For Nam, a 28-year-old financial management officer at a bank in Hanoi, the boundary between day and night has recently "completely vanished". Deadlines not only follow him at the office but also creep into and consume his sleep. Almost every night, he wakes up startled from nightmares. "One night I dreamt my boss threw a thick stack of documents at my face, another I dreamt of receiving a glaring red termination email, being pointed at and laughed at by colleagues," Nam recounted.

He tried to close his eyes, count sheep, and breathe deeply following online advice to fall back asleep. But his mind began replaying unfinished tasks: "Is the quarterly financial report ready?", "How far along is the growth plan?", "If I don't submit it tomorrow, I'm dead." A wave of guilt and fear washed over him. He sat back down at his desk, brewed a strong black coffee to fight off sleep. The blue light from his laptop screen illuminated Nam's exhausted face and dark-rimmed eyes.

"Even though I'm tired, when I see the words dancing on the screen, when I see the work progress a little, the nightmare temporarily recedes," Nam said. For Nam, work is "life," forcing him to sacrifice his health to meet every deadline.

For Nam, work is "life," forcing him to sacrifice his health to meet every deadline. Photo: Provided by subject

For Nam, work is "life," forcing him to sacrifice his health to meet every deadline. Photo: Provided by subject

Similarly, Linh, a 32-year-old communications specialist in TP HCM, has suffered from insomnia for two months due to work pressure, calling 3 a.m. her "death hour." Many nights, she has nightmares and cannot fall back asleep, so she gets out of bed and opens her laptop. With the computer fan whirring, Linh dives into her work. She reviews slides, checks numbers, and scrutinizes emails like a detective searching for clues.

"Only when my fingers touch the keyboard do I feel less anxious," Linh shared. However, this artificial "sedative" is pushing her into a toxic cycle: the more she works at night, the more exhausted she becomes during the day, leading to decreased performance, missed deadlines, and another sleepless night.

Nam and Linh's experiences are not isolated. Work-related stress is a major contributor to a global surge in sleep disorders. A large-scale meta-analysis published in 2024 in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews revealed that over 852 million adults worldwide suffer from insomnia disorder, representing 16.2% of the global population. In the United States, about 50-70 million people live with chronic sleep disorders, according to 2024 data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). On average, one in three adults does not get enough sleep each night.

The 2024 Gallup State of the Global Workplace report indicates that 41% of employees globally experience daily stress, the highest level ever recorded. This issue disproportionately affects younger generations. According to a 2024 survey by SelectSoftwareReviews, 45–46% of workers aged 25–40 (Millennials) and Gen Z report burnout due to excessive work intensity. The International Labor Organization (ILO) further warns that 35% of the global workforce works more than 48 hours per week, exceeding the safe limit for physical recovery.

While there are no national statistics in Vietnam on insomnia linked to occupational stress, many psychological and neurological clinics report a noticeable increase in patients seeking treatment for sleep disorders in recent years. This trend is particularly evident following waves of layoffs and economic pressures in the post-pandemic era.

Dr. Cao Tran Thanh Trung, Chief Executive Officer of Lumos Psychological Counseling and Therapy Center, explained that work pressure does not simply end when a person leaves the office. For many workers, stressful meetings, unmet key performance indicators, client messages, or unfinished deadlines can continue to "follow" them into the night. When they lie down, their body wants to rest, but their mind is still processing the day's unresolved issues. Thus, nighttime "nightmares" originate from an overloaded workday that has not been alleviated.

Insomnia caused by "deadline fear" often presents with clearer symptoms: the closer the submission deadline, the harder it is for workers to sleep. When lying down, they still think about work, fearing mistakes, judgment, or imagining the consequences of not completing tasks on time. These are signals that work pressure is exceeding the body's recovery capacity and requires early support.

"What is concerning is that many young workers today do not dare to rest or 'disconnect' after work due to the fear of being perceived as uncommitted, or worrying their name will be on the next layoff list. That survival fear is the real source of the 3 a.m. nightmares," Dr. Trung analyzed.

Illustration of insomnia. Photo: Pexel

Illustration of insomnia. Photo: Pexel

A common misconception is that insomnia is merely a symptom of other conditions like depression or anxiety. However, according to the latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) from the World Health Organization and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Insomnia Disorder is now recognized as an independent medical condition. It can coexist and interact in a bidirectional manner with other mental disorders and physical illnesses, not necessarily just as a consequence of them.

"The frequency of sleep disorders is increasing, causing severe consequences, yet it remains underestimated and not given due attention," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Khac Bao, Director of the Medical Education Center at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy TP HCM and Vice President of the Vietnam Sleep Medicine Association.

Prolonged insomnia combined with stress can lead to physical exhaustion and reduced immunity. The relationship between insomnia and depression, in particular, is a dangerous two-way spiral: depression causes insomnia, and prolonged insomnia exacerbates depression, with each factor feeding and amplifying the other.

To escape this situation, medical experts advise a crucial rule when waking up in the middle of the night: do not force yourself to sleep and absolutely do not open electronic devices. The more you try to force sleep, the more alert your brain becomes, while blue light and the pressure from work emails will completely suppress the sleep hormone melatonin. If you still cannot fall back asleep after 15–20 minutes, leave your bed, sit in a dimly lit area, read a few pages from a physical book, or do some light stretching. Only return to bed when you truly feel sleepy.

However, techniques like "slow breathing" or "reading a book" are only superficial solutions. To address the root cause of "deadline nightmares," the key lies in work management and personal boundaries.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of a major technology group in TP HCM, argues that working at 3 a.m. is not a sign of dedication; it is an indication of poor time management or issues within the company's work allocation system. Employees need to learn how to set boundaries and courageously provide feedback to management if their workload exceeds physical limits.

According to Ms. Ha, instead of silently enduring fear and then working through the night to compensate, employees should proactively review the priority level of tasks and openly discuss them with their superiors to adjust key performance indicators or extend deadlines reasonably. From a corporate perspective, managers also need to stop sending work messages late at night and normalize employees "disconnecting" after work hours.

After another all-night "shift," Nam wearily adjusted his collar, smoothed his disheveled hair, and prepared to go to the office to continue his role as a diligent employee. Linh reapplied a thick layer of foundation, trying to conceal the dark circles under her eyes before heading out.

"My biggest wish right now is to get a full 8 hours of sleep," Linh sighed. But Linh knows that dream will never come true unless she manually closes her laptop at midnight and courageously talks to her boss as soon as possible.

Thuy An