{"id":7137,"date":"2025-06-18T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T05:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T10:35:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T08:35:00","slug":"orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Orthosomnia: obsession with perfect sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Content:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #003f73;color:#003f73\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #003f73;color:#003f73\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/#Orthosomnia_when_striving_for_perfect_sleep_keeps_you_awake\" >Orthosomnia: when striving for perfect sleep keeps you awake<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/#Do_young_people_sleep_worse_due_to_higher_sleep_pressure\" >Do young people sleep worse due to higher sleep pressure?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/#Sleep_stress_is_good_for_industry_bad_for_sleep\" >Sleep stress is good for industry, bad for sleep!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/#The_paradox_wanting_more_control_sleeping_less\" >The paradox: wanting more control, sleeping less<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/#What_is_normal_sleep\" >What is normal sleep?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/orthosomnia-obsession-with-perfect-sleep\/#A_new_sleep_story\" >A new sleep story<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Orthosomnia_when_striving_for_perfect_sleep_keeps_you_awake\"><\/span>Orthosomnia: when striving for perfect sleep keeps you awake<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p>Times are changing. Where for years we were encouraged to <strong data-start=\"412\" data-end=\"445\">get everything out of our sleep<\/strong> &#8211; with sleep trackers, routines, supplements and an endless stream of advice &#8211; there is now a growing dissenting voice. And this is much needed.  <\/p>\n\n<p>Because although sleep is essential to our health, it seems we have collectively turned it into a new source of stress. <strong data-start=\"719\" data-end=\"734\">Orthosomnia<\/strong>, that&#8217;s the name of the phenomenon in which people become so fixated on optimal sleep that it actually disrupts their sleep.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/trieste-ongelukkige-jonge-europese-vrouw-ligt-op-wit-bed-wordt-wakker-en-leest-bericht-op-smartphone-slaapkamer-klein.jpeg?resize=320%2C213&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/trieste-ongelukkige-jonge-europese-vrouw-ligt-op-wit-bed-wordt-wakker-en-leest-bericht-op-smartphone-slaapkamer-klein.jpeg?w=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/trieste-ongelukkige-jonge-europese-vrouw-ligt-op-wit-bed-wordt-wakker-en-leest-bericht-op-smartphone-slaapkamer-klein.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator aligncenter has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_young_people_sleep_worse_due_to_higher_sleep_pressure\"><\/span>Do young people sleep worse due to higher sleep pressure?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>A recent study by the <strong data-start=\"928\" data-end=\"973\">American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2024)<\/strong> shows just how big this problem is becoming: <strong data-start=\"1028\" data-end=\"1121\">57% of young people between the ages of 18 and 25 often to always worry about their sleep<\/strong>, ironically leading to worse sleep. That&#8217;s nearly three times as many as those over 65. The younger the group, the greater the worries.  <\/p>\n\n<p>And this is not very surprising. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, extreme claims about sleep circulate daily: \u201cWomen need 10 hours of sleep.\u201d \u201cYou need to fall asleep within 5 minutes.\u201d \u201cLess than 8 hours a night? Your organs suffer irreparable damage.\u201d You only have to scroll for a moment to see fear-induced content.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sleep_stress_is_good_for_industry_bad_for_sleep\"><\/span>Sleep stress is good for industry, bad for sleep!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>This increasing fear of sleep is not accidental: it sells. Sleep has become big business. From supplements and coaching to high-tech sleep trackers, the market is growing, but so is insomnia.  <\/p>\n\n<p><strong data-start=\"1871\" data-end=\"1892\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vrt.be\/vrtnws\/nl\/2022\/03\/17\/steeds-meer-vlamingen-lijden-aan-orthosomnie-het-verlangen-na\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Inge Declercq<\/a><\/strong>, neurologist and sleep expert at the UZA, sees this phenomenon daily in her practice:<\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Insomniacs are often obsessive about measuring their sleep. On every consultation day, there are one or two patients who tell me, &#8216;My Fitbit says I don&#8217;t sleep enough.&#8217; That makes people anxious and worried.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p><strong>Merijn van de Laar<\/strong>, sleep expert and author of the book &#8220;Sleep like a Primal Man,&#8221; <strong>also<\/strong>lashed out at the proliferation in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/merijn-van-de-laar-6a5617202_slapende-honden-moet-je-w%C3%A8l-wakker-maken-activity-7331548061766225920-KwfF?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAAFlTCMBM3Wwvy7gMGQJcqwjb3P86e5BdVo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post via the LinkedIn platform<\/a>:  <\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cSophisticated marketing from sleep influencers: a sleep score in the picture, a jar of supplements, orange glasses or a device in your hand that would help you relax better by regulating your breathing. All are subtle hints to (usually unproven effective) sleep products.\u201d  <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/rendering-van-een-smart-home-apparaat-klein.jpeg?resize=320%2C213&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/rendering-van-een-smart-home-apparaat-klein.jpeg?w=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/rendering-van-een-smart-home-apparaat-klein.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator aligncenter has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_paradox_wanting_more_control_sleeping_less\"><\/span>The paradox: wanting more control, sleeping less<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>It is precisely the pursuit of complete control over your sleep that undermines the natural process. As <strong data-start=\"2355\" data-end=\"2379\">Prof. Dr. An Mariman<\/strong> of UZ Gent <a href=\"http:\/\/%E2%80%9CMensen%20willen%20alles%20controleren,%20maar%20slaap%20is%20net%20controleverlies.%20Laat%20het%20maar%20gewoon%20komen%20en%20gebeuren.%20Hoe%20meer%20je%20het%20wilt%20be%C3%AFnvloeden,%20hoe%20moeilijker%20het%20wordt.%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">aptly puts<\/a> it: <\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cPeople want to control everything, but sleep is like losing control. Just let it come and happen. The more you want to influence it, the harder it becomes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<p>In other words, the road to better sleep does not start with measuring more, but with learning to let go. Just like the title of <strong>Aline Kruit<\/strong>&#8216;s book: &#8216;Sleeping is doing nothing&#8217;. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_normal_sleep\"><\/span>What is normal sleep?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>To break out of this vicious cycle, realistic education is crucial. Breaking some myths can help you get a better picture of your sleep: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lying awake for 20 to 25 minutes is normal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p data-start=\"2820\" data-end=\"2851\">Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><p data-start=\"2820\" data-end=\"2851\"><strong data-start=\"2820\" data-end=\"2849\">Sleep varies from person to person, night to night and stage of life.<\/strong><\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On average, 15% to 20% of total sleep time consists of &#8220;deep sleep&#8221; (NREM-3).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>We need to get rid of the idea that there is one right way to sleep, and rest assured that your sleep tracker cannot help you with this, at best give you an indication. And sometimes that can be the trigger to seek additional help.   <\/p>\n\n<p>So we are not arguing against technology, we are arguing for more letting go and less measuring. Back to trusting your body instead of blindly relying on your app. It sounds easier than it is, it&#8217;s true. Do you find that your sleep numbers are starting to control your life and your sleep and you check every day to see if your sleep was OK? Then maybe this message is for you. Know that there are professionals ready to help you regain this confidence. For example, talk to your doctor about it and seek expert help.        <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_new_sleep_story\"><\/span>A new sleep story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p>Sleep scientists such as <strong data-start=\"3186\" data-end=\"3208\">Merijn van de Laar, Inge Declercq and Els van der Helm <\/strong>have long been advocating this change. Through books, interviews and international lectures, they are pushing for a healthier view of sleep. No obsession, no panic, but peace and realism.  <\/p>\n\n<p>Because ultimately, that may be the key: <strong data-start=\"3453\" data-end=\"3511\">fewer people lying awake from being awake.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orthosomnia: when striving for perfect sleep keeps you awake Times are changing. Where for years we were encouraged to get everything out of our sleep &#8211; with sleep trackers, routines, supplements and an endless stream of advice &#8211; there is now a growing dissenting voice. And this is much needed. Because although sleep is essential&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-improve-my-sleep"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindthebed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/boos-jonge-vrouw-gekleed-pyjama-draagt-kussen-op-hoofd-houdt-wekker-en-kom-pannenkoeken-met-frambozen-heeft-droevige-peinzende-uitdrukking-geisoleerd-roze-achtergrond-ochtend-tijd-concept-klein.jpeg?fit=320%2C213&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"J\u00fcrgen Swinnen","author_link":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/author\/victorys\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7137"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7252,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7137\/revisions\/7252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindthebed.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}