are full of offers for adult pacifiers, and the most successful stores sell thousands of them every month.

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