How A New Pandemic Is Keeping The World Sleepless!

When COVID-19 hit us in early 2020, the world came to a grinding halt. International community quickly realized the risks and jumped into action for prevention and treatment.

Thanks to ground-breaking research in biotechnology and genetic engineering, Biotech Firms developed effective vaccines as quickly as possible.

With worldwide vaccine rollouts, countries are now crawling back to normal after a long hiatus. The response to COVID-19 was decisive because the impact of COVID-19 was rapid, visible, and terrifying both in terms of global health and economy.

Similarly, a troubling trend of Self-inflicted sleep deprivation is going viral worldwide and millions of people are suffering from this condition.

But no one is bothered about it. Do you know why?

Because, unlike COVID-19, the consequences are not immediately obvious and scaleable.

What is Self-Inflicted Sleep Deprivation?

According to CDC recommendations, an adult, aged between 18 and 61 years, needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Sleep Deprivation is the loss of that adequate sleep duration and/or quality of sleep needed for a human body to rest and function properly.

This condition may occur because of several factors, including stress and medical disorders.

But here we will limit ourselves to a specific condition called self-Inflicted sleep deprivation.

It is the condition where we impose sleeplessness upon ourselves by choice. We are intentionally depriving ourselves of sleep for a temporary pleasure.

Sleep Foundation estimates one in three American adults is dealing with sleep deprivation.

On World Sleep Day 2021, Philips released a global sleep survey interviewing over 13000 respondents across 13 countries. According to the survey;

45% of the adults are not satisfied with their sleep. That is almost half of the global population there!

And the number is climbing at a fast pace because of the rising trend of self-imposed sleep deprivation.

Getting to the core of the problem

Following insights from Philps’ global sleep survey lead us into the core of the problem.

84% of the people say they use a cell phone in bed.

73% report scrolling through social media before bed.

The addiction to social media is keeping us glued to our smartphones round the clock. A good night’s sleep is becoming a casualty in the non-stop contest of staying connected and updated.

Let me be the first and confess to being a willing victim of self-inflicted sleep deprivation.

I am hardly getting 5 - 6 hours of sleep in the night. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, the list is endless. There’s so much information, entertainment, and fun to catch up with. The fear of missing out is keeping me and the rest of us awake.

What it is like to be sleep-deprived?

Our body needs a good night’s sleep as much as it needs air and food. Sleep is necessary to heal and restore our body's functions. A well-rested body and mind prepare us for the next day’s challenges.

Not getting enough regular sleep disturbs this process and throws everything in jeopardy. Our body reacts and soon after, the symptoms in our physical and mental condition show up as;

Why are we willing to sacrifice our sleep for online activity?

“User Engagement” is the holy grail of social media platforms. A sleeping person is bad for these social media companies because their financial model depends upon the sole parameter of user engagement. No engagement, no revenue.

As a result, Tech giants employ every tactic in their book to get us hooked by providing an unlimited stream of immersive content tailor-made to our likings and preferences! Before we know it, these apps turn from useful tools into an indispensable part of our life. Every other aspect of our life takes a back seat. Even the sleep!

We should be clear about one thing here. The entire social media ecosystem thrives on user addiction and manipulation. Netflix’s famous docudrama “Social Dilemma” is a must-watch to understand the dynamics of social media and how it controls our lives.

The only way to take back our sleep is by limiting our interaction with these apps and cutting back on engagement. Remember, these apps are here to make our lives more meaningful and productive, not miserable.

How to avoid Self-Inflicted Sleep Deprivation

Having come this far, I am sure you have realized the negative effects of self-imposed sleep deprivation and are eager to go back to your beds as early as possible.

Here are a few quick tips to get you started:

• “No compromise on sleep!” Make this sentence a slogan in your life. Repeat this to yourself several times a day to make sleep a priority.
• Redefine your relationship with social media. It is a tool to add value to our lives, not control them. Make a commitment to be a responsible user.
• Make a schedule to get a good night’s sleep every day and be consistent with the routine. Even on weekends!
• Make bedroom environment helpful to sleep. Keep the room dark and eliminate noise.
• Put down your mobile phone or any other electronic device at least one hour before going to bed.
• Reserve the bedroom for sleep and avoid bringing electronic devices in the bedroom.
• Avoid coffee and tea four to six hours before bedtime.
• Develop a bedtime routine like reading a book, writing, listening to music, or meditation to relax and induce sleep.

In the end, it is YOUR LIFE, so the control should also be YOURS!

This article was originally published at medium by the author.