Over 80 percent Indians feel sleepy at work at least thrice a week, 32 percent wake up feeling tired and 17 per cent believe they have insomnia! If all these figures do not convince you that there’s something wrong in the way Indians snooze, maybe you need to sleep over your doubts.
The survey by Wakefit, interviewed over 7,500 respondents across India over three months, to find out why we are collectively growing more tired every day. The initial survey has been conducted over a diverse range of respondents — 71 per cent being married, 26 per cent single and 3 per cent in a phase when we lose the most sleep, i.e., in a relationship. The seven metro cities of Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata formed 69 per cent of respondents, with 81 per cent of them from the 25-44 years age group.
Wakefit’s survey revealed that 1 per cent of people sleep after midnight and 59 per cent sleep after 11 pm, while it is recommended that regular sleeping time should be around 10-10:30 pm for restful sleep in alignment with our circadian rhythms.
Inevitably, this leads to a late and tired beginning to a day, as stated by over 26 per cent people, who have admitted to waking up after 8 am. In terms of night-owls, however, Mumbai takes the honours, with over 69 per cent sleeping well after 11 pm.
Almost one-thirds of people, at 31%, get less than 7 hours of sleep, while 27% of those below 18 years get only 6 hours of sleep, which is all the more harmful during their crucial growth phase. Furthermore, 11% of women get only 5-6 hours of sleep, which does not bode well for the health of the entire family. In terms of cities, Gurugram and Kolkata get the least sleep, with 38% of its citizens dozing off for 6-7 hours!
In Hyderabad, over 43 per cent suffer from back pain, 83 per cent of people feel sleepy at work, 15 per cent are suffering from insomnia, 27 per cent watch TV before sleeping, 35 per cent go to bed post midnight and 14 per cent wake up after 9 am.Among the reasons for late bedtime is watching content on smartphones and TVs.
While 25 per cent respondents said watching shows and web series on phones and TV kept them awake, 19 per cent keep working till the wee hours on their laptops, while 19 per cent continuously checked their social media feeds.Approximately 32 per cent of Indians wake up fatigued, not to mention sleepy, while about 50 per cent people suffer from back problems, both chronic and acute included. This suffering is a direct consequence of a highly-disturbed sleeping cycle.
In the long run, these symptoms can develop into severe health complications. Dr Gowri Kulkarni, head of Medical Operations, DocsApp, says, “Although it sounds productive to work round the clock, it has long-term damaging effects at the cellular level.
Chronic sleep deprivation is known to cause weight gain, hormonal imbalance, increase stress levels and make a person prone to serious chronic health diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc”.
Sleep disorders can have several social, psychological, economical and physiological consequences. Sleep has a clear influence on both mental and physical well-being.”Insomnia, however, can be treated if one is attentive, not to mention willing, enough to imply required changes.
The Importance of Sleep For A Healthy Life
Unfortunately, many of us suffer from bad sleeping habits, and as such, our body is not reaping the full benefits of a good night’s sleep. While it may be possible to function off of four to five hours of sleep, it’s not recommended, especially for long periods of time.
Sleep is just as vital to our growth and development as breathing air. No matter what age you are, sleep plays a role in helping your body reset, repair, and regenerate. Why wouldn’t you want to get the most out of that?
Sleep Has Many Benefits
To be more specific, sleep has a direct connection to many things we take for granted on any given day. For the sake of just one more episode on Netflix, another late night show, a last drink with friends while out for the night, or the need to Google online, we’re sacrificing a lot more than just being tired in the morning.
Lack of sleep impacts:
- Memory
- Quality of life
- Inflammation
- Creativity
- Exercise and Performance
- Grades
- Attention
- Weight
- Stress
- Coordination
- Depression
It’s obvious that sleep has an impact on your overall wellbeing. So why aren’t we getting more sleep?
Some common reasons you may not be getting enough sleep include stress, heavy snoring, or hormonal changes, but one of the biggest culprits is likely the fact that you don’t have a routine for unplugging from technology (hello Facebook). Are you guilty for taking your phone with you to bed? Try to set a timer or an alarm that reminds you 30 minutes before bed to put your phone down for the night. This may help you fall asleep easier. The internet never sleeps, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t!
Now, the question is “Can good sleep make good health?”
Yes, sleep makes you feel better. Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. Without it, one becomes more susceptible to health problems, such as heart disease, obesity, depression and many more. Some facts of sleep which lead to a healthy life are :-
Good Sleep Keeps Heart Healthy: Lack of sleep has been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol so some experts say that heart will be healthier if one gets between( 7 -9 hours) of sleep each night.
Sleep Helps to Make Body Repairs: Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage. This is the time when the cells undergo wear and tear and that’s what makes you feel refreshed in the morning.
Good Sleep Reduces Stress: When your body is sleeping deficient, it goes into a state of stress. Therefore it is recommended to have good sleep in order to allow your body to cope with day’s stress and manage it in a better way with a relaxed mind. It is found that any amount of sleep deprivation reduces mental performance.
Sleep & Weight Loss: Lack of sufficient sleep affects the appetite regulating hormones. It also aggravates cravings for high-fat and carbohydrate rich foods, making a route to weight gain. It also affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, a key factor in weight management. So, if you want to be on a healthy weight, make sure you get a good sleep every night.
Good Sleep Reduces Depression: Lack of proper sleep and depression is inter-linked. Depression may lead to insomnia and lack of sleep increases depression. Sleep impacts serotonin levels (feel-good hormone) which affect the mood of an individual.
Sleep Prevents Cancer: People working for long hours have a higher risk for breast and colon cancer. There is evidence stating that good sleep can alter the balance of hormones in the body which may influence cancer progression.
As very well said by Benjamin Franklin, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy & wise.”
