'Dear Naps': Kindergarten kids don't know how good they have it

They say sleep is the new sex: everyone figures everybody else is getting more of it and probably better quality.

I asked my co-workers the other day if they got enough sleep. Five out of seven answered "no." It's funny that sleep is so elusive, considering we were supposed to be living like the Jetsons by now, with robots to do all of our tasks. Yeah, and I'm actually a Size 2.

Funnily enough, of all the things people are desperate for in our society (besides money), sleep is at the top of the list. What's so magical about a good night's sleep? Well, if you're one of the many insomniacs in this world, you'll know that nowadays, a decent night's sleep is more precious than a seat in the U.S. Electoral College was to Hillary Clinton.

Countless studies show sleep deprivation can result in memory loss, depression, headaches, high blood pressure, obesity, hand tremors and an increased risk of diabetes, among other things.

This is serious stuff, to be sure. It makes me wonder how we've gone so far off the rails. Why have we gotten so bad at obeying the dictates of our bodies, even when we are literally falling asleep on our feet?

As with most phenomena, there's not just one answer.

Let's blame light bulbs

Our ancestors were bounded by the rising and setting of the sun, but Edison's electric light bulb has allowed us to push ourselves far past our natural limits. In Manitoba, we count ourselves fortunate to have extremely long days in summertime, which of course we use to stay up even later. Who wants to sleep when it's still light out? An extra few hours of sunlight let us squeeze in lawn mowing or a bit longer bike ride.

The discovery of electricity also permitted the invention of many time-saving electronic appliances. These devices have skewed our perception of time.

Have you ever waited for something to heat up in the microwave and gotten impatient when it took more than 30 seconds? Since when were we living at such breakneck speed that we can't wait half a minute for our food? This just speaks to how much we're trying to get done in a day, and for most of us, it's never enough. We have an inflated sense of how much we can accomplish, which usually leads to late nights.

What about social media? Countless times, I've stayed up way past my bedtime checking Facebook or posting pictures to my Instagram account. My teenagers are always texting like fiends to their friends well into the evening, and I know that doesn't end the minute I tell them to turn out their lights. Years ago, it would have been reading under the covers with a flashlight until the batteries ran out. Now you can talk to your best buddy or your (ahem) crush until dawn without anyone being the wiser except your poor body, which has to get by on insufficient sleep.

Our expectations of life are different now, too.

The new indulgence

Nowadays, parents are nervous about their children's economic future. They're already looking ahead to activities that will enhance their kids' resumes. It's not enough to have them in swimming lessons. Nope, you should have them in swimming AND basketball AND art lessons AND volunteering at the local soup kitchen, plus whatever else is up for grabs.

What you end up with is a day that is packed with so many activities that getting to bed on time is nearly impossible. The idea of taking a nap seems like an incredible overindulgence.

Expectations are also different when it comes to standard of living. It's nothing new for people to work two or more jobs to stay ahead of their bills or save for a big purchase like a home. What is new is how much emphasis is put on having expensive electronics and clothes.

When nothing but the latest iPhone will do, the average pair of Air Jordans are over $200 and the most popular Lululemon yoga pants are $98 bucks a crack, you need to put in long hours to earn the cash for them. Shifts are a certain length, and there are only so many hours in the day, so what inevitably gets shortchanged is the amount of sleep you get.

In Japan, the incidence of death by overwork is so common that it now has its very own word: karoshi.

As far as I'm concerned, the Europeans have nailed it with their culture of daily siestas. That's a system I can get behind wholeheartedly. Unlike my younger days, when I refused to nap on demand, nowadays I'd be more than happy to take a break each afternoon, wearing my new favourite T-shirt: "Dear Naps, I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you in kindergarten."