World Sleep Day Ranchi: Doctors Debunk Myths, Stress Importance of Good Sleep Hygiene

Ranchi: On World Sleep Day, observed this year with the slogan “Sleep well, live better”, doctors in Ranchi stressed that good sleep is essential for people of all ages and warned against common myths, unhealthy habits, and self-medication.

Dr Nishant Goyal, professor of psychiatry at the Central Institute of Psychiatry, said the belief that elderly people naturally need much less sleep is not correct. He said that sleep disorders are broadly of two types. Primary disorders include insomnia and sleep-wake cycle disturbances, while secondary sleep disorders arise from other conditions such as depression, anxiety, diabetes, kidney disease, and substance abuse.

He said everyone should maintain proper “sleep hygiene” by sleeping for at least six to eight hours in a dark, calm, and quiet environment. According to him, sleep allows the brain to reset and clear waste that builds up during the day.

He also warned that excessive use of mobiles, televisions, laptops, and desktops disrupts the body’s biological clock, leading to sleep deprivation.

Dr Dhananjay Kumar, consultant cardiologist at a private hospital in Ranchi, said sleep is a vital biological process linked to brain function, immunity, metabolism, and heart health. He noted a rise in undiagnosed sleep problems such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnoea, and restless legs syndrome, driven by stress, irregular schedules, and screen exposure. Chronic sleep deprivation, he said, increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, obesity, and insulin resistance.