Sleep deprivation is not yet recognized in India on par with diabetes, obesity or smoking. But it’s making us sick, fat and stupid.
In the wee hours of a Monday morning in March 2013, an SUV carrying 10 people crashed into a heavy vehicle on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, killing six people returning from a wedding party and injuring three. The driver of the SUV confessed that he had dozed off at the wheel. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. The Save Life Foundation, an NGO working on road safety and emergency medical care, found that of the 364 road traffic accidents (RTA) on the highway between October 2012 and October 2014, 108 (nearly 30 per cent) could be attributed to fatigued drivers.
A 2009 AIIMS study involving 380 victims of RTA found that the majority were commercial drivers suffering from sleep deprivation. According to the researchers 60 per cent of them had not slept well the night before and 15 per cent had abnormal sleeping habits. “The lack of sleep impairs a person’s troubleshooting capacity and cognitive functions—so you may not use the brake at the right time or take a crucial turn,” says Dr M.S. Kanwar, senior consultant, respiratory medicine, critical care and sleep disorders, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. Nodding off for even a few seconds (known as microsleep) can have serious consequences.
India is among the top sleep deprived nations. According to the landmark Philips-AC Nielsen survey in 2009, almost 93 per cent Indians don’t get enough sleep, with 11 per cent confessing to dozing off at work and another 11 per cent taking leave to catch up on sleep. The Western world has acknowledged the issue and is taking steps to address it.
This story is from the February 2016 edition of Reader's Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2016 edition of Reader's Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.