Sleeping ok?

When we wake up in the middle of the night, we could remind ourselves that this is what our ancestors had been doing for centuries.

Dear Readers,

If you believe in the value of quality writing and the importance of creating a space for curiosity, critical thought, and meaningful dialogue, your subscription makes that possible.

Join as a paid subscriber to help build a community that values ideas, reflection, and the exploration of what it means to be human.

For those lucky enough to have a summer vacation, the fact that psychical agencies like the superego choose not to take their holidays at the same time is disappointing. The prospect of freedom from work and worry opens up a space that this punitive agency tends to capitalise on, and hence the minor illnesses, bungled actions, self-sabotage, and restlessness that are so familiar to many holidaymakers. Sleep is often an easy target for disruption here, and it is no accident that sleep hygiene stories multiply at this time of year.

Media articles offer solutions to insomnia, defined as a major wellness challenge for 2025, with 40% of Gen Z adults reporting sleep-related anxiety at least three times per week, and holiday destinations now even factoring this into their advertising. Pillows and mattresses can be scrutinised in advance, with more than 90% of travellers apparently willing to pay more for sleep-enhancing accommodation. Some hotels offer sleep-coaching or even specialised sleep programmes, often structured around idealised and impossible goals.

Here are a few things to consider when you probe the mattress or count your sleeping hours in despair. Rather than buying into the sleep hygiene peddled by wellness retailers, it is well worth troubling some of the most parroted claims.