Today, March 16th officially marks the commemoration of World Sleep Day. It might sound silly but the importance of sleep can never be overstated. And yet, it’s almost universally known how little sleep most idols generally get. Recording for music and variety shows can last an entire day and many idols have to travel extensively, too. Several of them have been spotted in public half-asleep on their feet or openly lamenting about their plight. Here are some idols who ought to get to sleep in a little bit on World Sleep Day (or perhaps sometime this weekend).
NCT Mark
Mark is easily the most prolific NCT member, effortlessly flitting from one subunit to another like a butterfly of the rapping and dancing variety. One second, he’s performing Boss with NCT U. And then, in a single blink, he’s there with NCT Dream‘s The Story of Go. Within the same week, he’s back at it again with the rapping in NCT 127‘s Touch. As one of the most promising rappers under SM Entertainment, it’s not difficult to see why he’s such a key figure among the label’s youngest generation. But at what cost, people? At what cost? Mark has been working almost non-stop since debut and shows no signs of slowing down. I do hope that SM Entertainment knows what they’re doing, given their track record. Nobody wants history to repeat itself.
Wanna One Daniel
Daniel revealed in late 2017 that he is suffering from narcolepsy, “a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to control sleep-wake cycles”. As Wanna One‘s official center, Daniel’s position is a highly coveted one on Produce 101. However, it is not a position that comes without sacrifices. Wanna One’s group schedule is gruelling enough as it is. But Daniel also has additional responsibilities as the center and is clearly under enormous pressure to meet them. While it’s unclear just how severe his condition is, his health could take a turn for worse if it goes unchecked. We’ve already seen his sleeping habits for ourselves on variety shows. So, let’s pray that he somehow gets at least an hour of extra sleep this World Sleep Day.
Red Velvet Joy
Most idols who juggle between group schedules and drama filming usually end up more than just a little bit sleep-deprived — and Red Velvet‘s Joy is one of them. The Great Seducer (be sure to check out fallingslowly’s first impressions of The Great Seducer) isn’t fully pre-produced, which means that a sizeable chunk of Joy’s schedule ahead will feature drama filming. Additionally, there will be Red Room concerts at the end of the month in Tokyo, for which Joy would likely have to attend rehearsals. On top of all that, she is also a regular fixture on Sugar Man 2, which airs every Sunday at 10:30pm KST. The girl is an absolute trooper — but I do hope that she’s still able to get some good quality sleep lest she burns out.
Winner Seunghoon
Inner Circles noticed that Winner‘s rapper and choreographer Seunghoon looked tired as of late. Winner recently returned to South Korea after completing a concert in Japan, but Seunghoon had to take another flight a few hours later to Mexico to film Law of the Jungle. Still, having experienced the unenviable life in the infamous YG dungeon, he’s probably extremely unlikely to give up work. Especially if said work is Law of the Jungle. Seunghoon’s condition may not appear to be at Wanna One Daniel’s level yet (hopefully, he never will), and his schedules look similar to most idols in demand… but I do not envy his flight schedules, either. May he get sufficient rest as well as the shut-eye he needs in between them.
WJSN
All of WJSN appears to be extremely exhausted. Recently, Cheng Xiao revealed on SNS how tired she is while Dawon confessed that she only had an hour of sleep within a week. Their situation must be critical for them to outright admit this to their own fans. It truly underlines just how much rest they seriously need. No one should live like this. Worse still, both EXY and Seola fell ill in the middle of promotions for Dreams Come True. Granted, people fall sick all the time, but that’s all the more reason for them to sleep. As if testing their limits, their label is slated to send Mei Qi and Xuan Yi to China’s Produce 101 on top of promotions with WJSN. Please let them sleep, at least on World Sleep Day, Starship.
A busy schedule may indeed be a sign of success for idols; many of them probably crave that level of demand and promotion. But surely, there has to exist some kind of happy medium. How much value exactly do we place on their commercial success over their mental and physical health? Fans often worry about their favourite idols not getting enough rest, so we know that one. But considering how little sleep idols still get, it’s not difficult to tell which one many companies tend to prioritise. Dear readers, do also try to get some good sleep as well even if you’ve been busy! Skimping on sleep can cause even more problems for you in the long run. Please remember to give yourself a break.
