At least 61% of Indians surveyed got less than 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night, a new survey has found. As per the survey, past couple of years have shown that an increasing number of citizens have problems getting uninterrupted for even seven hours.

World sleep day 2024: Survey finds 61% of Indians getting less than 6 hours of sleep

Sleep equity refers to the fair distribution of opportunities and resources that enable individuals to obtain adequate and high-quality sleep. It encompasses various factors, including access to safe and comfortable sleeping environments, sufficient time for rest, education about sleep hygiene and disorders, and support for addressing sleep-related issues.

Sleep issues are a pervasive challenge worldwide, affecting individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. From insomnia and sleep apnea to societal pressures and modern lifestyle habits, various factors contribute to disrupted sleep patterns and diminished sleep quality. However, by understanding the root causes of these issues and implementing effective strategies, we can work towards overcoming them and fostering a world where restful sleep is accessible to all.

World Sleep Day was initiated by the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) in 2008. It aims to raise awareness about sleep disorders and the importance of good sleep for good health.

One of the primary contributors to sleep issues is the prevalence of stress and anxiety in modern society. Pressures from work, relationships, and personal responsibilities can lead to heightened levels of stress, making it difficult for individuals to unwind and achieve restful sleep. To address this, it's essential to prioritise stress management techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation exercises. Creating a bedtime routine that includes calming activities can signal to the body that it's time to wind down, promoting better sleep quality.

Another significant factor contributing to sleep issues is the widespread use of electronic devices, particularly before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. To mitigate this, individuals should establish a "digital curfew" and limit screen time in the hour leading up to bedtime. Additionally, implementing technology-free zones in the bedroom can help create a conducive environment for sleep.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-how-smoking-and-drinking-alcohol-regularly-impact-eye-health-700325">How smoking and drinking alcohol regularly impact eye health</a>

Moreover, environmental factors such as noise pollution, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, and irregular sleep schedules can also contribute to sleep disturbances. Addressing these issues may involve investing in soundproofing measures, optimising bedroom temperature and lighting, and establishing consistent sleep routines.

Additionally, advocating for policies that prioritise sleep-friendly urban planning and workplace accommodations can help create environments that support healthy sleep habits.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-is-kate-middleton%E2%80%99s-recent-snap-inside-the-car-doctored-photographer-responds-699972">Is Kate Middleton’s recent snap inside the car doctored? Photographer responds</a>

Just like financial equity aims for the fair distribution of wealth and resources, sleep equity emphasises the importance of ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, geographical location, or other factors, have equal opportunities to attain optimal sleep health. This concept recognises that disparities in sleep quality and duration can contribute to health inequalities and impact overall well-being and productivity. Therefore, efforts to promote sleep equity may involve advocating for policies and initiatives that address underlying factors such as work schedules, living conditions, healthcare access, and societal attitudes towards sleep.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Sleep equity refers to the fair distribution of opportunities and resources that enable individuals to obtain adequate and high-quality sleep. It encompasses various factors, including access to safe and comfortable sleeping environments, sufficient time for rest, education about sleep hygiene and disorders, and support for addressing sleep-related issues.

Sleep equity refers to the fair distribution of opportunities and resources that enable individuals to obtain adequate and high-quality sleep. It encompasses various factors, including access to safe and comfortable sleeping environments, sufficient time for rest, education about sleep hygiene and disorders, and support for addressing sleep-related issues. Sleep issues are a pervasive challenge worldwide, affecting individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. From insomnia and sleep apnea to societal pressures and modern lifestyle habits, various factors contribute to disrupted sleep patterns and diminished sleep quality. However, by understanding the root causes of these issues and implementing effective strategies, we can work towards overcoming them and fostering a world where restful sleep is accessible to all. World Sleep Day was initiated by the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) in 2008. It aims to raise awareness about sleep disorders and the importance of good sleep for good health. One of the primary contributors to sleep issues is the prevalence of stress and anxiety in modern society. Pressures from work, relationships, and personal responsibilities can lead to heightened levels of stress, making it difficult for individuals to unwind and achieve restful sleep. To address this, it's essential to prioritise stress management techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation exercises. Creating a bedtime routine that includes calming activities can signal to the body that it's time to wind down, promoting better sleep quality. Another significant factor contributing to sleep issues is the widespread use of electronic devices, particularly before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. To mitigate this, individuals should establish a "digital curfew" and limit screen time in the hour leading up to bedtime. Additionally, implementing technology-free zones in the bedroom can help create a conducive environment for sleep. Also read | How smoking and drinking alcohol regularly impact eye health Moreover, environmental factors such as noise pollution, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, and irregular sleep schedules can also contribute to sleep disturbances. Addressing these issues may involve investing in soundproofing measures, optimising bedroom temperature and lighting, and establishing consistent sleep routines. Additionally, advocating for policies that prioritise sleep-friendly urban planning and workplace accommodations can help create environments that support healthy sleep habits. Also read | Is Kate Middleton’s recent snap inside the car doctored? Photographer responds Just like financial equity aims for the fair distribution of wealth and resources, sleep equity emphasises the importance of ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, geographical location, or other factors, have equal opportunities to attain optimal sleep health. This concept recognises that disparities in sleep quality and duration can contribute to health inequalities and impact overall well-being and productivity. Therefore, efforts to promote sleep equity may involve advocating for policies and initiatives that address underlying factors such as work schedules, living conditions, healthcare access, and societal attitudes towards sleep. (With inputs from agencies)

World Sleep Day 2024: The importance of sleep equity for better health

It is World Sleep Day and Indian company Wakefit has announced a holiday for its employees to promote healthy sleeping habits. It also allows workers to take naps at work. Mohammed Saleh reports

Gravitas: Wakefit announces holiday on World Sleep Day

An Indian organisation with headquarters in Bengaluru has formally declared an optional holiday for its employees on March 17 in honour of International Sleep Day in an effort to promote health practices among its workforce.

Wakefit Solutions, a D2C home-and-sleep solutions startup, shared a screenshot of the email addressed to all employees&nbsp;on LinkedIn.&nbsp;"Surprise Holiday: Announcing the Gift of Sleep" was the title of the mail that was sent to the staff, as reported by the Mint.&nbsp;

We are thrilled to announce that Wakefit will celebrate International Sleep Day on Friday, the 17th of March as an optional holiday for all its employees. As sleep enthusiasts, we consider Sleep Day as a festival especially when it falls on a Friday! You can avail of this leave like any other holiday through the HR portal, announced the company.&nbsp;

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"The 6th edition of our Great Indian Sleep Scorecard reveals a 21% increase in people feeling sleepy during work hours since 2022 and an 11% spike in people waking up tired. Considering sleep deprivation's prevalence, what better way to celebrate Sleep Day than through the Gift of Sleep?" The company further wrote to its employees.

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The company adopted a "Right to Nap policy" for its workforce last year, allowing all staff members to take a 30-minute sleep while at work.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;India takes step towards Global Rupee Trade, signs Digital Currency deal with UAE

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“An afternoon nap is instrumental in helping the body recharge and refocus on the task at hand, thus improving workplace productivity and motivation. Conversations around afternoon naps became predominant with the advent of work-from-home, and companies are slowly but steadily realising its importance. Through this initiative, the company hopes to start a sleep revolution while also encouraging other companies to adopt the initiative," the company said in a statement.

The objective of World Sleep Day is to increase public awareness of the value of sleep and the negative effects sleep disorders have on our health and well-being. Millions of individuals experience sleep disorders every year, which can significantly lower people's quality of life.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

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An Indian organisation with headquarters in Bengaluru has formally declared an optional holiday for its employees on March 17 in honour of International Sleep Day in an effort to promote health practices among its workforce.

An Indian organisation with headquarters in Bengaluru has formally declared an optional holiday for its employees on March 17 in honour of International Sleep Day in an effort to promote health practices among its workforce. Wakefit Solutions, a D2C home-and-sleep solutions startup, shared a screenshot of the email addressed to all employees on LinkedIn. "Surprise Holiday: Announcing the Gift of Sleep" was the title of the mail that was sent to the staff, as reported by the Mint. We are thrilled to announce that Wakefit will celebrate International Sleep Day on Friday, the 17th of March as an optional holiday for all its employees. As sleep enthusiasts, we consider Sleep Day as a festival especially when it falls on a Friday! You can avail of this leave like any other holiday through the HR portal, announced the company. ALSO READ | 'Work is in progress' around India's very own space tourism module. Read details about ticket price, and more "The 6th edition of our Great Indian Sleep Scorecard reveals a 21% increase in people feeling sleepy during work hours since 2022 and an 11% spike in people waking up tired. Considering sleep deprivation's prevalence, what better way to celebrate Sleep Day than through the Gift of Sleep?" The company further wrote to its employees. × The company adopted a "Right to Nap policy" for its workforce last year, allowing all staff members to take a 30-minute sleep while at work. ALSO WATCH | India takes step towards Global Rupee Trade, signs Digital Currency deal with UAE “An afternoon nap is instrumental in helping the body recharge and refocus on the task at hand, thus improving workplace productivity and motivation. Conversations around afternoon naps became predominant with the advent of work-from-home, and companies are slowly but steadily realising its importance. Through this initiative, the company hopes to start a sleep revolution while also encouraging other companies to adopt the initiative," the company said in a statement. The objective of World Sleep Day is to increase public awareness of the value of sleep and the negative effects sleep disorders have on our health and well-being. Millions of individuals experience sleep disorders every year, which can significantly lower people's quality of life. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Gift of sleep': This Indian company announced surprise holiday for all employees on World Sleep Day

World Sleep Day is celebrated annually on March 19 to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and a global call to action regarding all aspects related to it. These include medicine, education, social aspects and driving.

It publicly displays efforts being taken toward the prevention and management of sleep disorders. It was created and hosted by the World Sleep Society.

Who created World Sleep Day? 
The annual awareness event was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research. The goal of the first World Sleep Day was to bring together sleep healthcare providers to discuss and distribute sleep information around the world. The first co-chairs of World Sleep Day were Liborio Parrino, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Parma University, Italy and Antonio Culebras, MD, Professor of Neurology, Upstate Medical University, and Consultant, The Sleep Center, Community General Hospital, Syracuse, New York, USA.

Why was World Sleep Day created? 
Time and time again, sleep medicine professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and well-being to be a priority. That coupled with society’s 24/7 flow, the founders of this awareness event aim to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep.

Who supports World Sleep Day? 
World Sleep Day is hosted by the World Sleep Society (WSS), a nonprofit based in the United States. Per the organizational bylaws, World Sleep Society does not support, recommend or endorse any products of services. The awareness event does accept corporate sponsorships to help support the cost to host the event, but the World Sleep Society, the World Sleep Day Committee, or any person affiliated with WSS does not endorse or recommend commercial products, treatments, or companies.

Here are some important facts about sleep:

Sleep is known to be critical to physical and mental health,&nbsp;essential for tissue repair, cell regeneration, immune function, memory, and for regulating mood and emotions.

Scientists are providing a fuller understanding of the essential role that sleep plays in brain health, identifying an abrupt transition at about 2.4 years of age when its primary purpose shifts from brain-building to maintenance and repair.

There are basically two types of sleep, each tied to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. REM, with the eyes moving quickly from side to side behind closed eyelids, is deep sleep with vivid dreams. Non-REM sleep is largely dreamless.

During REM sleep, the brain forms new neural connections by building and strengthening synapses - the junctions between nerve cells, or neurons - that enable them to communicate, reinforcing learning and consolidating memories. During sleep, the brain also repairs the modicum of daily neurological damage it typically experiences to genes and proteins within neurons as well as clearing out byproducts that build up.

At about 2.4 years of age, the findings showed, sleep’s primary function changed from building and cutting connections during REM sleep to neural repair during both REM and non-REM sleep.

REM sleep declines with age. Newborns, who can sleep about 16 hours daily, spend about 50&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of their sleeping time in REM, but there is a pronounced drop-off at around 2.4 years. It drops to about 25 per cent&nbsp;by age 10 and to about 10&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 15&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;around age 50.

According to a study conducted by Harvard University, the international penchant for watching television every evening before going to sleep, playing video games late into the night or checking emails and text messages before turning off the lights could be interfering with people’s sleep habits all across the globe.

Baby boomers, or people aged 46-64 years old, were the biggest offenders of watching television every night before going to sleep, while more than a third of 13-18 year-olds and 28 percent of young adults 19-29 year olds played video games before bedtime.

Sixty one percent also said they used their computer or laptop at least a few nights each week.

And a propensity to stay in touch means that even people who have managed to fall asleep, are being woken up by cellphones, texts and emails during the night.

Generation Z’ers, 13-18 year olds, were the most sleep-deprived group, with 22 percent describing themselves as “sleepy,” compared to only nine percent of baby boomers.

Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night but adolescents in the study were only averaging 7 hours and 26 minutes on weeknights.

World Sleep Day is celebrated annually on March 19 to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and a global call to action regarding all aspects related to it. These include medicine, education, social aspects and driving.

World Sleep Day is celebrated annually on March 19 to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and a global call to action regarding all aspects related to it. These include medicine, education, social aspects and driving. It publicly displays efforts being taken toward the prevention and management of sleep disorders. It was created and hosted by the World Sleep Society. Who created World Sleep Day? The annual awareness event was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research. The goal of the first World Sleep Day was to bring together sleep healthcare providers to discuss and distribute sleep information around the world. The first co-chairs of World Sleep Day were Liborio Parrino, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Parma University, Italy and Antonio Culebras, MD, Professor of Neurology, Upstate Medical University, and Consultant, The Sleep Center, Community General Hospital, Syracuse, New York, USA. Why was World Sleep Day created? Time and time again, sleep medicine professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and well-being to be a priority. That coupled with society’s 24/7 flow, the founders of this awareness event aim to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep. Who supports World Sleep Day? World Sleep Day is hosted by the World Sleep Society (WSS), a nonprofit based in the United States. Per the organizational bylaws, World Sleep Society does not support, recommend or endorse any products of services. The awareness event does accept corporate sponsorships to help support the cost to host the event, but the World Sleep Society, the World Sleep Day Committee, or any person affiliated with WSS does not endorse or recommend commercial products, treatments, or companies. Here are some important facts about sleep: Sleep is known to be critical to physical and mental health, essential for tissue repair, cell regeneration, immune function, memory, and for regulating mood and emotions. Scientists are providing a fuller understanding of the essential role that sleep plays in brain health, identifying an abrupt transition at about 2.4 years of age when its primary purpose shifts from brain-building to maintenance and repair. There are basically two types of sleep, each tied to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. REM, with the eyes moving quickly from side to side behind closed eyelids, is deep sleep with vivid dreams. Non-REM sleep is largely dreamless. During REM sleep, the brain forms new neural connections by building and strengthening synapses - the junctions between nerve cells, or neurons - that enable them to communicate, reinforcing learning and consolidating memories. During sleep, the brain also repairs the modicum of daily neurological damage it typically experiences to genes and proteins within neurons as well as clearing out byproducts that build up. At about 2.4 years of age, the findings showed, sleep’s primary function changed from building and cutting connections during REM sleep to neural repair during both REM and non-REM sleep. REM sleep declines with age. Newborns, who can sleep about 16 hours daily, spend about 50 per cent of their sleeping time in REM, but there is a pronounced drop-off at around 2.4 years. It drops to about 25 per cent by age 10 and to about 10 per cent to 15 per cent around age 50. According to a study conducted by Harvard University, the international penchant for watching television every evening before going to sleep, playing video games late into the night or checking emails and text messages before turning off the lights could be interfering with people’s sleep habits all across the globe. Baby boomers, or people aged 46-64 years old, were the biggest offenders of watching television every night before going to sleep, while more than a third of 13-18 year-olds and 28 percent of young adults 19-29 year olds played video games before bedtime. Sixty one percent also said they used their computer or laptop at least a few nights each week. And a propensity to stay in touch means that even people who have managed to fall asleep, are being woken up by cellphones, texts and emails during the night. Generation Z’ers, 13-18 year olds, were the most sleep-deprived group, with 22 percent describing themselves as “sleepy,” compared to only nine percent of baby boomers. Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night but adolescents in the study were only averaging 7 hours and 26 minutes on weeknights.

World Sleep Day 2021: All you need to know

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World sleep day 2024: Survey finds 61% of Indians getting less than 6 hours of sleep

World Sleep Day 2024: The importance of sleep equity for better health

Gravitas: Wakefit announces holiday on World Sleep Day

'Gift of sleep': This Indian company announced surprise holiday for all employees on World Sleep Day

World Sleep Day 2021: All you need to know