Individuals nowadays are sleeping for less hours as compared to people in the past. This can be attributed to hustle culture that is immensely glorified in today’s time. This leads to work related stress which causes various health related issues such as fatigue.
With everything being so fast paced in today’s day and age, people are expected to work more and more. Working hours are typically longer lasting about 9 to 10 hours on an average. This barely leaves any time for getting proper rest and sleep. Additionally, hustle culture is deep rooted in our generation. It’s often seen as a measure of your productivity and capability to function in a work force. The biggest misconception people have, is that the hours you work is directly proportional to how much of an asset you can be as an employee. Being a medical student myself and having lived through all of this, being overworked and under-rested as a health professional is often praised and rather encouraged. In my opinion, this is extremely toxic as it sells an idea that we can not take breaks and re-energise or else we will fall behind.
Continuous exhaustion from the lack of sleep ultimately causes a ripple effect. People are more fatigued, irritable and stressed. The effects can be seen both physically and psychologically. Furthermore, performance at work places is also affected due to lack of energy and the inability to concentrate. This leads to the possibility of making more mistakes and putting yourself in danger. According to me, offices and employers should set stricter working hour regulations, pay for overtime and do regular check-ups on their employees. More awareness should be created on the negative effects of sleeping less, which can be done through educational campaigns and workshops.
To sum it all up, the lack of sleep can be attributed to problems within the work force and the unrealistic standards that we have set for ourselves. Constantly having to work can lead to various stresses on an individual ultimately leading to low quality of personal and professional life. This is why it’s extremely important to set stronger laws and regulations that protect the very backbone of the economy.