Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism
This narrative review examines the issue of sleep deprivation among children and adolescents in Japan, exploring its cultural origins and evaluating the current state of sleep education and interventions. It emphasizes the profound influence of the Bushidō spirit, with its focus on self-sacrifice an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/566 |
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| author | Jun Kohyama |
| author_facet | Jun Kohyama |
| author_sort | Jun Kohyama |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This narrative review examines the issue of sleep deprivation among children and adolescents in Japan, exploring its cultural origins and evaluating the current state of sleep education and interventions. It emphasizes the profound influence of the Bushidō spirit, with its focus on self-sacrifice and asceticism, as a core factor in the undervaluation of sleep in Japanese society. While educational initiatives and interventions highlighting the importance of sleep exist, significant limitations remain in improving sleep habits. Sleep deprivation continues to affect children and adolescents, despite its considerable impact on mental health and academic performance. This review presents a method for personalized sleep duration estimation and assesses its potential impact on improving sleep health by using optimal sleep duration calculations. The review also proposes practical steps to improve sleep duration through individualized strategies, integrating cultural context to mitigate the serious health risks associated with insufficient sleep. Ultimately, it underscores the need for targeted strategies to improve sleep among children and adolescents—particularly through personalized optimal sleep duration estimation—while advocating for a shift in cultural perspective beyond self-sacrifice and asceticism. The review highlights the importance of cultural transformation and suggests future research directions and practical applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-67468a45d2fb4ce0838610f2e31e9ec2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-67468a45d2fb4ce0838610f2e31e9ec22025-08-20T02:33:42ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-04-0112556610.3390/children12050566Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and AsceticismJun Kohyama0Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Urayasu 279-0001, JapanThis narrative review examines the issue of sleep deprivation among children and adolescents in Japan, exploring its cultural origins and evaluating the current state of sleep education and interventions. It emphasizes the profound influence of the Bushidō spirit, with its focus on self-sacrifice and asceticism, as a core factor in the undervaluation of sleep in Japanese society. While educational initiatives and interventions highlighting the importance of sleep exist, significant limitations remain in improving sleep habits. Sleep deprivation continues to affect children and adolescents, despite its considerable impact on mental health and academic performance. This review presents a method for personalized sleep duration estimation and assesses its potential impact on improving sleep health by using optimal sleep duration calculations. The review also proposes practical steps to improve sleep duration through individualized strategies, integrating cultural context to mitigate the serious health risks associated with insufficient sleep. Ultimately, it underscores the need for targeted strategies to improve sleep among children and adolescents—particularly through personalized optimal sleep duration estimation—while advocating for a shift in cultural perspective beyond self-sacrifice and asceticism. The review highlights the importance of cultural transformation and suggests future research directions and practical applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/566Bushidōoptimal sleep durationsleep health literacyYōjōkunseppukukamikaze pilots |
| spellingShingle | Jun Kohyama Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism Children Bushidō optimal sleep duration sleep health literacy Yōjōkun seppuku kamikaze pilots |
| title | Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism |
| title_full | Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism |
| title_fullStr | Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism |
| title_short | Cultural Approaches to Addressing Sleep Deprivation and Improving Sleep Health in Japan: Sleep Issues Among Children and Adolescents Rooted in Self-Sacrifice and Asceticism |
| title_sort | cultural approaches to addressing sleep deprivation and improving sleep health in japan sleep issues among children and adolescents rooted in self sacrifice and asceticism |
| topic | Bushidō optimal sleep duration sleep health literacy Yōjōkun seppuku kamikaze pilots |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/566 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT junkohyama culturalapproachestoaddressingsleepdeprivationandimprovingsleephealthinjapansleepissuesamongchildrenandadolescentsrootedinselfsacrificeandasceticism |