The mellow hum and the city drum
We all know the children’s favorite tale- the country mouse has a slow, simple, peaceful life whereas his city-dwelling cousin leads a fast-paced, exciting life full of dangers and not exactly exhilarating adventures! One would argue that every place on earth has its own advantages and disadvantages and pays its very special dividends to its citizens and they spend the life they want to live. What matters is that our lives should be fulfilling, let us thrive and be happy. In that regard happiness is an ephemeral instance in which many factors contribute. Some mornings we wake up feeling energized, ready to take on the world and, well, happy. Not many people realize that after a good night’s sleep we wake up feeling refreshed and invigorated which leads to general well-being and happiness. On nights where sleep has been scarce, our moods are foul upon waking up and the rest of the day pretty much keeps going downhill. We humans are as good as the sleep we get, believe it or not!
It begins on a mild autumn night. There’s a chill in the air, leaves that have turned a mellow shade of orange look brown under the dull moonlight that creeps in through a crack in the window. Wrapped in the warm cocoon of your blanket clutching a mug of chamomile tea, you are snug as a bug in a rug! A lavender candle burns enhancing the ambience for you to have a blissful night’s sleep. Nocturnal crickets drone on in the woods outside of your window, their hum lending a drowsy quality to the night. Fireflies glow yonder, and the grumpy old owl that dwells on the Spruce tree towering above your house hoots, disrupting the quiet and solitude of the countryside that envelopes you like a warm hug. Slowly but surely you drift off to sleep, sound and safe. No sirens blaring outside, no eighteen-wheelers zooming past, shaking you awake from your already frazzled state of sleeplessness. Sounds like the dream you want to dream in the blissful night’s sleep we just talked about right? For hardcore city rodents like you and me, such a night does sound like a dream that’ll never turn true!
What does science have to say about city sleep?
The quality of life we live during the day has a direct impact on the kind of sleep we get at night. Studies have proven time and again that city dwellers tend to have poorer quality of sleep than those country dwellers. Reasons being obvious and cyclical- one wakes up at the crack of dawn for the commute itself to the office would take well over an hour (sometimes more), then meetings back-to-back, cramming lunch (most days it is missed!), more work-related stuff and suddenly it’s five pm. Friends or colleagues are heading to the pub down the street where after a few drinks one is drained. Getting home is another ordeal of hour-long commute, which is followed by chowing down a frozen dinner and by the time one hits the sack at 11pm, the tiredness is extreme, falling asleep feels like a chore itself!
For most people living in the city, this vicious cycle never stops. When single folks get married, start a family, the to-do list gets longer than one’s arm and never-ending. Sometimes environmental issues such as noise, lights and other disruptions cause insomnia. Harry Adams* a tech expert dedicated an entire shelf to house his “sleep paraphernalia” as he likes to call it! There’s one of every gadget that claims to have magical powers to lull one to dreamland- white noise machine, incense stick holders, soothing light emitter, a noise-canceling contraption that requires the wearer to strap it around the head and then some! Hypnos, the God of sleep has eluded Harry, perhaps intimidated by the force of nature that is modern technology for in spite of all his efforts he only gets a few hours of shut-eye every night. Reason- his swanky apartment, for all its modern amenities, is located in a trendy area full of noisy bars, restaurants and clubs where night crawlers galore! The lack of sound sleep has started to affect his work, his mood and pretty much everything else in his life.
A city in mini-insomnia
Experts are worried. Cities across the world are being run by individuals experiencing sleep deprivation to a certain degree. “As a ‘big-city doctor’ there is some insomnia that I see that is city related,” said Dr. Lisa Wolfe, a sleep specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She says noise is one of the most common sleep-disrupters in the city. Another culprit? Commute time. “We know that big-city living in the nation overall is associated with longer commute times,” she said. “This limits available time for sleep and is associated with more daytime sleepiness.” Big cities like New York and Chicago have longer commute times, as does Tokyo, Dhaka, Mumbai and Bangkok. Densely populated cities have longer commute times, naturally. A Londoner on average spends 74 minutes a day traveling to and from his place of work. On days when there are accidents, inclement weather or some other issue it’s higher.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the national average time to work is 25.3 minutes. Over a year this adds up to more than 200 hours of time going to and from work, according to data collected by American Association of Sleep Medicine. More time to travel to work means less time to sleep and this trend is concerning.
Hyper-social city rats are partying so hard that sleep time is being replaced by one last trip to the latest bar! Especially in a pandemic-ridden universe where tomorrow may or may not exist, young adults are prioritizing seeing friends over seeing stars in a dreamland! Amy Stevens,* a twenty-something writer and her friends who used to meet only on weekends before are now getting together every other day after Covid shut the world down. These jaunts are powered by catching up over dinner drinks and on some nights, dancing till dawn! “YOLO,” responded Amy when asked if her sleep time is suffering. Most city-dwellers in their twenties, thirties and early forties are spending more time socializing less time sleeping. Alcohol-fueled and charged with adrenaline these nighttime benders take a huge toll on their health night after night. On top of it stress over work, family life, being glued to the all-encompassing, all-consuming screen is also affecting sleep habits in major cities around the world, creating a global issue of sleeplessness.
Do the countryside counterpart sleep swell?
Do inhabitants of the countryside or suburbs sleep better than their city-dwelling counterparts? There are mixed reviews, but for the most part, yes! Simple factors such as a slower pace of life has a direct impact on the quality of sleep. Suburbs and countryside are located away from the cities, and tend to have a smaller scope that make things relatively easier. Since everything is at arm’s length there is no manic rush to get somewhere. Offices, grocery stores and civil buildings tend to be located close to one other which means there’s hardly any commute. Sure, some of these places lack amenities such food delivery, ridesharing but it does offer a quiet, relaxed way of life. There are no imposing skyscrapers or dangerous signals to cross. There’s no rush which means zero traffic jams or loud honking horns. Crime rates tend to be low, so sirens are non-existent. Most suburbs usually have a farmer’s market so fresh produce is abundant. If you can’t live without Trader Joe’s’ organic avocadoes or kale from Whole Foods, you may not be cut out for country life! But it does have its own perks even though there won’t be UberEats on nights you can’t bear to be in the kitchen!
Stephanie Rogers,* a former Goldman Sachs executive is all praises of the country life. ‘It wasn’t too long ago that I survived on four hours of sleep per night. The pressures of a high-powered job that required me to be alert at all times, household chores, social obligations coupled with crazy commute was taking a toll on my physical and mental health. It got a bit out of hand when at 34 I suffered a mild cardiac arrest from extreme exhaustion and fatigue- My doctor recommended I take some time off and unwind somewhere far away from the madness of city life. I rented a lakefront property and eventually quit my job and moved here for good. I do drive out to the city as I work as a financial consultant four days a week, come back home at a decent hour and by 10 pm I’m asleep. Country may not be exciting but it’s peaceful,’ remarks Rogers.
Time and time again the benefits of a slow, peaceful life has been stressed upon. Modern lifestyle is indeed hectic and not conducive to a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. We wake up with a start to the cacophony of a shrill alarm that immediately puts our brain on autopilot. Throughout the day screens keeps beeping- urgency is the norm in everything we do. These never-ending stream of constant state of being needed is what prevents our brains from taking a break at night, argues Professor Orfeu Buxton, editor-in-chief of the journal of sleep health. “When we sleep, things that keep us awake or disrupt our sleep are generally called threats,” he says. “We’re mammals, after all; we’re not computers. We don’t just shut off and sleep. These threats can be endogenous–internally generated, like if you have stressful thoughts–or they can be exogenous, such as the noise of an ambulance or pinging notifications on your phone overnight. All those engage the threat vigilance detection centers in our brain.”
So, what’s the verdict? Do we ditch the CBD and settle into the suburb?
Does that mean you throw your smartphone in the nearest dumpster and retire to the country, stare at the daffodils all day long? By no means! Cities offer amazing opportunities for career growth, better pay and so much more that the country will not offer. Almost all jobs or professions are based in cities where commercial, financial and economic prospects are abundant. But adopting some habits practiced in the countryside for better sleep may be helpful. Making good night’s sleep a priority is the first step. One night should be reserved every week for seeing friends and socializing. Rest of the week get home early, cook a proper nutritious meal and have an early night.
Putting screen time on hold for the night is a good idea. Read a book instead or play a board game with your partner. Another great tip- get thick, dark curtains to keep your bedroom dark and cozy. Getting noise-blocking window shutters is a smart move- it’ll alleviate unwelcome noises and prevent disruption through the night. Have a bedtime ritual- a warm, relaxing cup of tea, a milky nightcap or a simple meditation to set the tone for the night ahead. Lastly, having a consistent bedtime and sticking to it will truly do wonders for the kind of sleep you’ll get. Open your heart, let Hypnos play his soothing tune on his heavenly harp and lull you into peaceful slumber so you wake feeling like a God ready to take on his earthly duties!
Resources-
https://sleepeducation.org/big-city-living-may-cause-insomnia-sleep-loss/
https://time.com/5876615/sleep-naturally-tips/
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