Counting the wrong sheep: why trouble sleeping is about more than just individual lifestyles and habits

Counting the Wrong Sheep: Why Trouble Sleeping is About More Than Just Individual Lifestyles and Habits

Sleep may seem like a straightforward concept – everyone does it, after all. But as many of us know, getting enough sleep is not necessarily a simple task, despite what you might read in the media.

How to Sleep “Properly” is a Favourite Topic of Self-Help Articles

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Headlines such as “Expert Advice to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Whatever Your Age” promise the answer to your nocturnal awakenings. Older people are commonly the audience of these messages. Our analysis of articles published in the New Zealand media between 2018 and 2021 found sleep is presented as inevitably declining with age.

At the Same Time, Sleep is Portrayed as a Cure for Everything

A good night’s sleep is depicted as a way to maintain productivity, ward off illness and dementia, and ultimately live longer. But most of these articles are aimed at the individual and what they can do to improve their sleep. Often missing is any reference to the external factors that can contribute to poor sleep.

Personal Choice and Sleep

A key message in many of the articles we examined is that sleep is a simple matter of making the right choices. So, if you’re not getting enough sleep, it’s probably your own fault. People are lectured about poor “sleep hygiene” – staying up too late looking at their phone, having too many cups of coffee, or not getting enough exercise during the day.

But Things Are a Bit More Complicated Than This

As anyone who has struggled to maintain good sleep knows, simple tips don’t always overcome the complex situations that contribute to these struggles.

Awake to Other Factors

Good sleep is not just a matter of “making the right choices”. Internationally, there’s a growing body of research showing sleep is affected by much more than individual behaviour: it’s often shaped by a person’s social and economic circumstances.

New Zealand Research is Adding to This Pool of Knowledge

One study, based on survey results from just over 4,000 people, found insufficient sleep was more common among Māori than non-Māori, partly due to higher rates of night work. International research has also found women are more likely to experience insomnia due to their caregiving roles.

The Commodification of Sleep

Sleep is also increasingly characterised as a commodity, with a growing market for products – such as sleep trackers – that claim to help improve sleep quality. Sleep trackers promise to measure and enhance sleep performance. However, their reliability may be limited – one study found the tested tracker did not accurately detect sleep, particularly in older adults who had greater levels of nighttime movement.

Conclusion

Of course, simple tips for getting good sleep may be useful for some people. But ignoring the underlying social and economic factors that shape the possibilities for good sleep will not address the problem. Health promotion messages that focus on individual behaviour miss the structural barriers to better health, including poverty, low levels of education, high rates of incarceration, substandard or crowded housing, and racism.

FAQs

Q: What are the common factors that contribute to poor sleep?
A: Common factors that contribute to poor sleep include individual behaviour, social and economic circumstances, and structural barriers to better health.

Q: What are some of the underlying social and economic factors that shape the possibilities for good sleep?
A: Some of the underlying social and economic factors that shape the possibilities for good sleep include poverty, low levels of education, high rates of incarceration, substandard or crowded housing, and racism.

Q: What is the role of sleep trackers in improving sleep quality?
A: Sleep trackers promise to measure and enhance sleep performance. However, their reliability may be limited, and more research is needed to determine their effectiveness.

Q: What are some of the health consequences of chronic sleep deprivation?
A: Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to serious health consequences, including diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.