Writing the
Sleep Crisis
Exploring representations of
sleep in contemporary culture.
Picture credit: Insomnia. Stephen Magrath. CC0 1.0 Universal
About
This research project explores how sleep, and lack thereof, is represented in contemporary writings across fiction, non-fiction, and digital culture. It’s the first study to analyse cultural engagements with the sleep crisis, namely, the sense that contemporary society is profoundly sleep-deprived.
“Writing the Sleep Crisis” is led by Dr Diletta De Cristofaro. It is currently funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement 892459, and based at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. The project also involves collaborations with Northumbria University, UK, where it was based between July 2020 and August 2021 funded by the Wellcome Trust’s Research Fellowship in Humanities and Social Science.
Sleep Stories
An Exclusive Commission
Durham Book Festival 2021
27-28 June 2022 Conference

Sleep and Digital Health
This online conference will explore the nexus of sleep and digital health from a range of disciplinary perspectives. The programme is now available – take a look here!
Featured Past Event
“Are We in a Sleep Crisis? Perspectives from Contemporary Culture” – A talk at The Lit&Phil by Dr Diletta De Cristofaro, June 2021
Picture credit: Insomnia. Stephen Magrath. CC0 1.0 Universal
People

Dr Diletta De Cristofaro
Principal Investigator on “Writing the Sleep Crisis”

Prof Simona Chiodo
Full Professor of Philosophy at Politecnico di Milano

Prof Katy Shaw
Professor of Contemporary Writings at Northumbria University

Prof Jason Ellis
Professor in Psychology at Northumbria University
Featured Publication
The counterproductive promise of a “sleep goal”
The Week, March 2022
In this opinion piece, Diletta De Cristofaro explores how the fixation of sleep-tracking devices and relaxation apps on sleep goals ironically ends up devaluing sleep.
News
Writing Sleep Salon – video now available
As part of the Sleep Salons series hosted by the Sociability of Sleep (Université de Montréal & …
META Lecture
On 27th April, 1pm CEST, Dr Diletta De Cristofaro will be delivering a META lecture at Politecnico d…
Sleep and Digital Health conference – programme now available
The programme for “Sleep and Digital Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives” is now avai…
Follow the Project
Get in Touch
Email Dr Diletta De Cristofaro:
diletta.decristofaro[at]gmail.com