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- Year on year, data from different sources confirm that Japan, India, and Singapore are the most sleep-deprived nations in the world.
- In 2018 & 2019, billions of nights of sleep dataFrom several countries collected over the years. processed by two fitness tracking companies confirmed yet again that Japan was the most sleep-deprived.
- On average, the Japanese sleep around 6 hours 50 minutes, which is 1 hour and a few minutes less than the Dutch, who are known to sleep the most in the world.
- Sleeping during regular hours has become such a challenge that it is normal for people to sleep at work or during dinner parties—this practice is called inemuri.
- Researchers have been trying to find reasons for such sleep deprivation in Japan and hold a few factors responsible.
- Factor 1: Being jobless has a social stigma attached to it.
- In Japan, acceptance by society is valued above one’s individuality, and being jobless is believed to destroy one’s social image.
- It is so bad a stigma that unemployment is one of the biggest triggers of suicides in the country.
- So, people work long hours to retain their jobs.
- Factor 2: Japan is very unevenly populated, and this leads to long commute hours.
- 50% of the Japanese population lives in the greater Tokyo area (40 Million) & Osaka area (20 Million).
- These places are 400 kms apart, and many people commute between these places on bullet trains every day.
- Factor 3: Work culture emphasizes social events after work that involve drinking.
- To progress in one’s career, one must socialise with colleagues and seniors—though they are not compulsory, these events are seen as key to success.
- Japan sleeps less not because the people are early risers but because people go to bed late, and these social events have a role to play.
Image courtesy of Stephane Bidouze through Shutterstock
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