The other night, I was struck by an ABC Nightline feature about hotels and venues in New York City designed specifically to help people get a good night’s sleep or take a nap. At first, I thought the idea was utterly ridiculous. But as I watched the story, I wanted to climb through the screen and hop into one of the sleep-lab rooms at the Equinox Hotel.
Here’s how Equinox markets their sleep experience.
At Equinox Hotels, sleep isn’t just about rest—it’s about regeneration. Our sleep experience combines cutting-edge technology and science-backed innovations to optimize your body’s recovery and performance overnight.
From personalized sleep experiences and circadian-aligned lighting to our signature Rituals, every detail is designed to help you wake up refreshed, recharged, and ready to perform. Experience sleep like never before—where luxury meets peak performance. . .
Unlock a transformative sleep experience with our science-backed program. Immerse yourself in a 360′ journey to regeneration featuring the AM + PM rituals, integrated spa treatments and amenities designed to promote deep, restorative sleep.
Ready to elevate your experience? Extend your stay and explore our additional sleep offerings, featuring Sleep IV-Drips, Superfood spa menu, and personalized sleep coaching.
How much does this experience cost? A whopping $2,201, including taxes and fees.
This is particularly a problem for middle-aged men, yet no institution seems positioned to address it. When I read the research, I thought, "Ugh, that's me." And any middle-aged man who reads it will likely say the same. Many of my friends are in the same boat. For younger men, this is a warning. All of this tells us something sad and profound about the current state of American life. I was floored. I am this data in the five studies that follow. Maybe you are too. Maybe you're seeing it in the men you know.
1. Alternative Formulations of Job Strain and Sleep Disturbances: A Longitudinal Study in the United States
Source: American Journal of Industrial Medicine (2025)
This study tracked 1,721 workers over an average of nine years. The participants were mostly middle-aged, averaging 51 years old. Researchers used Karasek’s Job-Demand-Control model, which says job strain happens when people face high demands at work but have very little control over their situation. The study measured four sleep symptoms: difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently at night, waking too early and not being able to go back to sleep, and feeling tired during the day no matter how long you slept. The findings were clear. High job strain at baseline predicted a significant increase in sleep disturbances over time. Every formulation of job strain the researchers tested pointed to the same conclusion. If your job puts heavy demands on you and gives you little say in how things get done, your sleep is going to suffer. Not just for a few weeks, but for years.
This started for me in 2009. I’ve written about this before, but my departure from my years teaching in St. Louis introduced me to job strain in ways that I would not have been able to anticipate. It started in the winter of 2009. All of the stress of attacks, false associations, racial slandering, behind-the-scenes scheming, abandonment from “friends,” and so on, caught up with me in a major way. I found myself working ridiculously long hours and sleeping around 4 hours per night. I didn’t have a problem falling asleep (that’s depression). I struggled to stay asleep (that’s anxiety). Job strain is characterized as a combination of high job demands and low job control.
This was me. I was teaching at a denominational seminary, as the first black professor, with extremely high demands and expectations, and I had no control over what people across the country were saying and doing. And, I had nowhere to get help. I also didn’t know anyone who could relate to what I was experiencing. As I’ve mentioned before, I was completely blindsided because my defenses were down. After all, these were “Christians.” Lesson learned. Never again. But the sleep issues have lasted for 17 years.
This is just the beginning of me trying to sort out what I, and so many of my friends, are currently experiencing as documented these studies.
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