Having proper sleep is as important for you as maintaining healthy mental and physical health. Not having enough sleep can also affect your mental and physical health, and you might end up being diagnosed with sleep disorders.
To understand the same, The Pioneer’s Tejal Sinha connects with Dr. Ramadevi Gourineni, a sleep specialist and managing director of Amara Hospital, who has recently launched their one-of-a-kind sleep outreach centre here in Hyderabad.
Just imagine! having a tiring day, and then comes the moment when your eyes get half closed and your brain sends you signals saying, “Hey, it’s time to sleep.” Isn’t that the most relaxing moment that we all wait for the whole day?
There is no doubt about the fact that many of us, especially the current generation, would wait to go to sleep again right after waking up in the morning. Many of us have actually ruined our sleep schedules by going to bed at 4 a.m. and waking up at 12 p.m.
Alternatively, many people would feel sleepy throughout the day. The reason for this might not only be because you’re being lazy the whole day, but you might also be diagnosed with various sleep disorders. Yes, you read it right!
Lack of sleep causes both men and women of all ages problems with concentration, performing daily tasks, mood, and even your general health.You probably already know that sleep is essential for physical and mental health, but did you know that it can also impact things like your weight and memory loss? Sleep specialists have been developed to assist with difficult sleep disorders that affect your daily life and help you live a happier, healthier life. But did you know there are sleep centres dedicated to helping you overcome your sleep disorder?
One such centre was recently inaugurated by Amara Raja Hospital: a sleep centre and an outreach clinic specialising in sleep medicine. The Sleep ORC, located in Nanakramguda’s Financial District, offers assistance and guidance to those who suffer from sleep issues. This clinic provides treatment for a wide range of sleep problems, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep issues, restless legs, parasomnias, daytime drowsiness, and narcolepsy. The centre will be available on the second and fourth Fridays and Saturdays of each month.
We quickly connected with Dr. Ramadevi Gourineni, the managing director of Amara Hospital and an American board-certified neurologist and sleep specialist with 25 years of experience in the US and an associate professor in neurology before returning to India, to learn more about the sleep centre and sleep disorders.
A reason she felt she should open such a centre here in Hyderabad was that people working in the IT sector face a lot of sleeping problems and certainly don’t have time to go to the hospital and have them evaluated. They may not even know that they have it, and so because of the proximity, they’ll be able to come and get the treatment done.
Did you know that one out of three Indians goes through sleep disorders, either not sleeping enough, having difficulty sleeping at night, feeling sleepy during the daytime, or snoring and not having proper sleep? These results affect the quality of life and job performance.
Such centres are the need of the hour. Dr. Ramadevi shared, “It is important for people to feel good when they are working. Sleep is looked down upon by people. A lot of people feel it’s a waste of time. When people ask what you’re doing and you say sleeping, they say you’re always lazy. You need sleep. It is important that people have proper sleep because that is when the body repairs immunity for appetite control, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. People who do not sleep are irritable; those who are prone to depression may become depressed; and those who snore or stop breathing while sleeping may develop hypertension, heart disease, or even die while sleeping.
Particularly IT people, with the amount of time they spend on systems, the odd hours that they work, and other poor lifestyle habits that may be related to this, happen to witness an increase in the number of sleep disorders in comparison to the general public. Along with exercise, diet, and mental wellness, sleep is also equally important. There is a need for such centres to evaluate people.”
How would sleep centres impact sleep patterns?
First, understand what the problem is, whether it is difficulty sleeping at night, feeling sleepy during work hours, or something else bothering them like pain in their body.
Then, take a detailed history of the type of medical problems that they have had in the past, what medications they are taking, whether this causes trouble sleeping, and what their lifestyle habits are. They would also investigate when they go to bed, when they wake up, whether or not they nap, how much caffeine they consume, including fever cough syrup, alcohol consumption, and the regularity or irregularity of their sleep times.
Then comes the treatment for the problem. “The only people who need sleep studies are actually those who snore or stop breathing in sleep. For other people, the majority of what we do is lifestyle modification and counseling. Because some people do need medication, and those medications have their own problems and don’t really solve the problems.
These are not the only factors that influence sleep, but they may be detrimental to other aspects of health as well. We try to be very holistic in our approach. Even medications, like different kinds of benzodiazepines, just work like alcohol.Taking more and more pills and starting to develop anxiety and memory problems.There are other types of medications like trazodone or amitriptyline that can be used also, so we try to prepare these kinds of medications because habit formation and anxiety issues are less with these medications,” shared Dr. Gourineni.
India is a growing economy with a large population. The health outcomes of a lack of sleep in quality and quantity have not received much attention so far. A good night’s sleep is essential for good health and longevity. The recommendation for adults is at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and for children, 10 hours of sleep every night. However, the population does not get enough sleep. The prevalence of sleep disorders in India is high.
A study has pegged the percentage of insomnia to be as high as 33% among adults in India.According to a study by the American Heart Association, poor sleep quality is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, a potential cause of heart disease.
Backing up the alarming rise of sleep disorders and their effect on the heart and overall well-being, the doctor highlighted, “At one point, in addition to diet, physical activity, and mental wellness, sleep is now also an important factor. You need sleep to be healthy, for your brain to function properly, to repair your body, for emotional regulation and appetite control, and for immunity. There are a lot of functions that sleep performs, so sleeping is not a waste of time. A lot of people say that you are wasting your time by sleeping more and feel that you are sleeping too much and not waking up; you need sleep to feel healthy.”
Experts say that timely consultation can address sleep disorders and, in fact, other issues related to them. The doctor couldn’t agree more to this as she said, “People do know about sleep problems that literally affect them. They may not realise that they need evaluation and treatment, or when they do, it’s usually when they see their doctors for other things and they tell them about the sleep problems. But for a lot of general practitioners, the problem is that they never thought about sleep in medical school. There is very little education, so they do not know what to do with the complaint rather than giving them a prescription for benzodiazepines.”
The doctor actually concluded by saying that one has to make sure to prioritise their work and sleep equally. More than spending your time on social media before sleeping, one can spend quality time with family, which is also good for their physical and mental health.
When is the right time for you to consult a doctor?
As you begin to experience a few of the below symptoms, it’s time for you to visit a specialist:
• Problems with sleeping at night.
• Feeling sleepy during the daytime.
• Difficulty breathing while sleeping.
• Screaming, fighting, punching, or kicking while asleep.
• Sleeping while walking.
Tips for having a good sleep
• Stay physically active the whole day, but avoid doing heavy exercise at least 3 hours before you go to bed.
• Limit your caffeine intake to no more than 300 mg per day.
• Maintain a low-light environment where you’re spending time one hour before bedtime.
• Finish dinner at least 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid using electronic devices before one hour.
• Develop bedtime rituals with your family, like telling stories.
