Misperceptions of Insomnia and Sleep Disorders In The Media
Page written by: Axel Urrutia
The ways that sleep disorders effect people vary.
Understanding that the ways that celebrities or media influencers express their experiences with sleep disorders, like insomnia, differ from person-to-person is key to better understanding and guiding treatments that aid individuals that live with these disorders.
Widespread media has indirectly created misperceptions about sleep disorders through a variety of ways.
Accounting for the variety of social determinants of health that can possibly contribute to the development of sleep disorders like weight, age, and mental health, is important when acknowledging the experiences of others who suffer from these disorders. In the very same way that these determinants of health vary, experiences of sleep disorders vary likewise.
Inaccurate Portrayals of Sleep Disorders in Media
Now that we have established that sleep disorders vary amongst individuals, it is also important to acknowledge the role that the media has played in the mistreatment of these disorders. With media being so easily manipulated and widespread, remedies and treatments to help aid individuals that live with sleep disorders are often times faulty in nature. The spreading of home remedies on media platforms has led to empty promises that push the notion that better sleep behaviors can be accomplished by following practices like napping throughout the day, drinking a glass of wine before bed, or even exercising an hour before heading to bed; these home remedies can be credited to nothing more than a myth.
An individualistic approach to Sleep disorders.
Although media platforms have contributed to the spreading of scientific discovery, remedies and treatments that have spread across media platforms should be approached with caution. Adopting an individualistic approach to sleep disorders is suggested given that promoted remedies and treatments are not guaranteed to work. What might work for one person might not work with another individual given differences in social determinants of health. Please be advised that health professional opinion should remain everyone’s primary source of health-related information.
Work Cited
Brody, J. E. (2017, January 16). Getting older, sleeping less. The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/well/live/getting-older-sleeping-less.html?searchResultPosition=2
Brody, J. E. (2021, December 6). The health toll of Poor Sleep. The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/well/mind/sleep-health.html
Camero, K. (2022, March 13). I Tried Setting Screentime Limits On My Social Media Apps And Here’s What I Learned. BuzzFeed News. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/sleep-better-tiktok-wellbeing
Hartnick, C. (2022, February 28). Treating kids with sleep disorders stirs thoughts of a lifetime of Restless Nights. STAT. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.statnews.com/2022/02/27/treating-kids-sleep-disorders-lifetime-restless-nights/
Mortimer, M. (2021, July 7). Jimmy Kimmel's Rare sleep disorder explained. HealthDigest.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.healthdigest.com/455635/jimmy-kimmels-rare-sleep-disorder-explained/
O'connor, A. (2021, August 30). Wide awake at 3 a.m.? our readers offer advice. The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/30/well/insomnia-better-sleep.html
Pacheco, D. (2022, February 2). Sleep disordersDanielle Pacheco. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders
Reports, C. (2016, June 30). Sleep disorders are common but often go unaddressed. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/sleep-disorders-are-common-but-often-go-unaddressed/2016/06/30/67d694d0-e472-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html
S, M. F. (2019, January 9). Breakthrough study in the history of insomnia. Medindia. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.medindia.net/news/breakthrough-study-in-the-history-of-insomnia-185008-1.htm
Zuckerman, C. (2020, November 15). Break the cycle of insomnia. The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/14/at-home/insomnia-advice.html?searchResultPosition=1
Subscribe
Let people know they can sign up to your audience and receive updates, or learn more about a product or service.
Sleeping Disorders
San Francisco State University
Created by: Maria Torres, Christian Colmenares, Karina Espinoza, and Axel Urrutia
© 2022 Your brand name
