Here is an entry about staying in hostels as since our travels began we have stayed in five hostels so far (and two budget hotels) at time of writing (28th April) and while they each have their endearing qualities some are, by far, better than others. But it's the day to day or rather night to night that preoccupies you - well me - as you could be sharing the same living/ sleeping space with 4 - 8 other strangers. A few equitte rules and observations, should you find yourself in a hostel ("No Keeley, I won't" I hear you say, but just let me roll with this).
Lights off and noise down at 11pm (has mostly has been followed - Blue Mountain is the exception here) i.e don't walk around switching the dorm room light on and off, stratching your arse at 12, 1 and 2 in the morning - use your phone or a torch - bell end!

Keep your "stuff" tidy. Keep your "stuff" safe.

Mixed dorms and large mixed dorms tend to be the cheapest, all have had varying degrees of privacy (female only dorms have their appeal here ladies).
Don't walk around at 2 in the morning using your phone as torch (brownie points) to check people sleeping in their beds (brownie points deducted - you pillock. I mean WTF!?!).
When your phone alarm goes off at 4:30am, so you can catch your train/flight, make sure it's off and not on snooze before you go off for a shower/wash/to the loo or on your return, you shall find youself as popular with your dorm mates as the 'cat-in-the-bin woman'* at an animal sanctuary fund raiser! On the subject of alarms, make sure your alarm wakes you. If it doesn't rouse you from your weary slumber, nor do the desperate and frantic shouts from your fellow dorm sleepers urging you to switch it off, suggest a different approach. Ask your dorm mates to help you, by hitting your legs, as you STILL wont wake up with the continuing rasp of your poxy alarm going off!
 Sleeping has been difficult so far (can you tell?), as matresses in Japan and China are thin. Japanese (and Chinese I assume) are taught to sleep on their backs. Their weight is more evenly distributed than us westerners sleeping on our sides. This has three effects. 1) it gives you sore hips. 2) it plays havoc with an already tempramental back and last but not least 3)... it encourages snoring! Argue all you like I have and am witnessing that beaut (it's 5:13 am and I haven't been asleep yet - for the second night!) Which is why I'm giving snoring a blog of its own...
 

* search "cat in the bin woman" if you can't remember the news story.