Explained: Why one needs to sleep adequately and ditch screens before bedtime

The importance of getting proper sleep is rising, not only because of the chaotic work schedules, and the increasing presence of screens in our lives after the Covid-19 pandemic. People are sleeping fewer hours in general and are faced with the additional challenge of reduced quality of sleep.

Every year, March 18 is observed as World Sleep Day by the World Sleep Day Committee of the US-based non-profit organisation, World Sleep Society. It is done to celebrate the activity of sleeping and also raise awareness about the different issues associated with it. While the absence of technology a few decades ago made it easier to get a good night's sleep, the overuse of gadgets in recent years has seen many people sacrificing or delaying rest, leading to different kinds of side-effects. This is apart from the fact that many people suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), among others.

Ahead of World Sleep Day, Mid-day Online spoke to Dr Shama S Kovale, consultant, ENT at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Dr Prashant Makhija, neurologist, Wockhardt Hospital-Mumbai Central to understand the importance of sleep. They emphasise the need for proper sleep daily, bust the myths around sleep and stress on why it is important to see a specialist in case of irregular sleep.

How much sleep does a person need daily? In your experience, how much are people settling for?
Kovale says the requirement of sleep varies with age. While a newborn will sleep for 14 to 17 hours, adults (18 - 60 years) will need somewhere above 7 hours of asleep and teens need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep.

While the city-based specialist says it cannot be specified how much people are settling for, she has observed that sleep quality has definitely been affected and the number of hours of sleep have reduced, especially among teens. Makhija adds, "In my experience, with the 24-hour work culture, competitive environment, excessive mobile usage and OTT platforms, the present population is sleep deprived and sleeps for around six hours daily."

Today, a lot of people are up late on their phones and complain of being unable to sleep after that. How is looking at screens related to people being unable to sleep?

Kovale says being on the phone before bedtime keeps one's mind psychologically engaged, so checking the phone constantly keeps one alert and awake. She explains, "The blue light from the phone reduces melatonin, which is a hormone responsible for your sleep-wake cycle. While this is useful for working during the daytime, excessive usage of electronic gadgets (mobiles and laptops) during the late evening or night, which emanates blue light sends an alerting signal to the brain," says the city-based neurologist, adding that this can delay the sleep time and thus disturb one's circadian rhythm.

Not only does blue light delay the sleep time, it also affects sleep quality, adds Kovale. "Checking the phone also delays Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep because it can trigger emotions which makes it difficult for you to fall asleep," she explains. With people checking Instagram just before sleeping, and feeling happy or anxious after watching something on it, it is common to experience delayed sleep and poor quality slumber.

Does the amount of sleep needed vary from person to person?
Makhija says the requirement of the amount of sleep does vary from person to person and depends on genetic factors, activity level and overall health. However, the recommendations are based on what holds true for the majority of the population.

Kovale says it is not only adequate hours of sleep but also good quality sleep that is important for the proper functioning of the brain. "The other factors that are important other than how many hours you sleep are sleep quality, previous sleep deprivation, pregnancy and ageing," she adds. For adults, getting less than 7 hours of sleep at night on a regular basis is linked with poor health, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, etc.

As most people lead busy lives, how does getting a power nap help? Does it disrupt the sleep cycle?
Kovale says that while there is no particular medical definition of a power nap, they are simply short naps ranging from 10 to 30 minutes. She explains, "The ideal power nap is between 20 to 30 minutes. It's long enough to give you all the benefits of sleep and doesn't make you feel groggy. Power naps in the afternoon leads to improvement in mood, alertness, reaction time, short-term memory, focus and concentration."

However, Kovale highlights that power naps more than 30 minutes can make one feel groggy and lethargic. "If you take a nap in the afternoon, it doesn't affect your sleep at night. Power naps late in the evening can disrupt your sleep cycle," she adds.

Does the kind of food one eats play a role in sleeping well? If yes, what food should one eat or avoid?
Yes, nutrition plays an important role in getting you a good sleep. A balanced diet made up of vegetables and fruits, Kovale says, which gives you vitamins, minerals and all the nutrients are the key to better sleep. "Avoid eating unhealthy food at night, like high carb diets, oily foods, alcohol, etc. It will affect the sleep quality. DASH diet, which was designed to control blood pressure, is supposed to give good sleep. It involves reduced salt and saturated fats, high levels of fibres, potassium and magnesium."

What are the common issues people have while sleeping? When should one visit a specialist to address their issues with getting a good sleep?
Kovale says that some of the most common sleep disorders are insomnia, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and restless leg syndrome. However, she adds that everybody gets some sleep issues once in a while but when it becomes regular and starts affecting the routine and daily activities, that's the time a person needs to visit a specialist.

She says, "With sleep apnea, it's more likely that your partner complains about your snoring, you may feel sleepy during the day, not fresh after you wake up, you may fall asleep while on the wheels. You need to be alert about these symptoms and get help immediately."

Makhija adds, "People facing difficulty in falling asleep, frequent awakenings in sleep, abnormal behaviours and movements in sleep and loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness should consult a sleep specialist."

What are the effects of inadequate/poor sleep?
Kovale says sleep deprivation can cause irritability, loss of concentration and loss of sex drive. If it's chronic sleep deprivation them it can cause hypertension, increased blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases like heart attack. It can also cause depression, mental anxiety because of increased stress levels due to lack of sleep. The possibility of a stroke can also be the result of not having adequate sleep. The short term effects include memory loss, mood disorders and anger.

Apart from consequences stated by Kovale, Makhija says people can also have impaired hand-eye co-ordination, impaired immunity and weight gain.