a photo of the article's author, Gina Jaber

A Wake-Up Call: The Need for Zzzzs in a Sleepless Society


By Gina Jaber



For as long as I can remember, family and friends have teased me for needing a lot of sleep. Getting eight hours a night has always been critical. At times, I've envied those who require less sleep, picturing them more productive or perhaps having more time for fun, but at the end of the day, I can't ignore my internal clock.

As one who cherishes her zzzs--and has experienced a fair share of involuntary sleep deprivation, particularly when my kids were infants--I'm shocked at how people regularly function without a good night's rest. Leaving aside the well-known health hazards related to sleep debt, I'm baffled at how so many people can routinely work, drive or do anything productive when they are wiped out before their day has even begun.

When did such a basic biological need change from a necessity to a luxury? Perhaps when we became a hypercompetitive, hyper-stimulated culture where shortcuts are in vogue and the ability to multi-task is a bragging right. For many, there is no choice but to let go of adequate rest. Sadly, the pressures and demands of the daily grind are so intense these days that seven to eight hours of sleep seem unaffordable. The rat race continues. Dare we fall behind?

Ironically, what is seen as a way to get ahead often has an adverse effect. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, sleep deprivation and related disorders cost the nation $16 billion in annual health care expenses and about $50 billion in lost productivity. It's alarming that big decisions are being made in cars, offices, schools and hospitals by people whose performance is surely undermined by their exhaustion.

Even our next generation is following suit. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 85 percent of teens don't get enough sleep either. Again, why is such a basic human need so under prioritized? Why is it so easily forgotten that our entire perspective on any situation depends on how much rest we've had? For me, the difference is night and day.

I try to imagine what the world would be like if everyone awake were really awake. If everyone set themselves up to get the job done right the first time, to be less irritable, to have a better outlook, to conduct their lives in an optimal mental state ... what an improvement that would be.

And if those aren't enough reasons to want to sleep more, what about the fact that when we sleep we dream-- and who can ever get enough of that?

E-mail Gina Jaber at ginajab@yahoo.com.