Job Discussion Forums

[Marcoregano]

This is a bit off the topic, but I wonder if anybody else out there is sometimes confounded by the remarkable facility that many Asian people have of being able to sleep just about anywhere anytime. How do they do it?

[bnix]

Your post is a bit unusual...but why not?Maybe they are just bored.Right now, I am sitting in front of my PC and ....Yawn!!!!

[Glenski]

I can't speak for any other than the Japanese, but here goes.

High school kids in my private HS are worked to death. Some have to commute 60-90 minutes one-way. Most are in school from 7 to 7 taking part in a zillion club activities, after school tutoring, sports events/training, and more. The ones who live in a dorm are forced to study from 9pm to 11pm (yes, forced; they are monitored nightly by teachers). They have 6 national exams a year, plus 2 TOEIC-style tests, plus several practice exams for them. On "breaks", they have major research assignments and/or club activities and/or sports training. It is no wonder that they have no home/social life and that when asked what their hobby is, or what they plan to do in their free time, they say "sleep". It is also no wonder that many sleep in class (and Japanese teachers let them!!).

Japanese businessmen don't have it much easier. Off to work at 8 or earlier, do business till 5 or 6, then stay overtime till 7 or 8, and often thereafter go out drinking as part of business until midnight. They put in these hours Monday through Saturday. So, when they have Sunday at home, they sleep in front of the TV.

All of the above find it quite easy to sleep on subways, trains, buses, in class, in the office (including teachers dozing in office and staff meetings), etc.

[johnslat]

Dear Sunaru,
No kidding - I once ( swear this is true ) fell asleep whle on an overnight hike at Camp Geiger, NC. I can vividly recall coming to consciousness a few times, looking around and then going back to sleep again. As for insomnia - that's a problem I had for many years. Even went to the Vets Hospital once to try to get some pills. The doc there wouldn't do it, bless him. As he told me, " No one's ever died that I know of from lack of sleep. When you get tired enough, I promise, you'll sleep. " He then suggested exercising - and you know something: it sure works for me. I haven't had any trouble getting to sleep for many years now.
Regards,
John

[Seth]

In most of China there's a naptime from lunch until 2 or 3, mostly due to the hot summer weather. There are trucks parked all over the place and a few guys hanging out of the door sleeping while a guy with a jackhammer tears up the road right beside them. Sometimes you'll see people sleeping on the sidewalk on bamboo mats while businessmen walk around them, albeit you'll only see that in the more rustic areas. Sometimes you'll see a truck parked on the side of the road with a guy sleeping in the grass a few feet away.

I thought about leaving my current job here in the US and say 'it's my lunchbreak...gonna go take a nap on the sidewalk, be back in a few!'

[Marcoregano]

Thank you Seth. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about...most 'westerners' I know simply wouldn't be able to sleep in such situations even if they were dog tired. They wouldn't be able to relax sufficiently in such circumstances. Take a train journey in the UK...relatively few people will fall asleep, even on a long trip. I take a half-hour ferry trip into central HK most days...and I'd say a third to a half of the locals are asleep within 5 minutes. Rarely do you see a westerner asleep on the same trip....except when they're drunk.

[Celeste]

I have gotten into the alarming habit of sleeping on the bus and the subway during my commutes to various elementary schools. I never did this in Canada, but here in Japan I do it on a near daily basis! I haven't yet missed my stop or been robbed, though.

[Steiner]

When I lived in HK and Taipei I slept on buses and subways. Also never missed a stop.

Once a guy was dead to the world in the aisle seat of a double-decker HK bus when the driver took a turn. He planted his face in the floor. But he didn't miss his stop.

[Capergirl]

When I was first living in Taiwan, I found it curious to see everything basically shut down for two hours in the middle of the day for "naptime". I went to the bank one day on my way to work and was positively stricken when I saw the lights out and all of the workers lying lifeless on the floor! Had there been a robbery? Were they all dead? LOL....

The sleeping on the train/bus/subway thing never really bothered me, but I did make note that it was more common in Korea and Taiwan than in Canada or the U.S. Then again, we don't all work/go to school for 10-14 hours a day in North America (some do, but not many). I always felt sorry for my students in Taiwan who had an evening class with me after putting in a full day at school (six days a week!). When one of them would fall asleep in class, I wouldn't be upset with them knowing that they'd been awake and in school for 12+ hours already. Poor little buggers.

[PaulC]

[naturegirl321]

The kids are worked to death and sleep whenever they can, including during class breaks!

[johnslat]

Dear Sunaru,
Brooder? Been there, done that ( to quote you ). I used to wish my mind came equipped with an " on/off " switch, because very time I laid my head on the pillow, that seemed to be the signal for my brain to go into overdrive. You say exercise doesn't help? Well, how MUCH exercise do you do every day? When I head for slumberland these days ( usually about 9:30 pm ) I can barely keep my eyes open. Of course, part of that may be the result of my being a resident of Geezerville, but it was the same way 15 or more years ago. If you get yourself physically tired enough with a regular exercise program, maybe that'll help. It certainly has worked for me.
Regards,
John

[guest of Japan]

9:30? What time do you get up?

[Marcoregano]

PaulC....yes, alcohol is responsible for much of the daytime slumber in Korea and Japan, (well, the men at least) but here in HK most of the locals are teetotallers. Here it's not so much the kids who fall asleep everywhere but tends to be adults of working age. Yes, after a good booze I too can fall asleep just about anywhere, but otherwise I'm not a good sleeper and envy this - to my mind - amazing ability to nap at will.

[dmb]

You should see Arabs during Ramadan. Boy can they sleep.