Pictures of Sleep

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Dec 19, 2000

So far, most of my articles published here have suffered a noticeable absence of visual material--photos and drawings--which made me decide to write an article devoted to this aspect of sleep.

The Internet offers a wealth of visual as well as written material. However, pictures often serve more to attract attention and leaven the weight of otherwise indigestible text. But the more important pictures can teach us a lot. Here I have gathered a few that I judge to be instructive--and often entertaining as well!

What I like about this cartoon is that it presents us with the paradox of humor and at the same time the clear underlying message that something is wrong. Whether our young man is sleeping on the job, or sleeping at some game or chat, this is certainly not an appropriate situation in which to sleep. What causes this kind of almost involuntary napping is often just a matter of not allowing oneself enough sleep--that is, going to bed too late to get a normal eight hours of sleep before you must awaken. On the other hand, we see the man's snoring, which suggests a problem with airway obstruction, maybe enough to cause disrupted sleep, resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness.

Here is a photo with a similar, but more extreme message. The soldier, evidently exhausted and sleep deprived, has fallen asleep on the ground in combat uniform, presumably in a hazardous situation. What better demonstrates the compelling force of our need for sleep? Enough sleep deprivation--for example, as a result of sleep apnea--will result in involuntary napping at work, at play, at the dinner table, and even at the steering wheel of a car. Let those whose sleep deprivation results not from apnea or from combat stress, but only from ill-considered efforts to cheat the body's need for sleep, take heed! The body will have its due eventually, possibly when least desirable.

I imagine that everyone understands the reason for this man wearing a mask over his eyes--to reduce visual stimuli, especially when for some reason these cannot simply be turned off, and thereby remove one factor which can prevent or disturb sleep. However, what besides humor could the teddy bear mean? A recently published book, Desperately Seeking Snoozin' has made the persuasive point that one of the best strategies for overcoming insomnia is to establish a "bedtime ritual" that you follow regularly every night before going to sleep. Perhaps this man's stuffed animal provides not only a sense of comfort and security, but comprises part of his own bedtime ritual!