In a recent podcast, I heard this statement from a neurologist - "Today, sleeping on time is an act of rebellion. The whole society is designed to keep you up late in the night - the entertainment industry, work demands, social interactions, food & beverage industry etc. You have to be a rebel to sleep on time". There is so much truth in this statement. Let's focus on the work demands angle.
In the 2000s while I used to work for an MNC, we did have night calls with our US counterparts but they would get over at a reasonable time of 10:30PM. Fast forward to 2025, based on my discussions with friends in the industry, I learned that calls are scheduled at 11 PM and some go on till 1AM.
Is it because we don't give importance to sleep?
Is it because the Western counterparts don't care about the sleep timings of their colleagues in India?
Is it because of our lack of ability to say NO/decline such meetings at odd times?
Apart from conference calls, various deliverables and deadlines force us to stay awake and compromise our sleep.
Unnecessary pressures (as though the world is about to collapse if the build isn't pushed),
Unrealistic targets (Set by investors that percolate down to founders, down to middle management, down to developers),
Unplanned projects and upcoming meetings (to meet the sudden demand from existing clients or to pitch for a new client)
Rarely, anyone questions these UN-necessary/UN-realistic/UN-planned stuff. We presume that's how things roll and we put undue pressure on ourselves and the team. As days pass by, compromising on sleep and health leads to various psychosomatic ailments.
We might have a choice to say NO when it comes to watching OTT series or movies, or social engagements late at night. There may not be any consequences if we say NO.
In the case of work-related demands, do we feel comfortable declining an 11 PM meeting?
Is it acceptable to say NO even if the meeting request comes from a higher authority?
Are we empowered to say NO without having to bear any negative consequences? Irrespective of our rank/position in the organization hierarchy?
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