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Welcome back to the show.
Getting a good night's sleep is a problem many people face.
And ever since the pandemic began, it's only gotten worse.
ANCHORWOMAN 1: There were more than 2.7 million Google
searches for insomnia in the United States
during the first five months of 2020.
There's several different types of insomnia.
There's the "I can't fall asleep,"
there's the "I can't stay asleep,"
and then there's the "I wake up too early."
Now what we're starting to see is
insomnia associated with COVID.
ANCHORWOMAN 1: There's now a new name for it--
Coronasomnia.
Sadly, the only cure for Coronasomnia
is to have your iPhone surgically
removed from your hands.
When the pandemic started, between irregular sleep
schedules and incredibly high stress and anxiety levels,
it became almost impossible to get a good night's sleep.
Roughly 60% of people said they've struggled with sleep,
and nearly half reported that the quality of their sleep
had diminished.
And yet Mark Wahlberg still wakes up at 2:30 AM
to work out because those Wahlburgers aren't
going to flip themselves.
Even before COVID, getting proper sleep
was an issue plaguing more than 50 million Americans.
And the CDC has described sleep deprivation as a public health
epidemic because it's linked to a wide range of medical issues,
including hypertension, diabetes, depression, cancer,
cardiovascular issues, and of course,
the disease that turns you into a creep
who watches other people sleep.
Not getting enough sleep may even lead you to doing
things you might regret.
ANCHORMAN: Sleep texting and yes, sleep tweeting-- you're
asleep, your deep asleep.
You wake up in a confused state.
You orient yourself to whatever it is that just made the noise.
And then you respond inappropriately.
For example, getting a text that says,
hey, and responding with, Bush lied about Iraq having
weapons of mass destruction.
While many in our capitalist society
believe sleep deprivation signifies hard work,
others have turned sleep into the ultimate status symbol.
So then on sleep--
I get eight hours of sleep.
I prioritize it.
You don't get to the top by marrying someone.
A much simpler way is to sleep your way to the top.
I'm talking about sleep in the literal sense.
Unsurprisingly, catching Zs isn't so simple for people
who aren't rich CEOs.
Many American workers are sleeping less to work more.
And studies show a large disparity in sleep quality
based on race and ethnicity.
There is a disparities between Blacks and Whites in terms
of how much sleep they get.
Blacks overall seem to be sleeping about 30 minutes less.
There are a lot of Black folks that are working two jobs.
So the ability to actually set a schedule,
they don't have that luxury.
Getting enough sleep shouldn't be
a luxury in one of the richest countries in the world.
Now, front row seats at yacht meetings?
That's a luxury.
Worse, people of color are more likely to work during less
traditional business hours, which is especially
bad since night shift work has been classified
as a probable human carcinogen. It's also not helpful
that the sleep wellness industry makes
promises to fix everything with the weirdest possible shit.
MAN: Meet the Somnox Sleep Robot.
By hugging the Somnox Sleep Robot at night,
you will feel it breathe.
WOMAN 1: A first of its kind sleep solution
designed to simulate the feeling of being hugged or cuddled.
It's actually really soothing.
WOMAN 2: The ostrich pillow.
There's room for you to put your arms so you can just
plunk face down onto your desk.
The ostrich pillow is like wearing
a straitjacket on your face.
Oh, no, careful.
A face straitjacket is what killed Houdini's
much stupider younger brother.
The sleep wellness industry is estimated
to be worth up to $40 billion.
And while some products are based on real sleep science,
most aren't approved by the FDA because they're not technically
considered medical devices.
Use of over-the-counter supplements
like sleep aids and homeopathic remedies are also on the rise.
One of the most commonly used is melatonin, which is often
called the hormone of darkness.
That's incidentally the same thing they
call the manager of Hot Topic.
While melatonin is a hormone our body produces naturally,
many people are taking the supplement version of melatonin
in far too large amounts.
And because melatonin supplements aren't fully
regulated by the FDA, some had 478%
more melatonin than advertised.
Some even contained serotonin, a hormone that's
dangerous even at low levels.
Hence the phrase, too much serotonin
will always have ya groanin'.
Meditation apps are gaining popularity as well.
But the research behind their effectiveness is mixed.
One study showed that they could help people sleep.
But some doctors still hesitate to recommend
them because blue light from digital screens
can keep people awake.
That's why I permanently set all my screens to flashlight mode.
And while sleep trackers can provide information
such as sleep duration and quality,
some experts are concerned the devices can be inaccurate
and can actually exacerbate symptoms.
But hey, if those products don't help,
there's always TV doctors who don't help.
So I'm going to teach you a little technique.
It's a relaxation technique.
We're going to make your face into a long, long structure
by going, ahhhh, You get than your chin and your neck.
And that's going to be relaxed by going, eeeeee.
(SINGING) Eeeeee.
I used to wish for the day when Dr. Oz
would no longer have a TV show.
Now he's running for Senate.
Kind of miss that dumb quack.
[CHUCKLES] Don't it always seem to go you don't know
what you got till it's gone?
They paved Dr. Oz and made him a parking lot.
Thankfully, there are a few things we can all do at home
without breaking the bank.
ANCHORWOMAN 2: Number one, consistent sleep schedule.
Avoid any heavy meals, alcohol, or caffeine in the couple
of hours before bedtime.
Meditation and exercise during the day
has been shown to improve sleep at night.
You want to keep your bedroom cold, dark, and quiet.
Experts say the ideal temperature for a bedroom
is between 60 and 67 degrees.
But if you like things a little hotter,
go ahead and pump it up to 69, you nasty little pervert.
Look, dealing with insomnia and sleep deprivation is so hard.
And whether or not we give up caffeine,
cut down on doomscrolling, or wear
a one-piece self-hugging device, just being aware of our sleep
habits and routines can help.
Seek medical help for sleep disorders if you need it.
And if something is harmless and it helps you sleep,
it's OK to do that too, even if it means sitting next to me
on an airplane with your head in a fuzzy torture device.
I don't judge.
We'll be right back.
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