Sleep was once the most basic physiological need of human beings, a realm where rest, restoration, and dreams converged.

However, in modern society, sleep is gradually regarded as a "futile effort" - it neither creates economic value nor improves productivity. It is considered a symbol of laziness and lack of initiative.

A report shows that among the sleep data of over ten thousand students, office workers, and retirees, 59% of them suffer from insomnia, while only 19% have no sleep disorders at all. Young people are the most affected group, accounting for up to 70% [1].

Sleep, which was once used as a torture to deprive people of freedom, has now become a "luxury". In some industries, staying up late has even become a criterion to measure employees' efforts. Our sleep time and quality are being eroded by various external forces, turning into a "self - sacrifice" behavior intertwined with voluntariness and compulsion.

In the report, 67.2% of people admit that they are among those who "voluntarily stay up late" [2].

At night, people indulge in short - videos, live - broadcasts, and social software, while being caught in anxiety about their exhausted state the next day.

The lack of sleep caused by staying up late not only affects people's emotions but also harms the cognitive functions of the brain, making them, in a sense, "scatterbrains" and "grumps".

Why do people voluntarily choose to stay up late? What are they escaping from, and what are they pursuing?

Staying Up Late Symbolizes Self - worth in the Merit - based Society

Different from the rhythm of "working at dawn and resting at dusk" in the past agricultural society, the logic of the merit - based society has given rise to the 996 or 007 work schedules and day and night shifts.

Time is almost directly related to output and economic benefits.

According to the "field theory" of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, an individual's life in modern society is no longer dominated by self - needs but is constantly shaped by external social competition and performance evaluation [5]. In this structure, staying up late has become a symbol of hard work, a way to demonstrate personal struggle and productivity through time compression.

On various platforms, sharing moments of staying up late to study or work has become a common phenomenon. Whether it's a photo of working overtime late at night or writing furiously in front of a computer, people seem to be seeking recognition and praise through such displays. In the external feedback, staying up late is regarded as a symbol of positivity and perseverance.

The delay - of - gratification theory of psychologist Walter Mischel points out that individuals in the merit - based society tend to choose immediate gratification, especially when facing complex tasks. The short - term sense of achievement can quickly relieve inner anxiety, while long - term benefits are constantly postponed [6].

Staying up late has become a concrete manifestation of this behavior pattern - by continuously extending working hours, individuals try to get immediate feedback and solve the current anxiety.

The phrase "If you work hard, you'll be better" is like a slow - acting anesthetic, seeping into everyone's body.

We stay up late until dawn every day because there's always a voice saying that the current sacrifice paves the way for the future - we default that the current pain is a necessary bargaining chip for success and even believe that "not staying up late equals not working hard".

Sharing overtime work on WeChat Moments and the popular "endurance competition" in the workplace essentially strengthen the equation of "staying up late = value". What they are fighting against is no longer the specific workload but the less - hard - working self.

Individuals constantly sacrifice their physiological needs in this "self - worth" competition to gain short - term social recognition and symbols of success.

When the Natural Rhythm Encounters the 24/7 Society

Our biological clock has been disrupted.

In his book 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, Jonathan Crary points out that modern capitalism tries to maximize productivity, so it regards sleep as non - productive time and attempts to continuously compress human sleep needs through technological means and economic activities.

He mentions that nowadays, the average North American adult sleeps only 6.5 hours per night, while in the early 20th century, people slept an average of 10 hours. This trend not only reflects the change in individual lifestyles but is also a direct result of social structural adjustment [3].

Since evolution, human biological rhythms have been regulated by the natural alternation of day and night. The secretion of melatonin follows the change of sunlight, guiding people to fall asleep. However, the 24/7 operation mode of modern society has broken this natural rhythm, making night no longer the exclusive time for rest.

The 24/7 time concept refers to an artificially created time concept of 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Compared with the previous natural time, this time concept breaks the distinction between day and night, forcing people into a continuous state without breaks and making them work ceaselessly; it breaks the traditional binary structure and transforms basic physiological needs such as sleep; it blurs the boundaries between public space and private time (there is no real shutdown), and there are no obvious time intervals.

It's not just FamilyMart convenience stores that are lit up 24 hours a day. Late - night live - streamers shout "Guys, click to follow", and food - delivery apps pop up with "Night - time exclusive discounts". We unconsciously accept the setting of a never - closing life, and modern people seem to have been implanted with a "24/7 standby mode".

Social media further exacerbates the chaos of biological rhythms. Short - video platforms and instant messaging apps use algorithms to accurately deliver content, making users scroll through their phones late at night and miss the best time to fall asleep. The blue light from electronic screens inhibits the production of melatonin, making the brain think it's still daytime and causing difficulty falling asleep and frequent waking up at night.

Interestingly, people always set up a "sleep protection zone" in front of work but then give entertainment an unlimited - time night - club ticket.

Is "Hard Work without Sleep" Effective?

For modern people, especially driven by work pressure and social media, staying up late has become the norm. This kind of behavior is not only self - abuse to the body but also an invisible killer of mental health.

According to a study in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, long - term sleep deprivation weakens the inhibitory function of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, making emotional fluctuations more frequent. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for regulating our emotions and impulses. After its function is damaged, individuals are more likely to lose control and show emotions such as anger, anxiety, and even depression [7].

Matthew Walker points out in his book Why We Sleep that sleep deprivation can increase the activity of the amygdala in the brain by 60%. The amygdala is the core area that controls fear and emotional responses [4]. The over - activity of the amygdala directly leads to a soaring level of anxiety, which is particularly obvious after staying up late.

It's like the accelerator of emotions, making us have thoughtless and inappropriate emotional responses and preventing us from analyzing things in a broader or more thoughtful context.

Many office workers may have the same feeling. After staying up late, their emotional stability and work efficiency will significantly decline the next day, leading to more problems in judgment and emotional intelligence. Sleep - deprived employees are more likely to blame others for mistakes made in the workplace and even try to take credit for others' work.

Moral deviations related to staying up late may also escape condemnation during the work stage in the form of the social loafing effect. Sleepy employees in teamwork tend to choose a more selfish path to avoid cumbersome tasks and idle around. This not only leads to a decline in team productivity but also causes resentment and deterioration of interpersonal relationships among team members.

Neuroimaging studies also show that the areas of the brain responsible for cognitive functions are very sensitive to the harmful effects of sleep deprivation. People with sleep deprivation often experience "microsleep intrusions", during which they lose the ability to respond to sensory stimuli for 5 - 30 seconds [8].

Microsleep is an extremely short and involuntary sleep state - you're not really asleep, but you're in a daze; you prop your head up with your hand, your eyelids keep drooping, and you can't help but nod off.

Long - term anxiety and stress have gradually become by - products of the "staying - up - late culture".

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the public that long - term staying up late and sleep deprivation pose a huge challenge to global productivity and public health and are one of the main factors leading to the increasing burden of non - communicable diseases.

More and more studies have revealed the great impact of sleep on physical and mental health. Perhaps we should rethink the long - term health risks hidden behind this so - called "struggle".

Stop Being a Tool, Start with Good Sleep

In Why We Sleep, 12 practical and simple suggestions for healthy sleep are provided to help us improve sleep quality and physical and mental health:

1. Stick to a Fixed Sleep Schedule
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Humans are creatures of habit, and changes in sleep patterns can disrupt the biological clock. Catching up on sleep on weekends cannot make up for the lack of sleep on weekdays and will make it harder to wake up on Monday morning. Setting an alarm for going to bed is as important as setting one for waking up. (If you can only remember one of these 12 suggestions, remember this one.)
2. Exercise Regularly but at the Right Time
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day, but finish exercising 2 - 3 hours before bedtime, otherwise, it will affect falling asleep.
3. Avoid Caffeine and Nicotine
• The effects of caffeine can last up to 8 hours. Drinking caffeinated beverages in the afternoon will affect nighttime sleep. Nicotine also makes sleep lighter and causes early waking.
4. Avoid Alcohol before Bedtime
• Although alcohol may help you relax, it reduces deep sleep (rapid - eye - movement sleep) and causes waking up at night.
5. Avoid Heavy Meals and Excessive Water Intake at Night
• Eating a large amount will cause indigestion and affect falling asleep, while drinking too much water will lead to frequent waking up at night.
6. Avoid Medications That Disrupt Sleep
• Some medications, including those for heart disease, asthma, or allergies, may interfere with sleep. If you have sleep problems, consult your doctor to adjust the medication time.
7. Limit Napping
• Avoid napping after 3 p.m. to avoid affecting nighttime sleep. If necessary, limit your nap to 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Establish a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
• Arrange relaxing activities before bedtime, such as reading or listening to light music, and avoid a stressful schedule during the day.
9. Take a Hot Bath before Bed
• A drop in body temperature after a bath promotes drowsiness and helps relieve tension.
10. Optimize Your Bedroom Environment
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool, and avoid interference from electronic devices. Remove distractions (alarm clocks, watches) and use a comfortable mattress and pillows.
11. Get Enough Sunlight
• Sunlight is crucial for regulating the circadian rhythm. Get more than 30 minutes of natural sunlight every day, expose yourself to sunlight when you wake up in the morning, and dim the lights before bedtime.
12. Don't Stay in Bed Awake for Too Long
• If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing to avoid anxiety about falling asleep.

Of course, in addition to these tips, cognitive - behavioral therapy (CBT), as an effective means to improve sleep, is also gradually attracting more attention. CBT helps people restore normal sleep patterns by adjusting bad sleep - related cognitions and behaviors.

Perhaps we need to redefine the standard of success in life. Sleep is not laziness or escape but an active self - protection behavior.

When the blue light from the screen swallows the silence at 2 a.m. again, are we turning the late night into a second shift? Those nights extended by the thought of "just five more minutes of scrolling" are actually exchanges of the overload of the nervous system for an illusory sense of control.

Life is not a perpetually - moving gear but a seed that needs hibernation. When you click on the night mode again, don't forget to leave a window for the dawn of tomorrow.