INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Sleepless at 40
If you struggle to get enough sleep at night and feel sluggish in the morning, you are not alone, but part of a growing tribe that is now
posing a new public health challenge.It is not just the elderly, those in 40s are also suffering from sleeplessness, finds a new study that
draws from sleeping patterns of 5,000 persons-middle-aged and older.Of the total respondents, 2,245 (45%) were between 40-64 years and the
remaining 2,755 (55%) were older persons (65 years and above)
Gender wise, there were 2,562 (51%) female respondents and 2438 (49%) were male respondents
Around 58% of the total respondents were from urban areas.The study by civil society organisation Agewell Foundation found nearly 70%
(3,488) of the respondents sleeping less than 6 hours and more men yearning for a longer sleep.It found that emotional, social and lifestyle
issues contributed to a whole range of sleep disorders
Nearly 73% (3,668) of the respondents identified conflict between generations over financial and property matters as one of major factors
Among other reasons contributing to disturbed sleep patterns, 72% of respondents cited lack of interaction with elderly family members;
ego-related conflict between younger and elderly family members (69%); and disrespect and misbehaviour by younger family members (62%)
52% of the total respondents said they had been struggling to have deep sleep
And among those affected, 56% were male and 44% female respondents
Nearly 75% of urban respondents said they slept less than 5-6 hours a day
It was the case for 64% of rural respondents
During the survey, 54% of the respondents complained that with age, they are sleeping less
Around 32% of respondents claimed that they noticed no significant change in their sleep habits
However, 14% of respondents claimed they were sleeping more now in comparison to their earlier years
Himanshu Rath said it had been observed that in old age, more than 90% of people take some or the other medicine, most of which are not
For instance, certain medicines for high blood pressure can decrease the quality of rest or sleep, while some medicines can cause daytime
