Sleep, that other exam to pass
The article discusses the emerging obsession with optimal sleep, termed orthosomnia, which may be counterproductive as striving for perfect rest often leads to more anxiety around sleep.
In New York, the article opens with a personal anecdote about a birthday breakfast for an Argentine friend, who, despite being perceived as youthful, struggles with sleep. This friend's experience reflects a broader trend among many, indicating a societal obsession with achieving the perfect amount of rest, leading to a phenomenon termed 'orthosomnia.' The text highlights how this fixation may ironically cause individuals to become more anxious about their sleep quality, exacerbating the very problem they seek to solve.
The narrative explores the stories of various individuals who similarly contend with sleep difficulties, showing how common these issues have become in modern society. The friends’ various sleepless struggles—ranging from waking up early to working late into the night—paint a vivid picture of how sleep deprivation has turned into a relatable concern. Rather than finding solutions, this collective experience becomes a source of humor and relativity among the friends, hinting at the normalization of sleep troubles.
Ultimately, the article suggests that instead of obsessively tracking sleep and aiming for an ideal, individuals might be better off focusing on relaxation and reducing sleep anxiety. It cautions against the negative impacts of excessive focus on attaining optimal rest, pushing for a more balanced approach to health and wellbeing, where not sleeping 'perfectly' is accepted as part of life rather than a failure to be corrected.