World Sleep Day 2026: Experts Warn Poor Sleep Can Trigger Heart Disease, Mental Illness and Accident
Doctors highlight the importance of healthy sleep habits on World Sleep Day, linking poor sleep to heart disease, mental illness, and road accidents.
Good Sleep Secrets Why Sleeping Naked at Night Is Surprisingly Beneficial for Your Health
Sleep is an essential physiological process necessary for maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. The World Sleep Day press meet emphasized the importance of healthy sleep habits, early recognition of sleep disorders, and their impact on overall well-being. Experts from various specialties discussed the role of sleep in cardiovascular health, mental health, neurological disorders, pediatric health, and road safety.
Importance of Sleep in Health and Disease
Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining metabolic balance, cardiovascular stability, cognitive function, and emotional health. Poor sleep quality or sleep deprivation can lead to multiple health problems including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders, and neurological illnesses.
Sleep disorders, particularly Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), have been increasingly recognized as major contributors to resistant hypertension, heart disease, metabolic disorders, and road traffic accidents.
The theme “Sleep Well, Live Better” highlights that adequate and quality sleep improves productivity, mental clarity, and overall quality of life.
Address by Dr. Ved Prakash
Dr. Ved Prakash highlighted the public health importance of sleep disorders, especially sleep apnea.
Key Points
• Sleep deprivation and untreated sleep apnea significantly increase the risk of road traffic accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness. • Sleep disorders are associated with cardiac diseases, metabolic disorders, and resistant hypertension. • Patients suffering from poor sleep often develop lack of interest in daily activities, fatigue, reduced productivity, and psychiatric symptoms. • Proper diagnosis through sleep studies and management using CPAP therapy and oral appliances can significantly improve patient outcomes.
He emphasized that awareness about sleep health is essential to reduce accidents and chronic disease burden.
Address by Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(Padma Shri Awardee)
Dr. Rajendra Prasad stressed the role of sleep as a fundamental pillar of healthy living.
Key Messages
• Sleep is an integral part of life and necessary for maintaining a healthy, disease-free lifestyle. • Lack of sleep negatively affects mental health, cardiovascular health, and work efficiency. • He emphasized the significance of World Sleep Day in spreading awareness about sleep disorders and healthy sleep practices.
Establishment of Sleep Laboratory at KGMU
Senior cardiologists including Dr. R. K. Sharan, Dr. Puri, and Dr. V. S. Narayan highlighted the historical importance of establishing the sleep laboratory at KGMU.
The installation of the sleep lab marked an important milestone in recognizing sleep medicine as an essential multidisciplinary field involving cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, ENT, and psychiatry. The facility allows comprehensive evaluation of sleep disorders using different levels of sleep studies (Level I to Level IV polysomnography).
Sleep Hygiene: The 10–3–2–1–0 Formula
Experts emphasized a simple sleep hygiene rule known as the 10–3–2–1–0 rule to improve sleep quality.
The Rule
10 hours before sleep • Avoid caffeine and stimulants.
3 hours before sleep • Avoid heavy meals and alcohol.
2 hours before sleep • Stop work or stressful activities.
1 hour before sleep • Avoid mobile phones, television, and screens.
0 • No snooze button in the morning.
Following this routine helps maintain a regular sleep rhythm and improves sleep quality.
Address by Prof. Dr. Rishi Sethi
(HOD Cardiology)
Prof. Rishi Sethi discussed the importance of sleep in cardiovascular health and in children.
Key Points
• Adequate sleep is essential for heart health and blood pressure control. • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is strongly associated with hypertension, heart attack, and arrhythmias, and the risk increases with increasing AHI severity. • Modern lifestyle factors such as excessive screen time, video games, and Instagram reels are reducing sleep duration in children and adolescents. • Children should ideally sleep at least 8 hours daily for healthy growth and cognitive development.
Address by Prof. Dr. Srikant Srivastava
(HOD Geriatric Mental Health)
Prof. Srivastava emphasized the relationship between sleep and psychiatric health.
Key Points
• Sleep disturbances are closely linked with mental illness and psychiatric disorders, especially in children and adolescents. • The increasing use of smart watches and sleep tracking devices has made people more aware of their sleep patterns. • Melatonin hormone plays a critical role in regulating sleep: • Levels increase after sunset • Peak during night • Decline in the morning • Children who maintain proper sleep hygiene and sleep schedule perform better academically and mentally compared to those with nocturnal habits and late-night study patterns.
Address by Prof. Dr. Virendra Verma
(HOD ENT)
Dr. Virendra Verma discussed the anatomical and physiological aspects of sleep.
Key Points
• Sleep consists of multiple stages, including REM and non-REM sleep. • The last 30 minutes of sleep are important for body and brain recharging. • Structural abnormalities of the upper airway, including nasal obstruction or anatomical narrowing, can contribute to sleep apnea and snoring. • Surgical correction of upper airway obstruction can significantly improve sleep quality in selected patients.
Address by Prof. Dr. Rajesh Verma
(HOD Neurology)
Dr. Rajesh Verma highlighted the neurological implications of sleep disorders.
Key Points
• Patients who survive stroke frequently develop sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. • Fragmented sleep leads to fatigue and unrefreshing sleep. • Sleep and seizures have a bidirectional relationship, meaning sleep deprivation can trigger seizures and epilepsy can disturb sleep. • Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy has a strong association with sleep deprivation. • Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are also linked with sleep disturbances. • Narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness significantly increase the risk of road traffic accidents. • In Parkinson’s disease, degeneration of the striato-nigral pathway affects normal sleep regulation.
Snoring and Risk Factors
Snoring and sleep apnea are influenced by several factors.
Male Factors
• Obesity • Large neck circumference • Alcohol consumption • Smoking
Female Factors
• Post-menopausal hormonal changes • Obesity • Anatomical airway narrowing
Adverse Effects of Sleep Disorders
Untreated sleep disorders can affect multiple systems.
Cardiovascular Effects
• Hypertension • Heart attack • Arrhythmias
Neurological Effects
• Stroke • Cognitive decline • Dementia
Psychiatric Effects
• Depression • Anxiety • Poor concentration
Social Impact
• Poor work productivity • Road traffic accidents • Reduced quality of life