Which country is the most sleep deprived?
South Koreans' hard work and extreme productivity led to people inevitably becoming highly overworked and stressed
- South Korea is one of the most sleep deprived countries.
- Country is overworked and has highest suicide rate.
- Sleep industry in Korea was estimated to be worth at $2.5 billion in 2019.
South Korea is one of the most sleep deprived and depressed countries on the planet, BBC reported.
The nation also has the highest suicide rate, the highest consumption of alcohol, and many people on anti-depressants.
South Korea is known for its hard work and productivity, having gone from being one of the poorest to the most technologically advanced countries. This gave the country a lot of soft power.
Pop culture, such as popular music bands coming out of South Korea, also aided its soft power.
While other nations like Saudi Arabia too were able to achieve a lot in less time and become economically stable, they did so by using their natural resources. Korea, on the other hand, does not possess any sort of natural wealth. The secret behind Korea's success is its dedication and collective nationalism.
This led to people inevitably becoming highly overworked and stressed. Naturally, sleep deprivation followed.
BBC reports that now an entire industry has developed to deal with the issue, that is, with those who can't sleep.
The sleep industry was estimated to be worth at $2.5 billion in 2019. Dr Ji-hyeon Lee, a sleep disorder psychiatrist, told BBC that she sees clients who take around 20 sleeping pills a night.