P020 Spinning sleep: Constructions of sleep in New Zealand’s online magazine texts

Abstract Introduction Approximately a third of adults report suboptimal sleep, however, medicalised approaches to sleep seldom align with the realities of ordinary life. Familial sleep arrangements and schedules of contemporary society influence sleep experiences. These experiences are also shaped by social and cultural beliefs concerning rest and production. Mainstream media presentation of sleep and the implications of sleeplessness provides a lens for interrogating the complex messages people receive regarding sleep and society. Method A thematic analysis was conducted on sleep-related content from The SPINOFF, New Zealand’s largest freely accessible online magazine source. A search of content containing the keyword “sleep*” (2014-2023) yielded 1,313 texts, 125 of which were deemed relevant for analysis. Results Sleep was constructed as vital for optimal functioning and happiness. This was explicit within texts concerning topics of “sleep and mental health” and “how to improve sleep”. Other texts supported this message implicitly using examples of the dangers of sleep disruption for health and wellbeing. These included accounts of sleep disorders; unsolicited changes to sleep through social schedules; and (overwhelmingly) experiences of sleeplessness during early parenthood. Unique juxtapositions were apparent between the jovial nature of texts that normalised sleep loss across the life course versus those that emphasised the severity of situations of chronic sleep loss. Discussion Moving between the comedic and tragic accounts of sleep loss, sleep disruption was constructed as both ordinary and serious. These constructions of sleep inform adjunct research concerning audience receptions to sleep-related messaging and their influence on beliefs and practices.