Vinay Kumar
NEW DELHI: Doctors routinely check blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. But they rarely ask a question that may be just as important: how well are you sleeping? As the world marked World Sleep Day on March 13, experts warned that sleep disorders may be affecting millions of Indians and quietly increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and depression.New research suggests the problem is widespread. A 2025 systematic review in the Indian Journal of Public Health that analysed 100 studies involving nearly 68,000 people found that 25.7% of Indians suffer from insomnia, while obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects about 37.4%. Another 10.6% experience restless leg syndrome, a condition that disrupts sleep.
Among patients with other illnesses, the burden is even higher. Nearly 48% were found to have sleep apnea and 32%, insomnia, suggesting sleep disorders may worsen chronic diseases.Experts estimate that about 52 million working-age Indians may have sleep apnea, including nearly 29 million with moderate-to-severe disease.Insomnia affects nearly 37% of older adults.Prof (Dr) J C Suri, director and head, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, said lifestyle habits are worsening the problem. A survey of IT professionals in Hyderabad found 97% used electronic devices for at least an hour before bedtime, while 62% reported difficulty falling or staying asleep.“Sleep deprivation is perhaps the world’s biggest silent epidemic and has been worsening for decades, driven by our shift to a 24-hour society since the advent of electric lighting,” said Dr Vikram Sarbhai, president of the Indian Sleep Disorders Association. “Humans follow a circadian body clock that regulates sleep and wake cycles, making sleep essential for restoring brain and body functions.”He said healthy sleep depends not only on duration but also on quality and regular timing, which are increasingly being disrupted by modern lifestyles, shift work and technology use. Typically, adults in the age group of 18-45 years need 6-8 hours of sleep, those in 45-70 years group about 5-7 hours, and people who are 70 and above around 5 hours. These are estimates for individuals without alcohol or caffeine excess, toxic exposure, behavioural disturbances or medical conditions that affect sleep.The broader crisis may be even larger. A 2025 report by AGR Knowledge Services estimates that three out of five Indians are sleep deprived, with many turning to online remedies instead of seeking medical help.Prof (Dr) J C Suri said that poor sleep is closely linked to hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, depression and cognitive decline.Sleep deprivation is also emerging as a road safety risk. Studies by Central Road Research Institute found that about 40% of accidents on the Agra-Lucknow expressway were linked to driver fatigue.Despite these risks, India has no national policy mandating screening for sleep disorders among commercial drivers, unlike countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.Experts say poor awareness and the absence of sleep medicine in most medical curricula mean many patients remain undiagnosed. Addressing sleep disorders, they say, could be a major but overlooked opportunity in preventive healthcare.
