After a long day of work, school, travel, or whatever else, the greatest consolation is the prospect of getting cozy in bed, gently shutting our eyes, and drifting off into a deep, restful slumber. But that’s rarely how it goes. Nights of tossing and turning, constantly checking the clock, or worse, the smartphone propped up on your nightstand, and a mind that won’t stop racing.
.. It’s an all too common tale for most of us, creating a seemingly endless cycle of tiredness, anxiety, and stress.
All of this began, as with many of our modern problems, with the Industrial Revolution. Well, really, it started in 1879 with Thomas Edison and his one crucial invention: the lightbulb. Once people were able to work and live out their lives at night, sleep was forever changed.
This has created a huge market for sleep, from high-tech wearable gadgets to luxurious mattresses, sleep trackers, and melatonin — all of which promise to get us to 8 hours of restorative, quality sleep. But it’s hard to tell what’s real, and what’s just a rose-colored dream. Grab a mug of your steaming hot Sleepytime tea and a soft blanket as we explore the realm of sleep — and the lack of it.
How many hours of sleep experts generally recommend for humans. Some experts, however, say this range is arbitrary, and that what matters most is feeling rested when you wake up in the morning. The estimated value of the global “sleep economy,” including devices, mattresses, and supplements, in 2024.
A ty.