Browse Topics
Tools
Editor's choice

Berlin noise: November’s hottest concerts

Talking vernissage: New buildings, old buildings

In Focus: Get the story behind the story

English theatre in Germany: The fall edition

Her-stories and she-roes: Of struggle and success

Across the border: The best stories from Greece to Norway

Dancing in Deutschland: German Festivals in 2009

Expat Voices: Graeme Collins on living in Germany

The Klassical Junkie: Paying Tribute to Berlin

Looking back: Remembering World War II

Internaxx Stock Market
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.3 0.50
DAX 5252.45 1.50
IBEX 30 10726.8 0.59
CAC 40 3377.59 1.40
FTSE 100 4564.5 0.79
AEX 276.85 0.95
DJIA 9096.72 -0.13
Nasdaq 1975.51 0.39
FTSE MIB 20341.67 1.65
TSX Composite 10570.54 -1.74
ASX 4148.9 -0.60
Hang seng 20135.5 -2.37
Straits Times 0.00
ISEQ 20 442.48 0.27
You are here: Home Health & Fitness Healthcare Sleep as basic human need

Healthcare

archive
Print Email Comment Subscribe
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size

03/10/2008Sleep as basic human need

As life gets busier, the combination of urban life and increasing noise pollution means people all over the world are reporting sleep problems.

As life gets busier, the combination of urban life and increasing noise pollution means people all over the world are reporting sleep problems. Having so many tired people around is no snoozing matter. It costs billions in lost work productivity and fatigue has been partly to blame in major calamities like the Exxon Valdez Oil spill and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. And then there's the personal cost to one's mental and physical health.
Sleep professor Kevin Morgan
Someone who knows all about this is Professor Kevin Morgan, Director of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Professor Morgan says the tension between one's personal needs and the needs of  business were undeniable.
"On the one hand the modern world tends to be, certainly in its urban form, noisy - traffic noise, aircraft noise. On the other hand there are requirements for individuals, there are levels of noise which are simply incompatible with sleep. 
Photo above right: Sleep professor Kevin Morgan 

I think personally this is a broader social health issue. People have the right to access facilities that will deliver quality of life and quality of sleep is one of the fundamental pillars of quality of life. If we want society to function properly and if we want individuals to function properly in society, we have got to safeguard their sleep."

Japan
Commenting on the situation in Japan where people work such long hours they are at risk of karoshi, or death from overwork, Professor Morgan says there's a fundamental paradox.
"One of the interesting cultural features of Japan that makes it quite distinct from Northern Europe, for example, is the tolerance of sleep in what...would be considered inappropriate times and inappropriate places [by other cultures]. People in Japan are quite happy to sleep almost anywhere. 
Have your German News delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for our e-mail newsletter now!

Print Email Comment Subscribe

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating

2 reactions to this article

Grimne posted: 08-10-2008 | 3:56 PM

You stated: "fatigue has been partly to blame in major calamities like ... the Chernobyl nuclear disaster"

Can you provide a reference on this? Where have you read this statement? Is it backed up by any evidence or research?

Grimne posted: 08-10-2008 | 3:56 PM

You stated: "fatigue has been partly to blame in major calamities like ... the Chernobyl nuclear disaster"

Can you provide a reference on this? Where have you read this statement? Is it backed up by any evidence or research?

Reply
Discussion Forums

Religion & spirituality

Music to lift you up, by lissa0915

Religion & spirituality

Love, Quotes, by lissa0915

Religion & spirituality

On the lighter side..., by lissa0915

Films, Shows & Events

IMPACT: The Third Man in Munich Nov 29th 2009 at 8pm LEO 17, by blairgaulton

Humour

Joke of the day, by mikeyt

participate in the forums

Health & Fitness essentials
Health & Fitness forums
participate in the forums
Health & Fitness A-Z listings
find the business you need
Inside Expatica
The ABCs of the German school system

The ABCs of the German school system

Trying to size up the education system is one of the hardest things facing those embarking on a foreign posting. We set out what you should know about German schools and daycare.

How to move to Germany legally: visas and citizenship

How to move to Germany legally: visas and citizenship

Want to move to Germany but haven’t figured out the details? Check out Expatica’s overview of the German visa and citizenship system.

Taking your pet on assignment

Taking your pet on assignment

When moving abroad, the owner must make an informed decision as to whether their pet is up to the trip. Here’s an overview of the factors involved.

Looking for work in Germany: The in depth version

Looking for work in Germany: The in depth version

Moving to Germany but still searching for a job? Check out Expatica’s comprehensive overview of the ins and outs of employment in Germany, including information on how to find work, recruitment agencies, employment contracts and labour law.