Sleep Infographic: Indians Sleep For Just 6.5 Hours A Night & This Is How It Affects Us

We spend 1/3rd of our lives sleeping and yet we often forget just how essential it is to our wellbeing. A lack of sleep will have a detrimental effect on your physical, mental, and emotional health. The quantity and the quality of your sleep will affect how you feel and react during the next day.

Getting a good night’s sleep will improve your productivity, keep you mentally sharp, and increase your energy levels. Once you fall into an irregular sleep pattern, it can be very tough to break out of it. However, there are several good sleep habits, insomnia cures, and natural sleep aids that you can use to get better sleep._Better sleeep infographic-01 (1)-min

The average Indian sleeps for just 6.5 hours a night and 46% of Indians get less than 6 hours of sleep a night

Why Indians Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Most healthy adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep per night although the sleep requirements vary slightly from one person to the next. Data from a recent study shows that the average Indian sleeps for just 6.5 hours a night and 46% of Indians get less than 6 hours of sleep a night.

The best way to start is by understanding the importance of sleeping in the right position. In case you are not able to sleep well, the simplest step to begin with is to find the root cause of the problem – what is keeping us up! The working class in urban India is ambitious and driven but this has come at a cost; working hours have increased drastically in the last decade.

This means that one of the best insomnia cures would be to simply decrease your working hours by working more efficiently. The work culture today has moved to a work hard, play hard mentality which means people drink more often and tend to sleep late even on non-working days; it may be untrue, but most people would defend their partying by saying alcohol is the best way to fall asleep! People don’t have the time to socialize much during the day and so messaging and long phone conversations at night are common reasons for inadequate sleep.

What Lack Of Sleep Does To You

High Blood Pressure

Sleep plays an important role in the process of healing and repairing tissue cells of the blood vessels and the heart. This is why inadequate sleep causes health problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure.

Increased Risk Of Obesity And Diabetes

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases higher levels of insulin after your meals and this promotes fat storage and increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Lethargy And Low Energy Levels

Sleep is required for muscle repair and so inadequate sleep results in lethargy and low energy levels. The severity of these symptoms are directly proportionate to the severity of sleep deprivation.

An increase In Appetite

The mechanism that links inadequate sleep to weight gain is uncertain. However, there is evidence to show that the increase in appetite caused by inadequate sleep could be due to the disruption of hormones that are responsible for appetite regulation.

Sleep Related Disorders To Watch Out For 

Insomnia

Insomnia is the term used to describe difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep; it is the most common sleep disorder. Approximately 20% of all Indians suffer from insomnia.

Neurocognitive Disorders

Neurocognitive disorders are linked to a lack of sleep . Inadequate sleep disrupts neuronal pathways and cause or aggravate neurocognitive diseases such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment



(MCI).

Fatigue

Fatigue, lower back pain and headaches are often linked to a lack of sleep. People who don’t get enough sleep are also more prone to body aches and pains and extreme fatigue.

Sleeping Beauty Syndrome

Kleine–Levin syndrome or “Sleeping Beauty syndrome” is a sleep disorder where a person sleeps for over 20 hours a day. This can last for weeks or even months.

Foods That Cause Insomnia

One of the best ways to fall asleep is to change your diet to get rid of foods that cause insomnia. You can also add foods like wild lettuce and green tea to your daily diet as they are effective sleep remedies. Here are some of the foods you should avoid at night:

Spicy Foods

You may love spicy dishes such as tandoori chicken, rista, and laal maas but you cannot have them at night. Spicy foods may taste great but they cause indigestion and discomfort and this is bound to disrupt your sleep schedule. You might believe that your stomach can handle it since you don’t experience any bloating after your meal but it takes several hours for your meals to get digested so you would be asleep in bed at that point and you would not notice it.

Sugary Foods

Sugary foods will keep you awake and they can be very addictive which means that you soon become dependent on your “sugar fix”! One of the simplest and most effective healthy sleep tips is to substitute your daily dessert with a cup of warm unsweetened green tea.

Caffeine and chocolate

Caffeine in coffee and chocolates is a stimulant and so you should avoid these foods at night. Instead of your cup of nightly cup of coffee, have a glass of warm almond milk. Almond milk is easy to digest and it is a great source of calcium which is required for proper sleep; this is why it is one of the best home remedies for sleep

How 8 Hours Of Sleep Can Work wonders For Your Body

A Stress-Free Life

Getting enough sleep is the key to leading a stress-free life as inadequate sleep increases your stress levels. High stress levels is one of the worst side effects of less sleep as it increases your risk for several other health conditions.

Prevents Depression

8 hours of sleep will go a long way in rejuvenating your mind, calming your senses and it will also help to prevent depression .

Faster Healing

Damaged or injured tissue can be repaired more easily when you are asleep which is why one of the most prominent effects of less sleep is the slow healing of wounds.

Boosts memory

A good night’s sleep will go a long way in boosting your memory.

Lowers inflammation

Adequate sleep reduces inflammation so if you have any sort of swelling, sleeping for 7-8 hours will help to ease the inflammation and reduce any accompanying pain.

You might want an easy solution on how to fall asleep but this will vary from person to person. You can experiment with several sleeping techniques until you find a cure for insomnia that suit you. While there are many easy ways to fall asleep, one of the best ways is to do a few simple yoga breathing exercises for 10-15 minutes before you go to bed.

If you are not familiar with yoga, make sure that you pay attention to your posture and form so that you can avoid the usual mistakes that yoga beginners make. This will help you calm your body and mind and will prepare you for sleep. You can also use natural sleep remedies such as a lavender essential oil diffuser as this oil works to relax your muscles and ensures a good night’s sleep.