28 THE DISRUPTION ISSUE
A good night’s sleep is something that should come naturally. That being said, many people struggle to stick to an adequate sleep routine that allows them to get a restful night’s sleep. The typical working week is dependent on a strict structure of eight hours of work, eight hours of leisure, and eight hours of sleep for five days of the week. But what happens when this traditional schedule is broken? Whether by choice or by extenuating circumstances, does the conventional working week work for everyone?
“I adjust my schedule flexibly according to my clients and tutors, rather than a typical working week. If I need to meet my tutors and clients on Monday, I work on weekends to prepare my work, then have a rest on Tuesday and Wednesday instead,” says Leyao. With our professional, leisure and academic lives moving to online spaces, maintaining a schedule of any kind makes life difficult and disrupts the typical routines that we have become accustomed to. Although this has caused issues with eating, sleeping and working harmoniously for some, others have found this break in the system to be beneficial. Dr Dimitri Gavriloff, a senior clinical psychologist who specialises in sleep medicine, focuses on how important day and night routine is to sleep. Gavriloff comments on the disruption caused to sleep and work schedules by COVID-19. “This is often talked about in very negative terms for obvious reasons, but there are some positives to having flexibility around when and how you work. “As humans, we are dependent on sleep to be able to function efficiently throughout the day and when this rest is staggered or changed, we feel the repercussions. Being able to work on our ‘natural chronotype’ means that we are getting the sleep we need, when we need it, and working efficiently throughout the day,” says Dr Gavriloff.
Leyao Xia, an artist and student at Manchester Metropolitan University, has struggled with her sleep routine since lockdown measures forced her inside. Leyao says: “I’ve been going to bed at 4am or 5am and sleeping until 3pm. I don’t know how to change it. When I get up at 3pm, especially in winter, I never see the sun. It’s difficult.” Leyao’s digital work has focused on the anxiety surrounding deadlines and routine, a sentiment that reflects the often chaotic lifestyle of an artist, since the typical traditional working week often excludes those in the more creative vocations.
