[Good Brain 2024] Professor Kim Kyung-il "Sleep is a productive activity... We need to change our mindset"

November 11, 2024 Good Brain Conference Held
"Various Accidents Can Occur When Sleep Is Insufficient"
Introducing the Positive Effects of Adequate Sleep

"Sleep is a productive activity."

Professor Kim Kyung-il of the Department of Psychology at Ajou University attended the "2024 Good Brain Conference" hosted by Asia Economy on the 11th at the Diamond Hall of The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, giving a special lecture on the topic "The Psychology of Sleep - The One-Third Rule of Human Life." Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

At the '2024 Good Brain Conference' hosted by Asia Economy on the 11th at The Plaza Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Professor Kim Kyung-il of the Department of Psychology at Ajou University gave a special lecture titled "The Psychology of Sleep - The One-Third Rule of Human Life." He stated, "Instead of thinking that you can do something by saving sleep, you should think that you can do something only if you get enough sleep," and emphasized, "We need to change our perception of sleep."

Professor Kim explained, "Researchers from other cultural backgrounds refer to South Korea, where working without sleep has become a virtue culturally and economically, as a high-arousal society, meaning a society with high stress levels." He added, "Koreans tend to think that sacrificing sleep to accomplish something is justified." He cited phrases such as "Sleep when you die" and "Lie down and you die, walk and you live" as examples.

The problem is that various adverse events can occur when sleep is insufficient. Professor Kim pointed out, "When extroverted people lack sleep, their suicidal ideation increases." He explained, "Extroversion is a positive social energy, but when combined with insufficient sleep, that energy easily turns into impulsivity. They tend to interpret surrounding stimuli pessimistically or react sensitively, and due to decreased prefrontal cortex control functions, emotional response regulation becomes inadequate, increasing the likelihood of tragic outcomes."

He continued, "An analysis of about 6.2 million donation records in the United States, where Daylight Saving Time (DST) is applied from 2001 to 2016, showed that a one-hour loss of sleep led to a decrease in donation amounts." He emphasized, "Sleep-deprived doctors approach the lower limit of sensitivity to others' pain and basic empathy, which can even affect differences in painkiller dosages. Lack of sleep has widespread negative effects." He also explained social negligence caused by sleep deprivation and an 8-14% decrease in voter turnout in sleep-deprived regions.

Conversely, he introduced the positive effects brought by quality and sufficient sleep. Professor Kim said, "Proper sleep helps you properly forget what you need to forget and is linked to improved academic performance." He added, "Usain Bolt also takes naps before competitions, and sleep reduces unnecessary thoughts and their interference, which helps with physical movement."

Professor Kim raised his voice about the need for interest in 'individual differences research.' He said, "Researching diverse sleep patterns is necessary because we live in a society where people live longer and therefore have to work longer." He concluded, "In Korean society, where various cultures exist, clash, mix, and merge, the most important thing is to 'respect individual differences in sleep' and to get appropriate sleep."