Sound sleep is one of three pillars of good health: Dr Ranjive Mahajan

Ludhiana, March 16, 2018: Sleep is essential for a person’s health and overall wellbeing, yet many people living in today’s stressful life do not get enough sleep and suffer from lot of sleep-related problems, says Dr Ranjive Mahajan, Professor & Head of Psychiatry at DMCH, Ludhiana. Sound sleep is one of three pillars of good health along with balanced diet and regular exercise
In addition, lifestyle related issues including shift work, travelling across different time zones adversely impact our biological clocks. All these factors have acute consequences and lead to physical and mental health problems, thus contributing to poor performances and accidents. Long-term consequences of improper sleep include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
Dr Navkiran S Mahajan (Professor of Psychiatry) said that this year ‘World Sleep Day’ has the slogan “Join the sleep world, Preserve Your Rhythms to Enjoy Life.” The theme emphasizes maintaining the body’s natural rhythms to achieve good health. A good sleeping schedule can be achieved by following the Universal Sleep Hygiene.
Universal Sleep Hygiene is a set of lifestyle modifications which aim to regularize sleep and these include:-
• Maintaining a regular wake and sleep pattern
• Avoid napping during the day as it can disturb the normal pattern of sleep
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol close to bedtime.
• Exercise can promote good sleep.
• Large meals before bedtime should be avoided.
• Do not use any sleep medicine without advice of a physician/psychiatrist