Song Eun-i Says "Sleep Is for After You Die" as Doctor Warns Over Five-Hour Sleep Habit

Song Eun-i's long-held saying that "sleep is something you do after you die" drew a medical warning after her usual five-hour sleep schedule came up during a recent YouTube interview.

On May 27, comedians Song Eun-i and Kim Sook spoke by phone with Professor Joo Eun-yeon of the neurology department at Samsung Medical Center on the YouTube channel "Bibo TV." During the conversation, Professor Joo expressed concern about Song's habit of sleeping only around five hours a day.

Professor Joo explained that the appropriate amount of sleep for adults aged 18 and older is generally about seven to nine hours on average. Looking more broadly, she said the normal range can extend from six to eleven hours, but Song's five-hour routine still fell below what she described as a healthy standard.

Kim Sook said Song often tells people, "Sleep is something you do after you die." Kim added that because Song has so much work to do, it becomes 2 a.m. by the time she finishes everything she feels she must get done.

Professor Joo was direct in her response. "There is practically no one who is fine sleeping five hours," she said, emphasizing that both regularity and sufficient duration are important for healthy sleep. Her point about maintaining a consistent sleep rhythm was tied to the body's secretion of melatonin.

Melatonin is a sleep hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps regulate the body's biological rhythm and supports good-quality sleep, making the timing and environment of sleep especially important.

According to Professor Joo, melatonin secretion becomes most active between 11 p.m. and around 1 to 2 a.m. For that reason, going to bed before 11 p.m. and keeping the room dark by lowering lighting during sleep are important steps. She also advised reducing the use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets starting one to two hours before bedtime.

Professor Joo also noted that daytime sunlight can help the body prepare for melatonin production at night. Getting about 20 to 30 minutes of sunlight within an hour of waking activates serotonin secretion, and that serotonin is converted into melatonin at night.

She cautioned against doing high-intensity exercise immediately before bed. Strenuous workouts two to three hours before sleep can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and raise body temperature, making it harder to sleep deeply.

Professor Joo also warned about alcohol. Although people may mistakenly think drinking helps them fall asleep, she said alcohol actually suppresses melatonin secretion and lowers sleep quality, calling for caution around drinking before sleep.