8 out of 10 People Experience Sleep Deprivation in Daily Life
Children and Adolescents Average 7.3 Hours of Sleep per Day
Experts Say "A Society Where Stress Is Inevitable"
It has been found that the number of modern people who cannot get a good night's sleep due to recent work or academic stress is increasing. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] #A(26), a first-year office worker, has recently been suffering from severe stress. This is due to the overwhelming workload and the resulting lack of sleep causing accumulated fatigue. He said, "Since this is my first job and I'm still unfamiliar with the tasks, I make frequent mistakes. The stress is no joke," adding, "On top of that, I haven't been able to sleep properly for the past few months, so I'm becoming increasingly sensitive."
He continued, "Before starting work, I had a regular sleep routine. But since I began working, my sleep time has significantly decreased," and added, "I'm even afraid that this might lead to chronic insomnia."
Recently, it has been found that more modern people are unable to get a good night's sleep due to stress from work or studies. In particular, not only office workers but also children and adolescents suffer from sleep deprivation, emerging as a social issue. Especially, lack of sleep is related to diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes, so caution is advised.
According to a survey, more than 8 out of 10 modern people have experienced sleep deprivation in their daily lives.
Market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor conducted a perception survey on the 'quality of sleep' among 1,000 men and women aged 15 to 64 nationwide last month. The results showed that one in three people (32.6%) felt they always lacked enough time to sleep. In contrast, only 16.3% felt their usual sleep time was 'sufficient.'
Respondents answered that △these days, even after sleeping, it doesn't feel like they have slept (48.4%) △it is hard to get up in the morning (51.2%) △they cannot fall into a deep sleep even when sleeping (40.8%) △they wake up frequently during sleep (41.6%).
Especially, the most cited reason for difficulty in getting sound sleep was 'stress' (41.4%, multiple responses allowed). By age group, 16.7% of teenagers, 45.5% of people in their 20s, 42% in their 30s, 41.7% in their 40s, 41.2% in their 50s, and 38.2% in their 60s said that they find it hard to get sound sleep because they usually experience a lot of stress.
Not only office workers but also children and adolescents are suffering from lack of sleep, emerging as a social issue. Photo by Yonhap News
The situation is no different for children and adolescents as well as office workers. According to the 'Analysis of Quality of Life Indicators for Children and Adolescents' published last year in KOSTAT Statistics Plus by the Statistics Development Institute, the average daily sleep time for children and adolescents was recorded as 7.3 hours.
The problem lies in the fact that sleep time affects work and academic performance. Furthermore, insufficient sleep lowers immunity and can lead to diseases such as depression and diabetes.
For sound sleep, appropriate treatment along with overall lifestyle improvements are necessary. Therefore, one should △avoid naps △exercise regularly every day △and take sufficient rest to restore the daily rhythm.
However, it is a reality that busy modern people find it difficult to have enough rest time.
As a result, more people are complaining about sleep deprivation, saying things like "I couldn't sleep because of stress, and my physical strength dropped rapidly," and "I tried to force myself to rest, but I have a fixed amount of study every day, so I can't sleep properly."
A netizen who identified themselves as a high school senior posted on an online community, "I am suffering from chronic sleep deprivation due to academic stress," and said, "My wish is to sleep without any restrictions." They added, "I have a fixed amount of study every day, so I can't rest properly. Since my fatigue doesn't go away, my personality is getting worse and my health is deteriorating. It feels like a vicious cycle is repeating."
Experts pointed out that the lack of sleep problem arises because society inevitably causes stress. Photo by Yonhap News
Experts pointed out that the problem of sleep deprivation arises because society inevitably causes stress.
Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "Stress has continuously been a problem as a cause of sleep deprivation among modern people. As social issues like employment difficulties and economic hardships become more complex, managing stress is becoming harder. Especially, younger people often have more difficulty resolving conflicts or solving problems compared to older generations," adding, "Since it is a competitive and materialistic society, people receive more stress through comparisons with others. These issues lead to sleep deprivation and insomnia."
She continued, "Compared to the average sleep time of OECD member countries, it is a reality that South Korea lacks sufficient sleep," and added, "Other countries developed slowly, but we experienced compressed growth, so this is one of the problems arising from that."
Professor Park Hyeri of the Neurology Department at Ilsan Paik Hospital appeared on YTN Radio's 'Choi Hyungjin's Oh! News' last March and explained, "Many people have started visiting hospitals complaining of insomnia symptoms due to changes in lifestyle patterns and worries," adding, "Although there are differences by gender and individual, the appropriate sleep time for adults is generally 7 to 9 hours. Children and adolescents require longer sleep than this."
She further advised, "Many studies have revealed that sleep deprivation is related to lowered immunity. The best thing is to maintain a consistent sleep pattern. If the problem continues, it is recommended to consult a sleep specialist."
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