Sleep (Shamelle presents)

Sleep: Science, Culture, & the Meaning of Unrest

In the book, “Why We Sleep,” Matthew Walker, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, argues that lack of sleep is a looming public health crisis. Walker explains that sleep is not a passive state but a complex biological process essential for various aspects of good health including robust memory, emotional regulation, immune competence, metabolic stability, and long-term brain health. He details how NREM and REM sleep perform distinct, synergistic roles and shows that even modest sleep loss degrades attention, reaction time, cardiovascular health, and the body’s ability to fight disease. He presents sleep as the foundational pillar supporting every major physiological system, more impactful than diet or exercise alone.

Further, Walker argues that modern society systematically undermines healthy sleep through social and environmental factors such as long work hours, artificial light, 24-hour connectivity, and early school start times. He contends that this has produced a population-wide deficit linked to preventable accidents, chronic diseases, mental-health disorders, and reduced productivity. Walker asserts that most adults require an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to avoid increased risks of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and impaired immune function. This position aligns closely with the broader scientific consensus.

However, a recent research study suggests that the Western scientific consensus may not fully capture cultural differences in sleep patterns and their relationship to health. A 2025 cross-national study published in PNAS found substantial variation in average sleep duration across 20 countries and reported that individuals tended to have better health outcomes when their sleep duration aligned with their own culture’s normal range even when those averages were shorter than the recommended 7 to 9 hours. The authors observed that populations in some countries, such as Japan, routinely reported shorter sleep durations without showing uniformly worse self-reported health.

These cross-cultural differences suggest that looking at the cultural meanings we attach to sleep is just as important, if not more important, than understanding the biological role of sleep. For example, in the U.S., sleep is framed both as a medical imperative and as a casualty of overwork, caffeine culture, and the performance of “always being tired.” Conversely, in Japan, inemuri normalizes brief public napping and integrates tiredness into daily life, suggesting that cultures make sense of sleep in very different ways.

In this discussion, we will explore all of these themes: the science, the cross-cultural differences, the narratives we inherit about rest, and the contradictions embedded in modern life. We will also consider what sleep or sleeplessness evokes emotionally, politically, and personally, including how cultural stories about sleep shape not only our health behaviors but our sense of identity, productivity, and worth.

Symptom-free people with the capacity to listen considerately to diverse viewpoints are invited to attend after successfully RSVPing.

We begin the discussion at 1:00 pm sharp in the mezzanine above the lobby of the Graduate Hotel. Feel free to come up to 30 minutes early and hang out with us beforehand.

From the front Hotel entrance go to the right around the corner to enter through the north valet entrance. If the valet questions you just say you're here for the philosophy group. Go straight to the main lobby and turn right behind the large bookshelves before the elevators. Go up the stairs to your left and through the first door you encounter to enter our meeting room.

OPENING ROUNDTABLE FORMAT (ORF):

1. The topic presenter begins the discussion by explaining why they are interested in the topic and some introductory thoughts on it.
2. Each participant in turn going clockwise from the presenter describes their general thoughts on the topic.
3. If one is not ready to speak they can just say “pass” and the next person speaks.
4. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to comment.
5. Once everyone has given opening remarks or passed twice, Opening Roundtable is completed and the meeting shifts into its main format.

TIMED DIRECTION FORMAT (TDRF>5):
If there are more than 5 people present we will use the format below.

1. We will divide up the timed direction discussion time by the number of participants plus one (for a buffer). A timer will be set for this amount of time.
2. Each participant in turn will become a Discussion Director and lead the group discussion.
3. If one is not ready to direct they dimply say “pass” and the next person becomes the Discussion Director.
4. Anyone who arrives after step 1 (above), may participate but will not get a turn as Discussion Director.
5. The Discussion Director can make statements or ask questions, or interrupt or redirect the discussion at their discretion.
6. The discussion participants can state their own opinions only when asked by the Discussion Director, not Interrupt others and accede to the Discussion Director’s interruptions or redirections.
7. When the timer goes off the person speaking finishes their thought and then the next participant clockwise becomes the next Discussion Director.
8. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to direct.

At the end of the meeting, participants will have an opportunity to vote on the topic and format for the following meeting.