Health

“Karoshi” is the scourge that has been undermining the health of Japanese workers for decades. And the Government does not know how to stop it

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It is not a new or unknown phenomenon, but he karoshi (illnesses or even deaths due to overwork) is gaining ground in Japan. This is suggested by at least the latest data from the Ministry of Health, which reflects that last year the Government recognized a record number of those affected with the right to compensation: 1,310. If we take into account all the requests, the figure is 6,212, another record. State records are only one indicator of a much broader problembut they suggest that Japan is a long way from solving it. And that sets off alarm bells. What has happened? That data from the Ministry of Health reveal that Japan is far (very far) from solving one of its thorniest social challenges: illnesses or deaths from karoshithat is, due to work overload. The latest official balance reveals that the number of employees who received government compensation for this reason rose to a level never seen before during fiscal year 2025. That is alarming in itself, but beyond the numbers what is truly worrying is the trend. As remember The Japan Timesit is the fourth consecutive year that the record has been broken and the flow of applications (whether approved or not) is also at historic levels. What do the figures say? The report of the Ministry of Health reveals that in Japan there are hundreds and hundreds of people for whom the Government recognizes the necessary conditions to receive compensation for excess workload. Specifically, during fiscal year 2025 the record of 1,310 was reached. There are only five more than in 2024, but what is relevant is that the number has not stopped growing in recent years. In fact, it is not the first time that alarms have gone off. At the end of 2024 Nippon I already warned of the escalation in the number of documented cases. As if that were not enough, the ministerial report throws out another figure: perhaps there is 1,310 compensatedbut the number of requests is much higher. During the same period it rose to 6,212, another record figure that exceeds that of 2024 by 1,402. Probably not all meet the requirements demanded by Health, but the Japanese press does not clarify whether the difference between both figures (indemnified and applicants) is due to this disparity or a simple administrative issue. Do we know anything else? Yes. The vast majority of compensated people (1,086) had work-related mental disorders, including depression. The remaining 224 suffered strokes and heart attacks. All attributable to his professional work. In 145 cases the outcome was the most traffic: it ended in deaths or suicides, although this is 14 less than in 2024. Among the applications received at the Ministry of Health, the majority (4,958 out of a total of 6,212) are also related to psychological problems. Not only are they the most common, but their incidence is clearly growing: the Government registered 1,178 more than during fiscal year 2024. Their report also reveals that after many cases of karoshi There are problems with bosses, workplace harassment and sudden changes that affect the workload and quality of the work entrusted to the affected person. Does the sector matter? Yes. Those who are most at risk are professionals in sectors in which overtime regulation is less developed. The Japan Times specific quote to bus and truck drivers, doctors and construction workers, trades that have seen their legal framework gradually improve, but in some cases still have certain exceptions. For example, a driver can work up to 960 overtime hours a year, a workload that is also exceeded 15% of doctors that are used in hospitals in Japan. In 2016 they were 39.2%but even so the data is worrying and there are certain specialized profiles in which overtime hours skyrocket. Why is this something worrying? Because illnesses and deaths related to karoshi They are nothing new. The discipline of strenuous work is very rooted in Japanese culture, although it hardened especially after the Second World War. For a time it helped the country advance, but in the 60s it began to pay its price: heart attacks, strokes and even cases of suicide due to stress, the karojisatu. In recent years there have also been very high-profile cases, such as that of a young girl who took his own life in 2015 after sleeping only 10 hours a week due to his work overload and accumulating around 100 overtime hours a month. How do they face it? Against that backdrop, Japan has begun to regulate issues such as overtime and the maximum number of consecutive days that can be linked. However, the results just released by the Ministry of Health reveal that the problem is far from being solved. In the country there are also those who fear the impact that the conservative government may have. Sanae Takaichiwho does not hesitate call meetings team at three in the morning and brag about not sleeping more than four hours. Images | Beth Macdonald (Unsplash), Vien Dinh (Unsplash) and Joris Beugels (Unsplash) In Xataka | Faced with labor shortages, Japan has taken an unprecedented measure in the last two decades: paying women the same

Poor metabolic health ages your brain in a completely independent way

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We have almost always assumed that the decline of our mental abilities is an almost inevitable toll of the passage of time, since turning years old ages the brain, and that is a fact. However, science has been warning us for years that our lifestyle has a lot to say in this process, and that is why we have the power to delay brain aging. It is studied. An ambitious study has managed to draw an unprecedented map of exactly how different factors such as age and poor metabolic health act that ‘attack’ our brain. The point here is that they do it through totally different ‘paths’, meaning that, regardless of the age you put on your ID, the state of your metabolism is sculpting the health of your brain. Two axles. The main novelty comes from the hand of a recent published research in the prestigious magazine PLOS Biology where it is proposed to unravel how exactly natural aging and metabolic syndrome interact in our own brain. To achieve this, the researchers thoroughly analyzed more than 3,000 brain scans and what they found was that the brain does not suffer from an all-encompassing “wear and tear”, but rather responds to two completely independent axes of deterioration. The two ways. On the one hand, the usual chronological aging pathway was seen and, on the other hand, there is a specific deterioration network linked to poor metabolic health. The study says that metabolic problems, such as insulin resistance, hypertension or excess abdominal fat, impact the brain through metabolic pathways separate from those of pure cellular aging. This “metabolic axis” directly alters the amount of blood that reaches the brain to nourish it and is closely associated with a loss of cognitive flexibility, that is, our ability to adapt our thinking to new or unexpected situations. A puzzle. In addition to this study, already in 2024, a great analysis among the population of the United Kingdom demonstrated the consequences of suffering from a metabolic disease such as diabetes. What they determined was that, by observing people no dementia But with poor metabolic health, the researchers detected a lower total brain and gray matter volume, as well as the appearance of small brain lesions. This is what ultimately produces worse memory and less mental processing speed. And no, this is not a problem exclusive to the elderly, since when analyzing young and middle-aged adults, it was seen that the combination of obesity and poor metabolic health already showed direct associations with signs of brain aging in MRIs and worse cognitive function long before reaching old age. It can be modified. Unlike our date of birth, which logically cannot be modified, we can shape metabolic health little by little through diet, exercise and regular medical control to be able to find any problem that arises in our body in time. Images | cottonbro studio In Xataka | We’ve been trying to figure out why we gain weight for decades. Science is becoming clearer

“Losing weight does not automatically mean improving all aspects of health”

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We live in what many consider the golden age of anti-obesity pharmacology, since in recent years, medications based on GLP-1 analogues and other receptors, such as semaglutide or tirzepatide, have revolutionized the medical approach to excess weight, promising almost miraculous results. However, science indicates that losing a lot of weight does not automatically mean living better. A great study published in The BMJ has shaken medical expectations after analyzing mountains of clinical data. With all this, it has been concluded that, despite the drastic weight loss achieved by these drugs, the vast majority of them fail to significantly improve the quality of life of patients or substantially reduce cardiovascular risk after one year of treatment. How they have done it. The published research is not a small study, since we are talking about a mammoth systematic review and a network meta-analysis that has unified the data from 262 clinical trials in which around 100,000 people participated. In total, the effectiveness and risks of 19 currently available anti-obesity drugs, such as Ozempic, were put under scrutiny. The result. Although the effect it has on losing weight is undeniable, the data suggests that those medications that achieve greater weight loss are usually accompanied by a much greater toll in the form of side effects. It is precisely this toll, added to factors such as the loss of lean mass, that explains why, in trial surveys, patients do not report a notable improvement in their daily well-being despite having managed to lose weight. A complex puzzle. This latest macro study is not the only one that has attempted to shed light and shadows on these well-known treatments, since a meta-analysis published in Nature a few months ago specifically evaluated the comparative efficacy and safety between tirzepatide, semaglutide and liraglutide. The results already anticipated that clinical potency should always be weighed against the tolerability of each patient. The experts. José M. Ordovás, senior researcher at the Jean Mayer Research Center, sums it up perfectly in statements to SMC: “The study fits with what we already knew: some drugs cause significant weight loss, but losing weight does not automatically mean improving all aspects of health. The scale tells part of the story, but not the whole story”. For his part, José Pablo Miramontes González, an internist at the Río Hortega Hospital in Valladolid, points out that one year of follow-up is usually a short time to see miraculous improvements in heart attacks or mortality: “Cardiovascular risk does not depend only on weight lost, but also on age, previous diseases, blood pressure and lipids”. Images | freepik In Xataka | We believed that with Ozempic, people who lost weight exercised more. we believed wrong

manual shifting has “a significant effect on maintaining mental health and cognitive function”

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A study from Tohoku University (Japan) has put figures to something that many motor fans have been defending for years out of pure passion. And although there are not exactly a few enthusiasts who claim that driving with a manual transmission is more fun, now they could also have science on their side, since according to the study, they also could be healthier for the brain. And the person who claims it, curiously, is the scientist behind one of Nintendo’s best-selling video game sagas. 20 years ago, I trained our brain. The study is led by Professor Ryuta Kawashima, a neuroscientist at the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer at Tohoku University. His name will be familiar to anyone who has played any of the Nintendo titles in which he stars, since he was the scientific person behind the Brain Age saga and Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, the “mental gymnastics” games that Nintendo published between 2003 and 2020. What it says about the manual transmission. The neuroscientist’s research analyzes the brain activity of drivers behind the wheel of manual and automatic cars, and finds clear differences in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for memory, decision making and attention. According to collect Japanese media Best Car Web, Kawashima explains that when driving a manual “you have to judge and then choose the optimal gear according to the situation, and this places a greater burden on the cognitive functions of the brain than driving a passive automatic.” In the end, we must keep in mind that choosing the right gear, pressing the clutch, moving the lever and dosing the accelerator simultaneously forces the brain and body to constantly coordinate, something that anyone who has stalled a car while learning to drive can confirm. Between the lines. That small repeated effort, according to the professor, has benefits that go beyond the simple pleasure of driving. Kawashima holds that doing so regularly has “a significant effect on maintaining mental health and cognitive function.” So changing gears daily could act as a kind of low-level brain training, the kind that the brain stops receiving when the car does all the work for us. Any habit capable of keeping the brain active adds up. And in societies with increasingly aging populations, like the japanesehaving this stimulus is important, since cognitive deterioration and dementia are increasingly accentuated public health problems. And yet. The paradox is that, while science has reasons to defend it, the manual transmission begins to disappear from the market at full speed. In Japan and the United States it barely represents between 1% and 2% of new cars sold, according to the data collected in the study itself. The emergence of hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as the comfort offered by this type of transmission, has meant that the manual transmission is beginning to be seen less and less. Photography is still different in Europe, although we are also heading towards this future. In Spain, according to Engine1we maintain a rate of manual cars of around 41% of sales, only surpassed by Italy, with 48%. So you could say that in Spain we continue to maintain a good level of stimulation for our brain while driving. Cover image | Nils Keesmekers In Xataka | Anti-electrics lose an argument about car batteries: a study confirms that they are more durable than previously believed

having an older brother is destroying your health

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If you’re the little one in the house, you probably inherited your older brother’s clothes, toys, and textbooks. But, according to science, you also inherited something much more harmful, which is its viruses. And what might seem like a simple childhood anecdote about boogers and daycare has a real, measurable and profound impact in the health, educational level and even the economic future of minors. Something common. For decades, sociology and economics have documented that first-born children tend to do better academically and economically. Traditionally, this was explained by theory of “parental care” pointing out that first-time parents dedicate more time, energy and resources to the first child, which is more complicated to offer later with a second child. However, a new wave of macro studies with millions of data is showing that biology and epidemiology have as much or more weight than parenting. The nursery. A recent massive study based on Danish administrative records, which has followed 1.2 million individuals for forty yearshas put figures to this phenomenon. And their conclusion suggests that younger siblings are two to three times more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory infections during their first year of life compared to older siblings. The reason is obvious to any parent, since the older brother acts as a “vector of contagion”, bringing home countless pathogens from daycare or school just when the immune system of his younger brother, who in this case is a simple baby, is most vulnerable. The impact on payroll. What is truly revolutionary about the Danish study is not that the babies get sick, but the long-term consequences. Here researchers have directly linked this severe exposure to early respiratory diseases with lower income, lower educational level and worse mental health outcomes, both in adolescence and adulthood. In fact, data suggest that this early exposure to disease explains about half of the economic and vital gap between firstborns and younger siblings. The other 50% would still be attributable to the difference in parental care. It had already been studied. These data confirm classic studies, such as the one carried out in 2005 with population registries in Norway, which already warned that the higher the order of birth, the worse the socioeconomic results. Norwegian data showed that the fourth or fifth child in a family has almost a year less of formal education than the first, and that women born last have higher rates of teenage pregnancy. The disease. But birth order not only punishes the little ones, it simply distribute risks differently. A colossal study by the University of Chicago carried out in 2026 on 10.3 million people and a previous Swedish macroanalysis have drawn the definitive map of how our position in the family shapes our medical history. In this case, although first-born children enjoy better overall health throughout their adult lives, first-born children have a significantly increased risk of developing autism, Tourette syndrome, childhood psychosis, anxiety and depression. Furthermore, they bear the brunt of autoimmune and dermatological diseases: more allergies, rhinitis and acne. It’s just statistics. Faced with this avalanche of data from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the US, it is easy to fall into determinism. However, the researchers behind all of these works emphasize a golden rule of statistical science by pointing out that all of this refers to population trends, not individual convictions. Images | Annie Spratt In Xataka | Carles Lalueza-Fox, geneticist: “We probably have more than one double somewhere on the planet”

“45 minutes of family sports support the health of parents and children”

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Yes take out time to exercise It is complicated in the world we live in, doing it with children is sometimes practically an impossible mission. On the other hand, children themselves sometimes do not reach the recommended physical activity times, either due to an excess of non-active extracurricular activities, not having access to outdoor places to play or due to abuse of certain sedentary leisure activities, such as games with video consoles. Given that parents and children, each in their own way, have the same problems, two scientists from Nottingham Trent University, Scarlett Fountain and Karah Dring, had an idea: what if they designed a plan so that families could play sports together? In their case, they opted for rugby games in pairs, but other options could be useful. They found that, as they imagined, practicing exercise as a family provides benefits for both physical and mental health. And the best thing is that it is not necessary to completely change the daily routines of children and adults, since in just 45 minutes you can see the results. Surveys that say it all. The authors of this research They began their study with a survey in which 25 families participated. Both adults and children had to answer a series of questions about their physical activity routines and the reasons why they consider that, if true, they do not practice enough sport. Adults agreed to mention problems such as the high price of organized activities or the lack of free time. There were also some who complained about not having local sports and leisure facilities nearby. The children, for their part, reported that seeing their parents staying active encourages them to exercise more. In fact, it is something that also happened the other way around. Both parents and children inspire each other to stay active. The solution seemed clear. 45 minutes of rugby. After analyzing the results of the surveys, Fountain and Dring They decided to design a family physical activity program. It would be free, accessible and quick, to solve all the problems they observed in the responses of the participating parents, although not all of them signed up. Only 16 families participated in the program. They chose rugby as a couple, as it is fun, adaptable and, unlike rugby typical team rugbyno contact. The 45-minute sessions included warm-ups, skills practice and small games. Before and after, both parents and children had to solve a series of cognitive tests on a computer. In addition, blood samples were taken from the adults. These results were compared with another 45-minute rest session, which would serve as a control. Good for physical and mental health. Both children and adults improved cognitive test scores after exercising as a family. For example, children performed better on a working memory task right after exercise. For their part, parents showed improvements in information processing. These improvements were maintained for at least 45 minutes. Regarding physical health, it was seen that, after lunch, adults had the same blood glucose levels as after rest, but less insulin. This means that they needed less amount of the hormone to regulate the levels of sugar consumed. His cells responded very well to insulin, they showed no resistance. Family exercise is beneficial for physical and mental health From school to work. As the authors of the study explained in an article for The Conversationa third of adults do not reach the recommended levels of physical activity. They don’t clarify where, but it is possibly in the United Kingdom. Even so, it is something that can be totally extrapolated to other parts of the world. On the other hand, only 4 out of 5 children between 11 and 17 years old do 60 minutes of exercise a day. Less than an hour of physical activity each day is very little for a child. The consequences for physical health are very clear, but sometimes we do not take into account how this influences cognitive performance at work, school, or simply in everyday life. For this reason, they believe that much more emphasis should be placed on providing families with opportunities to exercise together. If it is not possible separately, the solution, clearly, is to exercise as a team. Images | Magnificent In Xataka | In the fever to train strength, the gym has faced competition: more and more people train on the street

We knew that freezing bread was convenient, cheap and fashionable. What we are not clear about is that it is “so good” for health

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The world has changed. And if there is something where that It is more noticeable than in water, land or airthat’s bread. HE note on bread and it shows a lot. So much so that, despite the attempts in recent years to revitalize it, the culture of bread (those 315 varieties that identified Jose Carlos Capel at the end of the 80s) is in clear decline. Thus, the idea of ​​buying bread every day is increasingly in the minority and the big question that thousands of people ask is… “Is it really a good idea to freeze it?” And, to the surprise of many, it is a good idea (although not as good as it wants to let us know). You just need to do it well. So you don’t lose properties? As the dietitian-nutritionist explained Nuria Romero in Ideal“we can rest assured, because when frozen, bread does not lose nutritional properties.” Although, it is true that “sometimes its texture or flavor can be affected.” And is any bread worth it? The best are “those that are less toasted, since they are the ones that best hold the moisture balance between the crust and the crumb.” For the same reason, it is also a good idea to freeze large breads or those that are made from whole wheat or rye flour. How do you freeze bread? Although it may seem obvious, freezing bread is very very simple. There are three easy steps to implement. The problem is that most consumers They are not usually applied systematically. The first thing is to choose fresh bread at room temperature. If the bread is already starting to get hard or hasn’t cooled completely yet, the end result will be much worse. Later, it is highly recommended to cut it into portions that make it easier to defrost later. In this sense, many people choose to cut it into slices. And then pack it airtight. This way we ensure that moisture from the freezer does not come into contact with the slices. And so (well isolated) you can last up to six months in a lot of trouble. And how do we defrost it? That is usually the other big problem: if we do not defrost it correctly, it can lose its freshness. Therefore, the most effective way to do it is at room temperature: placing it on a rack so that moisture does not accumulate, defrosting gives very good results. If we are short of time, it can be defrosted in the oven (at about 160 degrees, wrapped in aluminum foil for 10 or 15 minutes) or directly in the toaster if we have it sliced. Is that where the magic begins? We have seen it in many articles: for example, as he explained Dr. Karen Alarcón Fuentesgastroenterologist and endocopyist, when unfrozen “a large part of the carbohydrate in the bread will be converted into prebiotic fiber.” Something that “not only benefits your microbiota, but will also regulate your blood glucose.” But is it true? It is not clear. As our colleague Liliana Fuchs explained to usis something that “has a certain scientific basis, but is of no use in practice.” The key to all this mess is in the resistant starch“a type of carbohydrate that is difficult for our body to process, it is not completely digested and has a similar effect to fiber.” The problem is that, in the case of breadit has only been possible to demonstrate that freezing it (and roasting it later) reduces the glycemic index, although it was a fairly small study. The process does not affect resistant starch. And, in fact, “the effect on the health of a normal person will be practically nil; the total diet and daily habits matter much more.” Image | Charles Chen | Coffee Danube Still Life Photography In Xataka | We have been eating bread with “hidden salt” for so long that we have forgotten its true flavor. That’s going to change

Noah Praamsma, nutritionist, “many ultra-processed foods are actually beneficial for health”

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Noah Praamsma is a dietitian Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine American and is about to become the number one enemy of the supporters of “real” food. Saying that some ultra-processed foods are healthy (although we have known this for years) has become almost taboo. And Praamsma, like most experts, is restrictive regarding the weight of this type of products in our diet. He latest HER report from Duke University for the USestimates that ultra-processed foods represent 53–58% of the calories of adults and 62% of those of children and adolescents. Therefore, it proposes measures to limit its exposure and consumption. But, immediately afterwards, he adds “with the reception of healthy ultra-processed foods.” That is the heart of the artichoke. But what is a ‘healthy ultra-processed’? Right now, the exception criteria are very demanding, to be honest. We are talking about products that provide adequate amounts of recommended food groups, that keep sugars, salt and saturated fat below recommended thresholds and that do not contain non-caloric sweeteners. That is to say, right now many breads or cereals that are sold as healthy (or ‘realfooder’) would not make the cut. And this is not a minor detail. Because right now there is a lot of noise about ultra-processed foods and health because, although we have known for a long time that “not everyone is the same”, In the US, a new regulation is being discussed and the “regulatory frontier” is going to be key for many industries. It is not, therefore, an academic debate, it is a pitched battle to get the Administration to leave certain industries in a good place. But we digress… The interesting thing about Noah Praamsma’s idea is that, if we look at the data, he is right. In 2024, Kenny Mendoza and his team at Harvard University analyzed all available evidence on the impact of ultra-processed foods on health and reached an interesting conclusion: while sugary/sweetened beverages and processed meats are associated with a higher cardiovascular risk, whole grain bread and cereals, yogurt and some salty snacks show an inverse association. That is, the idea that ultra-processed foods are bad is a heuristic. A very useful one, but a heuristic: a simple ‘mental shortcut’ to make better decisions or achieve good results. That is to say, and for that very reason, something that admits nuances. But why do you say that the heuristic is useful? Because the message “we can establish differences within the category” does not mean that the category is harmless. He The same Harvard study pointed out that the more consumption of ultra-processed foods (regardless of whether they are good or bad) is associated with a 17% higher cardiovascular risk, 23% higher coronary heart disease and 9% higher stroke risk. That is, you can recognize that there are healthy ultra-processed foods and, at the same time, recommend that they be consumed as little as possible. In fact, that is what I take advantage of this space to do. Because, at the end of the day, large epidemiological studies they are warning us that eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with more health problems, lower quality of life and, ultimately, a higher chance of premature death. Image | Noah Praamsma / Fish Huang Xataka | Making extra rice is no longer a mistake: cooling and reheating it can reduce its calories according to some nutritionists

“Women continue to look for answers outside the health system”

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For decades, the menopause It has been a topic relegated to the private sphere and, too often, silenced in medical consultations. Given the lack of accessible clinical information, the Internet has become the great refuge for many women who need to resolve their concerns and do not know where to turn. However, what search engines return has changed drastically: health has given way to marketing. What has been seen. A new study published in JAMA has put figures on this phenomenon by analyzing search patterns in Google Trends over two decades in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Based on all this information, researchers have detected an increase of between 15 and 20 percentage points in searches aimed at commercial products and services. That is why the internet is no longer just a place to search for the meaning of a symptom; It is an immense showcase of payment solutions. The health system. This commercial shift in search engines does not occur in a vacuum, but, as Nuria Marín, a menopause specialist, points out, in his analysis for the Science Media Center Spain, the massive increase in these searches reflects a worrying reality: there are fundamental needs not covered in the traditional health system. Women turn to the Internet because they do not find the time, specialized management or comprehensive answers to their routine consultations. However, the study of JAMAdespite being published in a high-impact journal, has a methodological limitation that Marín highlights: Google Trends is an algorithmic and “blind” tool. It does not tell us the age, biological sex, or exact menopausal status of the person typing, which prevents us from establishing direct cause-and-effect relationships at a clinical level. The misinformation. The real problem with seeking answers to questions about our own health is that the algorithm rewards economic profitability over scientific rigor. This means that when a patient searches for information about menopause, she enters a digital ecosystem full of interests. Here is a 2025 study published in B.M.J. revealed that 77.2% of online content on hormone replacement therapy to ‘treat’ menopausal symptoms presented commercial conflicts of interest. But even worse is that 67.2% of the medical claims on these pages They openly contradicted official clinical guidelines based on medical evidence. The quality of the information is quite doubtful, since it was seen that 35% of the websites on menopause had some type of medical quality certification, and more than half required a level of reading comprehension much higher than that recommended for health dissemination. Side B. Not all of the technological landscape is negative, but we have tools that, when designed based on scientific evidence and not aggressive marketing, prove to be a great support for women. Here we have, for example, mobile apps to monitor symptoms which point out that women can see their physical symptoms reduced due to the very fact that the patient structures what is happening to her. That is why the challenge we have ahead of us right now is to offer access to this type of tools and to destigmatize menopause in society. Images | Pexels In Xataka | You get up, you get a cup of hot water, you drink it: more and more people are embracing Chinamaxxing

Human beings evolved to breed in tribes and sleep in sections. We have tried to do exactly the opposite and it is costing us our health.

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It’s three in the morning, the light of a state-of-the-art baby monitor flickers in the darkness and an exhausted mother tries by all means to get her son to fall asleep again to finally achieve those long-awaited eight hours of sleep in one go. The room is full of amenities, but she feels a knot in her stomach. She is surrounded by technology, but feels more alone than ever. If you ask in your group of friends or on any internet forum how exhausting parenting is today, the answer is unanimous: “It is extremely exhausting and constant.” However, science and history tell us that our ancestors probably did not suffer from this level of sleep deprivation, much less this suffocating loneliness. And here comes the great paradox of our era. We might think that the problem is a lack of male involvement, but the data show a different picture. As we recently explained in Xatakaparents millennials Today they spend approximately four times more time caring for their children than parents of the generation of the baby boom. In countries like Spain, policies have taken a historic leap by equating paternity and maternity leave to 19 weeks. The father, culturally and legally, is at home. So why are parents still on the brink of collapse? The answer lies not in a lack of will, but in our biology: we are fighting a losing battle against millions of years of evolution. Human beings evolved to breed in tribes and sleep in sections. Our modern society demands exactly the opposite from us, and it is costing us our health. The end of the tribe and the ancestral dream To understand what has happened to us, we must look to the past. As he explains to the BBC evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, the human species would never have survived if mothers had not had “alloparents”—grandmothers, uncles, older brothers, and other members of the community—to care for babies who were born extremely immature. Studies in traditional populations they confirm it: In hunter-gatherer groups such as those in the Congo Basin, babies spend much of the day in arms, with alternative caregivers to the mother providing up to 43% of the baby’s direct care. But not only the tribe has vanished; We have also altered our natural way of resting. In fact, the idea that we should have an uninterrupted eight hours of sleep It is a “modern invention”since before the Industrial Revolution and the arrival of artificial light, the biological pattern of humanity was the biphasic sleep or segmented: people slept for the first part at dusk, woke up in the early morning for a couple of hours (which they took advantage of to chat, pray or take care of the fire), and went back to sleep until dawn. In today’s industrial societies, waking up at three in the morning is diagnosed as insomnia and generates deep anxiety. However, when researchers examine current hunter-gatherer tribes — whose sleep patterns last between 5.7 and 7.1 hours and are full of microawakenings — discover something fascinating: They don’t consider it a problem. The loneliness epidemic and mental burden This break with our evolutionary past is having devastating consequences. In different investigations they talk that we are facing a true epidemic of isolation: today, 65% of parents feel lonelys, a figure that shoots up to 77% in the case of single-parent families. This “clinical loneliness” is not just a passing sadness. It is triggering Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (known in English as PMADs), which according to medical research affect up to 17.7% of mothers worldwide. Lack of support and isolation increase the risk of depression and cardiovascular problems. In its most extreme cases, psychiatric causes (including suicides and overdoses) have become one of the main causes of maternal mortality. A slab that disproportionately crushes single-parent families, racialized people or those at risk of exclusion and with financial stress, who lack the economic resources to outsource this care. And behind closed doors, the mirage of equality in the couple continues to take its toll. Although the modern father “helps” more than ever, the “mental load”—the planning, conception, and anticipation of family needs— continues to fall overwhelmingly on women. Researcher Eve Rodsky defines it perfectly: today’s mothers act as “project managers” where their partners are often “kind subordinates” waiting for instructions. The result is a burnout (professional burnout syndrome) applied to parenting. Curiously, this parental hyperpresence, born of anxiety, is also harming the little ones. The so-called “helicopter parents”, who fly over their children’s every movement to avoid frustration, are impeding the neurological development of their prefrontal cortex (in charge of solving problems). As studies warnthis has caused psychiatric admissions of adolescents for anxiety and depression disorders to skyrocket at an alarming rate. The verdict of science If we look for culprits for this epidemic of fatigue, science gives us a key clue. In modern societies, between 10% and 30% of people live with chronic insomnia. But if we look at current hunter-gatherer communities (such as the Hadza, the San or the Tsimane), this problem is practically a myth: it barely touches 2%. University of California (UCLA) researcher Jerome Siegel summed it up very well in the pages of Scientific American: The problem is that we have erased the natural regulators of sleep from the map. By living locked up, we no longer let our body feel the nighttime drop in temperature, an essential biological brake for rest. For his part, David Samson, evolutionary anthropologist interviewed by the BBCargues that it is our rigid expectation of perfect sleep that fatigues us. Samson lived with the Hadza tribe in Tanzania and found that its members consider their sleep “good” despite waking up frequently. Instead of getting up, turning on lights, and looking at the clock, they simply accept waking up as natural. This vision links with the proposal of James McKenna and Lee Gettler, anthropologists at the University of Notre Dame. As they explain in their own studyhave … Read more

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