Majority of Indians are sleep deprived, says survey

Anjan Bose (left), Vice-President &Business Head, Philips Healthcare India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, and Satyakam Sharma, Country Manager for India, during a press conference to share the findings of Philips Sleep Survey and aware about Philips Respironics, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

If you feel drowsy during the day and are not able to concentrate on your work in office then there is a possibility that you might be suffering from sleeping disorder which affects as many as 93 per cent of Indians, a survey released on Tuesday said.

The survey conducted by electronics company Philips found that 93 per cent of people in India are sleep-deprived, getting less than the eight hours of sleep they need per day. As many as 58 per cent of these felt that their work suffered from lack of adequate sleep with many falling asleep at work.

“An astonishing 11 percent of Indians took leave from work because of lack of sleep and 74 per cent of the respondents mentioned that they woke anywhere between one to three times during the night,” the survey said.

The survey was conducted among 5,600 people in the age group of 35 to 65 years across 25 cities of the country.

Lack of sleep not only impacts the overall quality of life and productivity of a person’s life but also leads to serious health issues such as increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure and irregular heart beat.

“As many as 87 per cent of Indians agreed that they were aware that lack of sleep affects their health but very few visited a doctor. If left untreated, lack of sleep and snoring could signal a more serious condition such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is characterised by the repeated cessation of breathing during sleep and which can potentially lead to heart diseases,” it said.

The survey amplified the need for education on OSA and others sleep disorders which are not taken seriously enough among the individuals suffering from them.

“Sixty-two per cent of those polled displayed high risk of OSA while 3.3 per cent were likely sufferers of OSA. The condition can easily be diagnosed and cured but it has been overlooked by people,” the survey observed.

Releasing the survey, Anjan Bose, vice-president of Philips Healthcare India, said: “Sleep is not optional — it is absolutely critical to people’s health. The consequences of not sleeping enough are well documented and if you are experiencing poor sleep, a visit to the doctor is a must.”

The company also announced establishment of 130 new sleep labs in the country by 2010 in partnership with healthcare institutions like Fortis Hospital, Vedanta Medicity, Nanavati Hospital and Apollo Hospital.

“A sleep lab generally contains complete diagnostic systems and the patient is monitored with various sensors attached to the body. These sensors collect data which are then used to determine the type and severity of sleep disorder,” he said.