Two out of every 10 people suffer from insomnia: Dr Lenin
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 16 2023: With people facing intense pressure owing to the modern lifestyle, at least two out of every 10 people in the state are suffering from insomnia, said RIMS psychiatry department's head Dr RK Lenin, who aired the need for establishing sleep laboratories to address the prevailing issue.

As the World Sleep Day would be observed across the globe on March 17, The People's Chronicle had a special talk with Dr RK Lenin regarding sleeping disorder, which has become a common issue in contemporary society.

Reflecting on the theme of this year's observance 'Sleep is essential for health', Dr Lenin said that following a regular sleeping pattern and getting adequate sleep can prevent many health conditions such as heart diseases and high blood sugar among others.

The modern lifestyle is causing an issue in the sleeping pattern of the people with clinical data available testifying that at least two out of every 10 people are suffering from insomnia in the state.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in total lockdown for several months, played a key role in abetting the disorder.

Forefathers of Manipur had a tradition of taking dinner early in order to sleep early and to get up early.

Even though a handful of elders are still following the practice, maximum of the younger population have developed a tendency to retire late, which results in lack of sleep.

Using mobile phones and watching TV serial are major factors that contribute to late night sleeping, and midnight or post-midnight is becoming common hour for sleeping.

People in the age group of 15 to 50 years are mostly affected by this habit and as a result, insomnia affects this age group mostly, he said.

It is a common knowledge that sleeping late and lack of sleep are not good for health.

Lack of sleep is a major contributor to heart attack and it shortens the life span.

Earlier, incidents of cardiac arrests were mostly reported from among people above 60 years but this health issue is now reported in 45 to 50 years of ages and most of the patients have history of lacking sleep, Dr Lenin explained.

The psychiatrist further said that a healthy adult needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep per day.

Reports suggest that getting one hour of sleep before midnight has similar effect with sleeping two hours post-midnight.

He also expressed concern over use of sleeping pills by people suffering from insomnia without consulting a doctor, and stressed that one should always consult a doctor before resorting to such medication as it would require regular check-up of health vitals.

On the other hand, indulging in activities including breathing exercise, Yoga and meditation can help in addressing the issue, he said.

Observing World Sleeping Day is not only to promote regular and adequate sleep and spread awareness on the benefits of sleep but also to find out the factors that contribute to sleeping disorders.

In the context of the state, installing sleep laboratories and required machineries in hospitals could help in identifying the factors behind the disorder, which in turn would help in finding the right treatment or therapy for the patient, Dr Lenin added.

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