Addressing India's Sleep Crisis for Better Well-being

On World Sleep Day, health experts address India's sleep health crisis, linking it to increased risks of heart and brain diseases.

Health experts emphasize on World Sleep Day the severity of India's sleep health crisis, correlating it with heightened risks of heart and brain diseases, emphasizing the imperative of quality sleep for overall health ().

World Sleep Day is celebrated every year on March 15 to raise awareness about the importance of sound sleep for health and well-being.

Sleep Deprivation can lead to a Host of Serious Health Problems
Whether you have trouble sleeping or trouble staying asleep, it’s important that you address the causes of sleep deprivation and cultivate good sleep habits.

‘Did You Know?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and well-being. #sleep #medindia’

The theme this year is Sleep Equity for Global Health. Sleeping a minimum of seven hours every day is essential for good health, if not it can affect your body, both physically and mentally.

According to health experts, sleep deprivation is one of the highest in India among global countries.

This was seen in a survey by the social community platform LocalCircles on World Sleep Day, which showed that 61 percent of Indians got less than 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night in the last 12 months.

Ageing and Sleep
Sleep is a barometer of good health in the elderly. Sleep problems in the elderly are controlled by various external and internal factors.

The percentage of sleep-deprived Indians has been increasing in the last two years: it was 50 percent in 2022 and 55 percent in 2023.

“In India, we're facing a sleep health crisis, which is further intensified by our always-on lifestyle and other stressors. With one of the highest rates of sleep deprivation globally, it's critical for us to re-evaluate our approach to sleep, while recognizing its role in preventing non-communicable diseases and maintaining mental and physical health," Dr. Prabash Prabhakaran, Senior Consultant – Neurology, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Chennai, told IANS.

Sleep Disorders: A Prelude
Sleep disorders include difficulty falling/staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive sleep or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep.

Dr. Gajinder Kumar Goyal, Director of Cardiology, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Faridabad told IANS that sleep deprivation can affect heart health by increasing blood pressure and heart rate.

Quality Sleep is the Keystone to Healthy Life!

“Usually blood pressure dips by 10 to 20 percent during the night. But with sleep deprivation this does not occur leading to nocturnal hypertension that is linked directly to high incidence of cardiovascular events,” Dr. Gajinder explained.

He noted that sleep-deprived individuals are also more likely to develop diabetes, and high cholesterol and indulge in faulty dietary habits. So adequate and sound sleep of at least 7 hours is essential to keep our heart healthy, the doctor said.

Sleep Eating Disorders
Sleep-related eating disorders are abnormal eating behaviors that occur during night. Sleep related eating disorder is a part of parasomnias.

“Sleep quality, affected by poor sleep hygiene and overuse of digital devices, is also causing significant health effects, both physical and mental. We cannot ignore sleep, which occupies a third of an average person’s lifespan,” Dr. Lancelot Pinto, Consultant Pulmonologist and Epidemiologist, P. D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Mahim told IANS.

Further, lack of sleep is also linked to early dementia, affecting both short and long-term memory, concentration, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, said Dr Satish Nirhale, Consultant Neurologist at DPU Super Specialty Hospital, Pune.

It can also raise mental health problems like irregular mood swings, and anxiety, and potentially lead to depression, he told IANS.

Reference:

World Sleep Day 2024 - (https:worldsleepday.org/)

Source-IANS