Yeah I think this is an issue of 'positioning' or a game design problem.
What exactly am I meant to do in this game?
A: It's a survival game, find resources to stay awake
Why do I need to stay awake?
A: The game will end and you have no control over it (except by eating more but you will fall asleep eventually)
That's not a great answer, so the 'story' or lore really needs to support that argument, of 'wanting' to stay awake - perhaps there is a mystery I need to unravel, or a wrong you have to right, that's what I'm working on now, the driver for the player to continue to explore the game.