In today’s society, getting less sleep is something to be proud of. Staying up late, waking up early, and living off coffee is a badge of honor for someone who is ambitious and dedicated. But if we examine this phenomenon, we see that chronic sleep deprivation is actually a form of addiction that is normalized, reinforced, and never questioned.
Sleep deprivation changes our mood, our judgment, and our reaction time, but we just keep on going, thinking it’s just temporary or that we need it. But what happens is that our bodies adapt to this sleep deprivation in unhealthy ways, such as producing more cortisol, suppressing our immune systems, disrupting our metabolism, and impairing our cognitive function. What’s alarming is that, unlike other addictions, sleep deprivation is actually encouraged in the workplace and in society.
We advise our patients against smoking, alcohol, and unhealthy eating, but we never advise them against chronic sleep deprivation. When we are sleep-deprived all the time, we no longer see it as a problem.
If something is detrimental to our health, changes our behavior, and is difficult to stop, then shouldn’t we just admit that it’s an addiction?
MBH/AB