Health & Nutrition Health and Nutrition - February 2018.edcoan.ir | Page 37

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sleep de
T
he human body requires
sleep for a minimum of one
third of the total hours in a day,
which is eight hours. Millennials
and baby boomers that form a
majority of the adult population
are particular about their exercise
regime and are aware of the food
they eat. However, importance of
adequate sleep is completely lost.
A study via the Sleep-o-
meter, a sleep assessment
tool by Godrej Interio, speaks
volumes about the sleep deficit
that the nation is facing.
Below are the findings:
n Over 80% individuals are
moderate to severely sleep
deprived.
n Over 60% use smart phones
and other devices before
bedtime.
n Only 9% sleep at 10 p.m,
the recommended time to
go to bed.
n More than 28% people sleep
for only 4-6 hours every day.
n Over 32% shared they were
unable to sleep through
the night.
n Nearly 70% of the
respondents have poor
sleeping habits.
n Nearly 40% shared they went
to bed after 12 p.m.
n Screen addition (TV and
mobile) appears to be a
major source (nearly 60%) in
contributing to sleep delay.
All the above traits can be
attributed to lifestyle changes
such as stress due to work,
eating habits and changes
in body clock. An entire
generation of adults does
not seem to realise that the
repercussions of insufficient
sleep can be annihilating.
Sleep starvation is rampant
in India and needs to be kept
in check before it reaches
disastrous levels.
IMPACT OF LACK OF SLEEP
ON OUR BODY
Stage1: Affects normal
hormone functioning:
Normally, our body produces
over 50 different hormones
daily. Disturbed or lack of
sleep will disrupt the normal
production of these hormones.
For example, the human
growth hormone that aids in
growth and cell repair peaks
during sleep. Lack of sleep will
disrupt this production, thus
affecting our body’s natural
ability to grow and repair
the cells. Additionally, other
hormones that control the
metabolism and hunger will
also get affected, forcing the
body to seek more food as a
means to increase energy levels
in our body.
Stage 2: Instability in the
levels of energy and mood
swings
Sustained lack of sleep has
been known to lead to reduced
energy levels, which further
results in unstable moods,
excessive sleepiness during
the day and bursts of euphoria.
While shifting attitudes can
disrupt the normal functioning
of daily activities, excessive
sleepiness during the day
especially can be hindering
and even dangerous. This
can lead to frequent lapses
in focus, forcing the body
to seek reprieve at any time.
These incidences are known
as ‘microsleeps’ which are also
known to be a contributing
HEALTH & NUTRITION February 2018 37