Sleep is a basic human need, much like eating and drinking.
It is crucial for our overall health and well being. Research shows that we
spend up to a third of our lives sleeping. Good quality and restorative sleep
is essential for day-to-day functioning. Studies suggest that sleep quality, as
well as quantity, impacts our life. On an average, a normal adult needs 7-8
hours of good sleep. In teenagers this may go up to 9 hours, while the elderly
can do with 5-6 hours of it. World Sleep Day is on 19th of March.
According to Dr Manvir Bhatia, Chairperson Sleep Medicine
and Senior Consultant ,Department of Neurology, Sir
Ganga Ram
Hospital, New Delhi, "sleep is an essential
commodity, which should not be dispensed with, as it cannot be compensated with
anything else. It has a strong relationship with health. So we need to look
after it well."
Ghalib, the famous poet has said in one of his couplets
"maut ka ek din muayyin hai, neend kyu raat bhar nahin aati"
(the day of death has been fixed by the Almighty, So why spend sleepless
nights).
World Sleep Day 2010 is being held on 19th March, under the
slogan "Sleep Well, Stay Healthy". It is an international annual
event, intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important
issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, and social aspects. It
is organized by the "World Association of Sleep Medicine", with the
aim to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better
understanding, prevention and management of sleep conditions by raising
awareness through dissemination of information.