How would our world change if we were all forced into the same sleep schedule?
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00:00 Everybody loves a good sleep.
00:06 But we probably wouldn't enjoy it as much
00:08 if we had no control over when it happened.
00:12 Imagine falling into a deep sleep during a first date,
00:16 in the middle of an important presentation,
00:19 or God forbid, behind the wheel of a car.
00:22 Now, imagine waking up
00:24 and realizing that the same uncontrollable bouts of slumber
00:28 are also happening to everyone else,
00:30 at the same time, all over the world.
00:34 How would our world change
00:36 if we were all forced into the same sleep schedule?
00:39 Would our global society be more productive?
00:43 Could it be good for the environment?
00:46 This is WHAT IF,
00:48 and here's what would happen if everyone fell asleep at the same time.
00:53 Now, short of some magical spell being placed on us by extraterrestrial wizards,
00:57 we can't think of any phenomenon that would cause this to happen.
01:01 But the possible effects of the scenario are worth exploring.
01:05 We live in an increasingly global community
01:08 where people are working together from entirely different sides of the planet,
01:11 and on entirely different schedules.
01:14 If everyone slept at the same time,
01:16 it would be great for global unity and communications,
01:19 as everyone would be on the same production schedule.
01:22 But what kind of toll would that take on our bodies?
01:27 The Earth is divided into 24 time zones,
01:29 and if everyone around the world were to fall asleep at the exact same time,
01:34 the experience would be very different depending on which zone you lived in.
01:38 If this wave of uncontrollable sleep were to start at 10 p.m. in New York City,
01:44 it would be 11 a.m. in Tokyo,
01:46 and they'd be sleeping in broad daylight.
01:48 Not ideal, but humans can adapt to daytime sleeping.
01:52 Just ask all the people working overnight shifts.
01:55 Besides, the overall benefits of a universal sleep schedule would be astronomical,
02:00 and would surely outweigh the inconveniences, right?
02:04 Well, let's take a look.
02:06 Worldwide communication and as a result, productivity,
02:09 would become significantly more efficient,
02:12 since everyone would be reachable at the same time,
02:14 and on the same production schedule.
02:17 Our planet would get a considerable rest,
02:19 as there would be an eight-hour break every day from pollution and resource depletion.
02:24 And cutting back on power station output at the same time every day
02:28 would see the entire planet collectively reduce its use of electricity.
02:33 That all sounds pretty awesome, right?
02:36 If only it were that simple.
02:38 You see, first off, our workforce wouldn't be that efficient.
02:42 Half of the world would be working against their natural sleep cycles,
02:45 so they wouldn't be operating at their full potential.
02:48 Plus, some industries, such as logging, landscaping, and farming,
02:54 would all be at a severe disadvantage without the natural light of the Sun.
02:58 Then we have the so-called environmental benefit.
03:01 Yeah, that doesn't hold up either.
03:03 Sure, our planet would get eight hours off, but
03:06 that just means that all our pollution and resource depletion would be concentrated
03:10 into the hours in which we're all awake.
03:12 The same thing goes for our electricity consumption.
03:15 Our power grid would get a nice rest for eight hours,
03:18 but that would be followed by a worldwide surge when everyone wakes up at the same time,
03:22 and starts using their lights and appliances.
03:25 On top of all that, regardless of the fact that you can get used to it,
03:29 working overnight is very bad for your health.
03:33 Trying to sleep during daylight hours goes against your body's biological clock.
03:38 It can impact your memory and processing abilities.
03:41 It depletes your vitamin intake,
03:43 and it's been linked to increased cases of depression, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
03:49 So the next time you feel like complaining about an early wake-up,
03:53 try to keep it in perspective.
03:55 At least you have control of when you sleep.
03:58 Some people can't sleep at all,
04:00 but that's a topic for another WHAT IF.
04:03 [music]