Generation Z is losing sleep, and not just because they stay up late watching TikTok. Seven out of ten young people between 18 and 27 admit they can’t sleep because of money. Yes, money. Let’s put things into perspective: we are a generation that has survived inflation, almost a third world war, a pandemic… Now we face the biggest inflation we’ve ever known, with precarious jobs and even worse salaries, impossible rent prices… Everything piles up and makes the nights unbearable while our minds keep spinning.
Money is keeping them awake (literally)
The report was prepared by Amerisleep and makes it clear that 70% of young people say they wake up in the middle of the night or sleep poorly because they’re thinking about their finances (and their future…), and many end up watching videos non-stop (the so-called “bed rotting”) to avoid thinking… which only makes the insomnia worse.
An exhausted generation (and with good reason)
The economic situation isn’t making it easy for anyone, but especially for young adults, who are seeing impossible prices, rents that are out of reach, and extremely precarious wages while working like crazy. Generation Z (and millennials too) have the feeling that we’re not moving forward no matter what we do; sometimes, we even sound like Rapunzel when she sings “when will my life begin”.
Screens, bed, and escape
“Bed rotting” and “doomscrolling” have become common among all young people (and even those who aren’t so young anymore), not because they don’t want to do anything, but because they’re mentally exhausted and it’s the only way they find to disconnect. It seemed relaxing at first, but it ends up with a brain that doesn’t know how to turn off, shorter sleep, and anxiety that keeps growing.
One in three young people admits to spending hours looking at their phone or watching series before bed, and you probably know that overexposure to screens reduces melatonin (the sleep hormone) and disrupts the body’s natural rhythm. As a result, they sleep worse, perform less, and wake up feeling the same or worse than when they went to bed.
Money also steals health
Sleeping badly isn’t just being tired, it’s not being able to concentrate, feeling irritable, having mood swings, and even anxiety or depression. And if you add the constant fear of not making it to the end of the month…
Experts call it “financial insomnia”, and they’re seeing it more and more in young people who feel like money slips through their fingers or isn’t enough for anything… They no longer dream of the future because they don’t know if they’ll even get there.
How to regain control
You’re not going to get it all back at once, because that’s impossible. Start writing down your expenses and set savings goals, or even spend 20 minutes a day writing about how much this situation worries you and what you can do about it. That way, when these thoughts appear at night, you can remind yourself that you already thought about it during the day.
And turn off your phone, leave it a couple of hours before sleeping, pick up a book, put on relaxing music, and turn off the lights, you’ll see how that makes your nights better.
Small steps
It may seem silly, but every action counts. Saving even a little, paying off a debt, or simply knowing where your money goes can give you a real sense of control.
But Generation Z doesn’t need to sleep more, it needs to feel safer and have access to jobs that aren’t so precarious. Seriously, how far are we going to let this go?