Sleeping below par is on the rise. The 2014 Jawbone report ranked 43 cities on undersleeping: one of four Singaporean residents slept less than seven hours a week (Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy, 2023); by 2023, 54 per cent of Singaporeans slept less than seven hours a night per a survey of 17 countries launched by the market research firm YouGov (Lam, 2025)
Undersleeping is defined as getting less than seven to nine hours of sleep per night (Walker, 2017; 2019; Simon & Walker, 2019). According to the US Center for Disease Control and Intervention, one in three Americans is consistently sleep deprived – confirming that poor sleep hygiene is a global epidemic (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2022).
This writer’s clinical focus is on burnout prevention and stress management in Singapore and the USA. Both markets yield a surge of C-Suite and management level professionals mismanaging sleep habitually. Their sleep ranges between four to six hours per night. They work and play within two to three time zones (Europe, Asia and the United States) which contributes to sleeping below par and unusual resting patterns. Chronic undersleeping correlates with increased anxiety, interpersonal and relational difficulties, depressive symptomatology, decreased stress and emotion management and heightened burnout risk (D. Schreier, 2025, personal communication, June 1st, 2025).
Per Walker (2017) the mortality rate increases by 65% for individuals who regularly sleep five hours or less compared to individuals who consistently sleep eight hours.
The writing is on the wall: The more economically and technologically advanced society becomes the higher the risk for sleeping below par and its dangerous associates: physical, emotional and mental health challenges.
Getting enough sleep is a personal responsibility – with parents being responsible for themselves and their children – not a social obligation. Communities, governments and employers can contribute to a sleep-endorsing environment yet when concerned with mending or optimizing life and health, individuals are accountable for their sleep and time management. The challenge is to put society’s focus on productivity and quantitative results in perspective to prioritize sleep which powerfully enhances longevity, health, mood and life quality (D. Schreier, 2025, personal communication, June 1st, 2025).
Side-stepping sleep in combination with persistent stress and alcohol consumption can be fatal: cardiovascular disease, weight gain, dementia, diabetes mellitus and cancer have long been associated with sleep deprivation (Walker 2021; 2024). Chronic sleep mismanagement reduces adaptability and resilience; it is linked to memory deficits associated with learning as it affects the hippocampus — our memory inbox. It impairs the consolidation of new memories, challenges the recall of simple facts, compromises focus and impaires decision making (Prince & Apple, 2013; Dam & Helm, 2016).
Diminishing the capacity for intimacy, it also affects libido, sexual performance and communication as patience runs short quickly, Undersleeping and overworking leads to early burnout with self-defeating behavior patterns. In severe clinical cases major depressive disorder with mood congruent psychotic symptoms and suicidal ideation and intend were observed. A high-ranking relationship killer, sleep mismanagement impairs the connection with self and others (D. Schreier, 2025, personal communication, June 1st, 2025).
Activating Your Superpower: Sleep
We know about the devastating effects of sleep deprivation but what can we do?
This writer remembers choosing to go to bed at 7 pm when actual bedtime was at 8 pm for many years of her childhood. Inspired to pray and read by her grandmother, she looked forward to the nightly bed routine as the opportunity to turn in early to dedicate 10 minutes to prayer and 50 minutes to reading. Awaiting at the gates of the Land of Nod were the peace of prayer and the anticipation to enter the world of untold boarding school tales.
This writer’s grandmother passed down a habit-forming recipe that sleep scientist Walker (2017; 2019) coined years later with the term “sleep opportunity.” It means to give yourself the best chance of sleeping at least seven to nine hours by choosing to be in bed early enough to “give your plane the time to land” (Walker, 2017). Hence here is your instructive prescription – to land that Plane called Sleep.
Change your Sleep, Change Your Life: Five TIDUR Habits of Great Sleepers and Their Long-Lasting Benefit. Tidur is the Malay word for sleep.
T – Think Long Term
Anchor yourself to a firm bedtime – establish a routine! Like brushing teeth it will become second nature. In case a late productivity wind surges while bedtime approaches – choose to honor your bedtime. If a friend calls – choose to honor your bedtime. Respect your body’s and mind’s need for sleep – it’s not optional! Redefine personal quality time as related to the benefits of sleep.
I – Insist on the “importance of sleep,” by tracking it. Become a sleep enthusiast and invite your loved ones, friends, and coworkers to learn about the importance of sleep; find an accountability partner or start a sleep league. Spread the word about the free for all life elixir. The old saying nothing good happens after dark can come in handy. Sleeping earlier and at a regular time avoids late night cravings including online shopping, night eating and aids digestion, weight loss, improves skin quality, and memory consolidation.
D – Detect and address sleep deterrents including human mischief-makers that interfere with your dedication to the land of nod. Discuss with your loquacious partner the last order for dispute resolution is taken about 90 minutes before your bedtime ritual starts; offer your partner to create some joint element of sleep routine. Dim the lights one hour before bedtime. Regulate the room temperature and don’t use your electronics in bed especially not within the hour before sleep.
U – Unapologetically commit to prioritizing your health. If you wish to improve your mood, moderate your anxiety and improve your relationships commit to build a nurturing and consistent sleep routine. Walker recommends saying no to caffeine and nap time after 1 pm and suggests considering reading, light stretching, meditation, soothing lighting and a night shower to prepare yourself for the land of nod (Reid, 2024). Reduce liquor intake – it collides with sleep quality – and brand your own bed routine. This writer suggests a relaxing night swim prior to your bedtime routine, implementing prayer and mindfulness practices, listening to sleep fostering music or a narrated audiobook- no screen and no news (D. Schreier, 2025, personal communication, June 1st, 2025).
R – Rinse and Repeat: Regularity activates habituation and makes you an expert in your sleep routine. The sun rises and sets: Bright energetic daylight transitions to peaceful darkness for optimal rest. Worked for centuries – built to last. Try it yourself.
Remain grateful and patient in case you cannot fall asleep at times; your routine needs to anchor; after 20 minutes get up; be kind to yourself. Leave the bedroom room and sit in a quiet dimly lit spot – read, pray, or breathe for a while. Return to bed. Remain dedicated and grateful to your sleep routine in case you cannot sleep occasionally and just live the next day as usual – don’t change your routine – stick to it.
References
Dam, N. van, & Helm, E. van der. (2016, February). The organizational cost of insufficient sleep Sleep-awareness programs can produce better leaders. McKinsey Quarterly. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/
mckinsey/business functions/organization/our insights/the organizational cost of insufficient sleep/the organizational cost of insufficient sleep.pdf
Lam, N. (2025, January 17). Many in Singapore struggle to get a good night’s sleep – and this is detrimental not just to the individual. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/
big-read/sleep-deprivation-health-productivity-risks-4862566
Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy. (2023, December 18). Sleep deprivation in Singapore: a public health crisis. National University Singapore. https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/sleep-deprivation-in-singapore-a-public-health-crisis Retrieved 15 July 2025
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. (2022, March 22). What are sleep deprivation and deficiency? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation
Prince, T. M., & Abel, T. (2013). The impact of sleep loss on hippocampal function. Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), 20(10), 558–569. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.031674.113
Reid, M. (2024, June 19). 10 tips for better sleep, from dr. Matthew Walker. Somnee. https://somneesleep.com/blogs/post/matt-walker-sleep-tips
Simon, E.B., Walker M.P. (2019) Under slept and overanxious: the neural correlates of sleep-
loss induced anxiety in the human brain Sleep Medicine. 64. DOI: 10.1016/J.Sleep.2019.11.086
Walker, M. P. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Walker M.P. (2021) Sleep essentialism. Brain: a Journal of Neurology. 144: 697-699. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab026
