Por qué es hora de repensar nuestros patrones

The pandemic has disrupted our daily routines, including how well we sleep. Stress dreams, occasional insomnia, and Zoom fatigue have all become features of our new normal. As we begin to look at post-pandemic life, knowing how to nap may be an important skill. Despite spending most of the past year in our pajamas, lockdown hasn't helped us sleep. Blurred boundaries between work, school and home, plus persistent levels of uncertainty and a forced state of rest have left us feeling exhausted. But it has also led to some positive results, including reframing the misconception that living on the edge of burnout is a prerequisite for success. Some people moved to the countryside, others adopted meditation, improved walking and learned to sleep. Scientific research shows that sleeping during the day, even for short periods of time, allows us to recharge and be more productive, which has a positive effect on mental and physical health. However, "sleep machismo," or the idea that sleep is a weakness, can keep many of us from actually getting enough sleep. Why are we so tired? Burnout, while not unique to the pandemic, peaked last year. Before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined burnout as “chronic stress in the workplace that has not been managed,” characterized by loss of energy, disengagement, and decreased productivity. Since March 2020, this phenomenon has spread to our homes. What is “sleep machismo”? At the core of resistance to sleeping enough is “chauvinistic sleep.” The term was coined by chronobiologist and professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Charles Czeisler, to express the mistaken belief that rest is a waste of time, equating the sacrifice of downtime with dedication or even genius. Take a CEO who is praised for working 100 hours a week and traveling non-stop, who is actually modeling bad behavior that their team will be forced to emulate. Another example is the polymath Leonardo da Vinci, who was known to sleep in polyphasic 20-minute intervals every four hours. So what are the benefits of napping? For Mednick, one of the benefits of working from home was the opportunity to “explore circadian rhythms and sleep needs without judgment.” Yes, there may be increased focus on work, but there is also more flexibility in when it will be completed, allowing for the opportunity to nap and rest when needed. New criteria for success Perhaps the best way to learn to sleep better is to emulate countries that prioritize healthy sleep. According to the Nobel Prize-winning economist who developed the modern concept of GDP, Simon Kuznets, it does not adequately measure the well-being of citizens. In 1934, he noted: “The welfare of a nation can hardly be judged by the measurement of national income.” Implicit in Kuznets' statement is the understanding that there is unequal access to wealth and resources even in the highest performing countries. As we emerge from the generation-defining year—multiple lockdowns, police violence, systemic racism, lost loved ones, career pauses, working from home, homeschooling, self-isolation, Zoom fatigue and COVID-19 anxiety—maybe the best thing we can do now is start taking care of ourselves and learn to take naps.