Sleep is one of the most fundamental and essential human needs—just as natural and necessary as breathing. From the very beginning, even before birth, sleep accompanies us. We enter this world with an innate ability to fall asleep, never really needing to learn it. Yet, as years pass, many of us gradually lose this natural gift. I’ve met people who long to reclaim that effortless drift into rest, trying again and again to satisfy this most basic need.
Good sleep is much more than simple rest—it is a vital source of energy, the key to a better mood, improved memory, and greater efficiency. It’s a quiet force that regulates our organs, bodily systems, and hormones. Without it, physical and mental health suffer. I understand all too well why some turn to various methods—including medication—searching for relief. Lack of sleep can be tormenting, sometimes feeling like a form of torture. In such moments, people reach for anything that promises comfort.
But what if sleep is trying to tell us something? What if it’s a message from life itself, demanding our attention? Sleep problems don’t just appear out of nowhere. More often, they stem from something happening—or not happening—in one of four key areas of our lives. It’s here that we might find both the cause and the answer.
1. Personal domain
This includes both the body and the mind. Biologically, sleep is partly influenced by genetics—studies suggest genetic factors may account for up to 40% of the variation in sleep duration and susceptibility to sleep disorders (Barclay et al., 2020). Our overall health also plays a significant role: chronic illnesses, hormonal imbalances, and even minor health issues can affect sleep quality. Additionally, certain medications may have side effects that disrupt the natural sleep–wake cycle.
Equally important is the psychological aspect: the beliefs we carry from childhood, our life experiences, and the way we see ourselves and the world. What we think about sleep—and how we feel about it, whether calm or anxious—matters. But perhaps even more impactful are the emotions we carry day to day. Stress, tension, anxiety, and unspoken feelings can quietly sabotage our ability to rest.
Lifestyle choices come into play here too: our level of physical activity, nutrition, exposure to natural light, and evening habits all contribute. Often, our sleep difficulties originate in these everyday activities.
Though sleep may seem like a private matter, this area is closely intertwined with the next:
2. Interpersonal domain
Our relationships and emotional bonds have a powerful effect on sleep quality. The atmosphere at home, the tone of our close relationships, and the level of support we feel from loved ones can either create the conditions for restful nights—or disrupt them. When families value healthy routines, it’s easier to maintain regular, restorative sleep. On the other hand, conflict, tension, or a lack of emotional safety can make falling—or staying—asleep much harder.
This domain also includes friendships, casual connections, and our sense of social belonging. Loneliness, isolation, or not feeling part of a community can cause lingering tension that interferes with our ability to wind down before bed.
3. Social domain
The broader environments where we live and work—our neighbourhoods, communities, workplaces, and public spaces—have a tangible effect on how safe, stable, and grounded we feel. These factors directly influence the body’s capacity to relax. At the community level, cultural attitudes and social norms around sleep matter too. In many work cultures, especially those involving shift work, rest is undervalued, often leading to chronic sleep deprivation.
Our economic situation also plays a role. Studies show that individuals with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to experience sleep problems—linked to financial stress, long-term insecurity, or limited access to healthy living conditions (Patel et al., Sleep Health, 2018).
4. Environmental context
The environment directly affects sleep quality. Factors such as artificial lighting (especially blue light), noise, air quality, toxins, and housing conditions all contribute. Urban living—with its constant activity, light pollution, noise—can seriously compromise the body’s natural ability to rest. On the other hand, access to green spaces, nature, and peaceful surroundings is often linked to better sleep, as many studies confirm.
It’s also worth mentioning the 24/7 culture—a way of life where people are expected to be available and active around the clock. In such a world, sleep is often viewed as flexible, something that can be shortened or pushed aside. This mindset encourages chronic sleep deprivation and disrupts our natural biological rhythms.
Globalisation and permanent connectivity through technology further exacerbate the issue. Time zones blur. People work remotely across continents, attend online meetings late into the night, watch live broadcasts from the other side of the world, or remain constantly logged in. This poses one of today’s biggest challenges to maintaining healthy sleep habits.
Summing up, sleep isn’t separate from the rest of our lives—it mirrors how we function across all of these domains. It reflects our emotional world, our relationships, our values, and the conditions we live in.
Before reaching for another new strategy or solution, it might be worth asking: What is my sleep trying to tell me? Where might the root of the problem lie? Sometimes, to make sense of this message, we need someone to walk with us—a friend or a professional—someone who can help us take a wider view, connect the dots, and piece together this puzzle of life with fresh perspective.
Wishing you peaceful nights!
Alicja
References
- Barclay, N. L., Kocevska, D., Bramer, W. M., van Someren, E. J. W., & Gehrman, P. (2020). The heritability of insomnia: A meta‑analysis of twin studies. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 20(4), e12717. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12717
- Matthews, K. A., Patel, S. R., Pantesco, E. J., Buysse, D. J., Kamarck, T. W., Lee, L., & Hall, M. H. (2018). Similarities and differences in estimates of sleep duration by polysomnography, actigraphy, diary, and self-reported habitual sleep in a community sample. Sleep Health, 4(1), 96–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.10.011
