One Way that We Could Change Society

We all know that we need a good eight hours of sleep each night. Whether you are an athlete that needs to store as much energy as possible, or an office worker that spends too much time looking at a computer screen, you still need that rest.

The big difference, is that many people don't really care about how they are sleeping, or whether they are getting enough of it. Athletes, however, watch their sleep patterns. They monitor each 90 minute cycle from the silicon bracelet that adorns their wrists. With that, the question is about whether we SHOULD care.

What if, in a world that runs this fast, we all started to watch our own sleeping patterns? What would lead from this? There would, no doubt, be some startling effects that might just change how we live, altogether. Let's look at the common traits that cause us to have poor sleep in this societal maze.

One - Diet

It is no secret that what we eat will make a difference to our moods and resting patterns. You only need to see a 5-year-old that has eaten a load of Halloween candy to prove that! What is the answer to this though? If we were only to eat vegetables, we wouldn't survive.

If we look at the bright side though, imagine a world that was mindful of their diet. Nothing but the nutrition that was needed. This would, though, be boring, it was okay not to have a load of sweet stuff when sugar was rare. Now though, we have a western addiction to such pleasures. 

We can't just stop at candy though, we also love drinks that hold less nutrition than a stone. Look at all the coffee that is being consumed! The caffeine claims its grip on humanity.

Two - Entertainment

We are bound by the laws of enjoyment! Watching TV, playing games, reading a good book, these are all factors that entertain us, and often, keep us awake.

How many of us stare at our phone screens at night, reading the latest gossip, or just looking at the release of new YouTube videos? This is a normal way to spend our final hours of the day, is it the right move for our sleeping patterns though?

Three - Social Lives

We all like to spend time with our friends or family, maybe not ALL, but as a society, we need companionship. With that, comes the interaction with other souls. Many believe that this social connection is a vital element in the course of human preservation. Even if you play online with friends, you are still socialising. Spending time with your buddies, in a virtual environment, can still trick your mind into receiving the needed chemicals to support you and your thoughts.

In a bar-dweller's, or gamer's lives, they all go through times where lack of sleep is apparent.

Four - Emotional Well-Being

All of these things, including the lack of sleep can set off a chain reaction in our general health. If this domino is knocked over, it begins a loop that is difficult to stop. Feeling 'down' is a common issue in society and effects each one of these in turn.

Diet becomes chaotic during stressful times. A grab for the ice-cream is a mainstay of modern culture. Entertainment is often derived from how we feel, we listen to certain types of music or watch particular movies. The sad feeling that entertainment can show us, becomes a friend in the dark. Our social status is affected the most. Our mood determines whether we want to see anyone, go out, or be human at all.

Turning the Dominoes Around:

At the start of this post, I asked the question about the effects that could be claimed from watching our sleep pattern. If we were to take sleep alone, and not look at changing the others to help us sleep, we would be turning the dominoes around, letting them fall the opposite way and thus, turn the process a full half-circle.

I'm not saying that this would be an interesting angle for humanity, it verges on 'Equilibrium' values. It could be the supply for an almost communist type of regime, keeping us all in-line. There might be a way around this? The only was to tell, would be to try it!

My prediction for this, would be that if we were ALL to watch our sleeping patterns, especially with a monitor of some sorts, we could change everything. This would be a stepping stone in a line of many.

Let's look at the prediction like this:

Sleep-Monitoring could lead to each of the issues, outlined above, to be rectified. The correct amount of sleep would lead to a happier self. A self that no longer needs those additional sweet treats or masses of caffeine. This would lead to a social goal that wants to find happiness in companionship, all from the fact that we are healthier and, in-turn, more confident. We may then find that the media will become more transparent and helpful to our progress. With less sadness, we would be less inclined to create disturbing news, or even stop using the word 'crisis'! (This is the buzz word of modernity, one that digs deep into our minds, it's a great way to scare-monger!)

The reverse domino effect could make a lot right, it could help us to achieve a cultural balance that sees everybody, happily, working in harmony. (How quaint!)

So there you have it, would sleep monitoring make a big difference to our society? What do you think? Leave your ideas in the comments below.