Five in 10 from Karnataka, Telangana have sleep disorders, says study

Survey results in two states

The survey covered as many as 322 districts across the country. It found that one in four people with mild, moderate and severe Covid slept for less than four hours.

“Some cases are terrible. Three out of 10 people consulting me complain that they can’t sleep for even four hours continuously,” says Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD Sleep Medicine, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.

Stress is one of the major causes for sleeping issues (Creative Commons)

In Karnataka, when asked about their uninterrupted sleep hours post-Covid, 49 percent of people said that they sleep for less than eight hours a day, 27 percent for less than six hours and 16 percent of them sleep for less than four hours.

Only five percent of people get the recommended 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Meanwhile, in Telangana, 51 percent of people revealed that they sleep for less than eight hours, 23 percent for less than six hours and 20 percent for less than four hours. Only three percent of people sleep for 8-10 hours.

Five out of 10 individuals in both the states said that Covid changed their sleep patterns. Interestingly, people from other southern states like Tamil Nadu too noticed the same sleep pattern.

Increased sleep disorders

“Sleep is important to maintain not just physical health but also mental health. Nevertheless, we have been getting more patients complaining of sleep disorders post-Covid,” Dr V. Mithun Prasad, Consultant Psychiatrist at SIMS Hospital in Vadapalani, Chennai told South First.

“This may not necessarily be due to the physical effects of the Covid infection. Factors like stress, economic crisis and lifestyle changes do lead to sleep-related problems,” he added.

Dr Girishchandra, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Aster CMI Hospital in Bengaluru, also confirmed that there has been a rise in the number of people suffering from sleep disorders since the pandemic outbreak.

“At Aster CMI, we are witnessing 10-15 people complaining of sleep-related problems. This could be due to stress or an underlying mental illness,” he opined.

Other reasons for sleeping disturbances

Exposure to screen for long hours leads to sleeping disorders (Flickr, Creative Commons)

Even as Covid played a crucial role in disturbing people’s sleep patterns, “there are other reasons for sleep disturbances,” say experts.

Dr Shantanu Tandon, Senior ENT Surgeon, Airway and Sleep Apnea Specialist, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru, told South First that people nowadays face sleep problems due to two major reasons.

“Extended screen time is one of the reasons why people lack sleep. The usage of electronic gadgets like mobile phones and laptops requires one to stay awake for a longer period. This affects the total number of sleeping hours,” he explained.

The second reason is oxygen deficiency. Allergy and nasal blocks aggravate this problem which, in turn, leads to snoring and sleep apnea.

“Oxygen levels in the blood are usually low when we sleep. When they are too low, it results in tiredness and poor sleep quality,” he said.

“Bengaluru is now teeming with young professionals aged 20-40 years who do not follow a particular sleep pattern. Blame it on their hectic work, leisure and recreational activities; everything is causing sleep disorders,” Dr Tandon pointed out.

Work-from-home disrupts sleep

Work-From-Home culture has disrupted the sleep patterns. (Creative Commons)

Sleep experts observed that the Covid-19 pandemic brought work flexibility through the work-from-home concept. This, in turn, has affected the structured work routine and sleep schedule that people have been following for a long time.

Working from home not only disrupted our sleep patterns but also led to chaotic work habits, thereby resulting in multiple sleep-related problems.

According to Dr Girishchandra, sleep disorders are rampant among people working from home and staring at screens for hours.

“These people get exposed to lesser sunlight and more blue light emitted by electronic devices. This disrupts their body’s biological clock and affects their sleep quality,” he said.

Increase in insomnia cases

During and post-pandemic, the sleep experts claim to have witnessed several people who have insomnia – a disorder where a person faces trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or getting quality sleep.

“Getting adequate sleep is important. It directly affects your mental and physical health,” Dr Satyanarayana emphasised.

Interestingly, a recent study published in the April 2022 issue of Nature found that seven hours of sleep is good for a healthy life.

This finding replaces earlier beliefs and claims by the National Sleep Foundation that a minimum of 8-9 hours of sleep is essential for good health.