By Dr Aabid Amin
New Delhi, March 27 A state of decreased response and motor activity, sleep is quickly reversible. The fact that all creatures experience this phenomenon in some way indicates that it probably has some evolutionary significance.
Sleeping takes up roughly one-third of a person's lifetime or eight hours per night. There are many explanations for why people slumber. These hypotheses encompass memory consolidation, energy saving and restoration.
For the best possible physical, immune, mental, and cognitive wellness, getting enough sleep is crucial. Nearly 30 per cent of adults (according to a study from the United States) report having trouble sleeping enough. Short sleep duration has been linked to a number of unfavourable health outcomes, such as decreased performance at work or school, slowed reaction time, an increased risk of accidents, mental health disorders like drug abuse, depression, and anxiety disorders, as well as complications during pregnancy and all-cause mortality.
The inability to function well at work or in school because of insomnia can result in psychosocial problems, which then may make it challenging to keep up with interpersonal relationships. a bad work environment and decreased output. Depression and anxiety at the job may result from this.
Slow response times increase the chance of serious injury, permanent disability, and death in homes, workplaces, and roadside collisions.
Major health issues brought on by insomnia include mental health disorders like depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse. Insomnia and psychiatric disorders are inversely correlated, and it is frequently essential to treat both conditions concurrently in order to hasten recovery and increase the likelihood that both conditions will respond sustainably.
Drug abuse and insomnia are both related to mental conditions. Patients with drug use disorders and chronic insomnia may have "forgotten" how to fall asleep on their own without the aid of a sedative.
Increased chance of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Your chance of developing heart conditions like coronary heart disease, an irregular heartbeat, and heart failure rises when you consistently get inadequate sleep. It raises the risk of diabetes and uncontrolled blood pressure, both of which can result in chronic organ damage. Reduced immunity brought on by insufficient sleep can cause repeated infections and slow healing.
Sleep deprivation can worsen pregnancy problems. It increases the possibility of preterm birth, C-sections, more painful labour, depression linked to pregnancy, and low birth weight babies.
(Dr Aabid Amin is a Consultant Internal Medicine and Medical Director, of Sanjeev Bansal Cygnus Hospital Karnal)
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