Never Sleep Again

Where we lack rest, Freddy Krueger waits

Sleep is no longer a right, but rather a privilege.

In a world that’s constantly running, when do you stop to get fuel?

When there is no time to rest, there is an obsession with rest. When there’s an obsession with something, there’s a market for something. Everything in our world is monetized, including our sleep.

As we stop to slow down and reflect for just a second, we can take a deep breath and close our eyes. We can rest, if only for an hour or so, to recharge our mind, soul, and body.

Yet there is no rest in our sleep.

When we close our eyes, we see a deep void. A clawed hand reaches out to us, a threat to our safety inside the only escape we truly have.

There is no sleep under a crumbling idea. There is no sleep with Freddy Krueger.

Part One: Lullaby

Do you have trouble falling asleep?

Of course you do. The CDC declared the United States in a public health epidemic as sleep disorders plague the country.

Although there’s multiple factors at play when it comes to our sleep health, there’s also multiple solutions. An entire industry has been created in light of everybody’s sleep deprivation.

The sleep industry, which is estimated to cost around $600bn, has positioned itself as the cure to the modern sleeping problem. From smart mattresses that adjust to our bodies to rings that track our sleep cycles, the sleep industry has sold us the idea of sleep.

These sleep aids aren’t necessarily helping us but rather giving us the illusion of security in our beds. So, when these “solutions” don’t work, we buy another one. And then another. And then another.

It becomes a cycle that only benefits the corporations creating these products rather than the consumers they promised.

But then again, is it really these products failing, or is it that you can’t prioritize yourself enough?

You can’t put the phone down at 3 AM. You can’t get in bed by 10 PM. You can’t plan your time accordingly.

You have the same 24 hours as everybody else, so why can’t you get enough sleep?

See, you need these products, because you need something to fix your lack of discipline.

So, you lay down on your smart mattress with your tracking ring on your hand and smart sleeping mask on your face. Your eyes are closed, you feel something, but you’re not sure if it’s relaxation. You can feel yourself fall into the beginning stages of sleep, hearing phantom voices and seeing strange images.

Finally, you sleep.

You’re at peace. You can finally get rest after working for so many hours. The stress escapes you. In your dreams, you feel lulled into a sense of euphoria.

You hear the faint sounds of humming, like a lullaby. You walk towards the alluring song, and the closer you get, the clearer you hear the words.

1, 2… 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

You continue the journey, even though you don’t know where it will lead you.

3, 4... 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧

Strange, but this is a dream. Ultimately, you’re safe.

5, 6... 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙗 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙭

You hesitate to draw closer. The lucidity of the dream begins to settle in.

7, 8... 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙪𝙥 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚

But curiosity killed the cat, and you decide to move forward, entering a decrepit boiler room. The color of red floods your vision, steam escaping the pipes threaten to burn your flesh. You pause, because the song is crystal clear. The voice is in your ear.

9, 10... 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣

Is this your new reality?

Part Two: Lay Down

When you lay down in your bed, you don’t sleep.

There is no sleeping, because sleeping means you miss out. If you go to bed, you can’t see what your favorite TikToker posted at 2 AM. If you go to sleep, you can’t work. If you try to rest, you can’t build a life.

Perhaps that’s why 93% of Gen Z lose sleep due to their phones. The algorithm on social media, primed to keep retention rates high, doesn’t want you to suffer from FOMO. But then again, you need the rest, because you have work in the morning.

Our economy is shaky, with over 8.9 million Americans working 2 jobs. Money is tight, so overtime, extra shifts, gig jobs, and side hustles have become the new normal. Single paychecks no longer cover essentials, so people are being forced to find money elsewhere.

And that’s not counting the $1.21 trillion in credit card debt that Americans owe, assumingly from having to swipe their cards to buy groceries they can’t afford.

Sleep is a risky move for people, because those 8 hours can be the difference between paying rent that month.

And when all you do is work, those extra five minutes of numbing your brain on social media become therapy. You receive dopamine hits; something rarely achieved in a long day of work. Scrolling becomes an obsession.

The day suddenly looks more like this: wake up, work, work, work, scroll, scroll, scroll, sleep four hours. Repeat.

But you know who doesn’t have to worry about that? CEOs, mostly.

Gone are the days of CEOs hustling and working all hours of the day. The sleep that the young yuppies lacked in the 1980s has been caught up on by modern CEOs; it’s not “cool” to hustle anymore, but rather to be well rested.

Now sleep is a strategy, seen as an effective way to be more productive rather than forcing more work hours in the day.

These are people that already have success. They have the money, the glitz, the glamour. They are exactly what most people aim to be.

More importantly, these are the people getting the 8 hours of sleep that most of us so desperately reach for.

The rich and successful are sleeping soundly. The working class are tired.

Sleep is now a luxury.

Yet, these top people in business still promote sleep aids. The OURA rings, the TheraBody SleepMasks, the stupid masking tape.

This promotion isn’t just limited to CEOs, but also “sleep influencers” whose entire brands are about “sleepmaxxing.” These are people whose only job is to sell you sleep products, supplements, and even tell you how to make a sleepy mocktail.

Of course, this all brings you back to social media to scroll. And to buy. But you need more money to buy, so you work more—you do DoorDash, Shipt—companies that thrive in shaky economies.

And all you can do is exist in it. Because again… you’re the one choosing not to sleep.

After all, choosing to stay awake gives you agency. Screw what the CEOs say, you need money. So you continue to stay awake, so much so that you’re almost scared to go to sleep.

Besides, you might see him again.

And you can’t opt of working or money or any social media platforms at this point. That would cost you.

But staying awake also cost you.

Your nervous system gets fried. Your body lacks control. And eventually… you crash.

You pass out right back into Freddy’s world.

Freddy doesn’t care if you deprive yourself of sleep, because your avoidance is more powerful to him. He was playing a game… you just accidentally became a player.

You have to play the game. You have to sleep at some point.

And now he has you in the palm of his hand.

He taunts. He laughs. He doesn’t chase.

He waits for you to come right to him.

Part Three: Dreamland

Sleep isn’t just a privilege; it’s a status symbol.

Guaranteed are the nights of work but never the nights of rest. Those who get over 8 hours of sleep are the ones who have already built security, selling you the $10,000 blackout curtains for the “best sleep of your life.”

While you take a break from delivering yet another UberEats order, you scroll through your phone only to be bombarded with ads about the latest technology in sleep experimentation.

There is most certainly a cycle here, one that has become normalized in our society.

Working hard is great, but working until exhaustion is even better. It means you have good work ethic. Not taking days off even when you’re sick signals that you take pride in your work. Not taking your full maternity leave means you really value your place at the company.

Sure, you’re a little tired, but doesn’t the pride you feel make it all worthwhile?

The days are about adaption and accepting your position in your career. You are there to work, and they don’t care what you do outside of those 8-9 hours.

And while you type away at your keyboard, the fluorescent lights shining into your eyes, you can sense someone in your cubicle. Nobody is there, you know, but something in your gut tells you there is a presence.

You yawn and go back to your emails.

There’s no need to hunt the weak anymore. Everybody has learned how to live without sleep.

Eventually, they will all crash and burn.

And he’ll be waiting.

Conclusion

The alarm rings and you wake up.

Another day, but at least the strange dream you had is over. It’s Monday. Time to get ready for work.

You turn the alarm clock off — it’s 6:00 AM. You only slept for about 4 hours, but that’s plenty enough. As long as you grab a caffeinated beverage, you’ll survive the day just fine.

You sit up in bed. Your room is still dark, a little chilly. The sun hasn’t come up yet.

The world feels still. There’s peace in the moment, silence ringing in your ears.

You swing your legs over the edge of the bed. Your feet place on the floor.

Maybe today will be a good day.

But then there’s a feeling on your ankle, similar to when you accidentally nick yourself with the razor blade when shaving. A forceful and tight grip wraps around it, and you realize this was never going to be a good day, no matter how much you wish for it.

Did the alarm ever go off?