Sleepless in the City: The Indian Professional’s Dilemma

Suresh woke with a start. In the harsh blue light of his computer screen, he saw that it was 3:00 am. As much as he wanted to crawl into bed, he was already behind on his deadline with much more work to be done before he calls it a day. 

For professionals like Suresh, being “always on” means a good night’s sleep has become the ultimate luxury. Caught between demanding careers, side hustles, social commitments, and endless doomscrolling, sleep is a battle against the very lifestyle they’ve built.

The Problem With Sleep

Sleep deprivation is so widespread today that scientists call us “The Tired Generation.” And in India, we’re not immune. Recent research shows:

👩🏾👦🏻👵🏽👴🏽 – 51.7% of us struggle to fall into deep sleep

👦🏻👵🏽👴🏽🙇🏻♀️ - 1 in 4 of us are afflicted with insomnia 

Source: Survey

Source:  An unpublished 2023 paper, accessible on ResearchGate, reviewed 100 sleep studies in India

In my experience, people who don’t get good quality sleep cause themselves harm. Their metabolic health, goes haywire because poor sleep causes stress, which in turn triggers cravings.

Ganesh Kuduva is a health coach, speaker, and wellness expert

The Lifestyle-Sleep Collision 

In India, our current lifestyle is at odds with what is required for good sleep. Here’s why:

Disrupted Circadian Rhythm 

Do you know you have an internal clock? It’s called the Circadian Rhythm, a 24-hour cycle that regulates bodily functions, such as sleep, wakefulness, hormone release, metabolism, and even cognitive performance.

It is critical to sleep because the Circadian Rhythm regulates melatonin, the “sleep hormone”, and cortisol, the stress/energy hormone. When it gets dark, melatonin rises, making us drowsy. In the morning, light causes melatonin to dip and cortisol to increase. 

However, irregular hours and excessive late nights disrupt this rhythm, throwing it into chaos.

Digital Overload and the Blue Light Problem

According to a Harvard study, blue wavelengths, delay sleep and suppress melatonin significantly more than any other light. 

On top of that, endless scrolling keeps the brain in a state of cognitive arousal. Even when your phone is put away, your mind keeps racing, replaying conversations, emails, or cliffhanger episodes. 

The average millennial checks their phone 150 times a day, creating micro-bursts of stress that disrupt sleep.

The Danger of Hustle Culture 

‘Hustle culture’, that is becoming the norm in India, glorifies sleep deprivation as a badge of honour. 

Neuroscience tells a different story. Chronic sleep loss impacts the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s decision-making hub. Meanwhile, the amygdala, the centre for processing emotions, goes into overdrive, making even minor setbacks feel overwhelming. 

Stress leads to poor sleep, which fuels more stress, creating a destructive cycle. 

The Physiology of Stress and Sleep Disruption

Stress doesn’t just live in the mind, it reshapes the body. When activated, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis releases cortisol, the “stress hormone.” Over time, insufficient sleep has been linked to weakened immunity and chronic health issues.

Source: Survey

The immediate effects, however, are just as worrying: memory lapses, slower reaction times, and lower creativity. In one study, sleep-deprived participants performed as poorly as someone legally drunk. 

One sleepless night affects your brain like having a blood alcohol level of 0.10% (legally drunk in most countries).

How to Reclaim Rest (Without Quitting Your Job)

The truth is, sleep isn’t optional, it’s essential. However, lasting change doesn’t come from gimmicks; it comes from small, consistent habits. Here’s where to start:

• Keep a steady rhythm: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, weekends included. Over time, your body clock learns the pattern, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.
• Switch off the screens: Give yourself a “digital sunset.” Dim your devices, use blue-light filters, read or get some easy stretches in. 
• Build a wind-down ritual: Whether it’s journaling, meditation, or a few minutes of gentle yoga, these cues help calm the nervous system and shift it out of fight-or-flight mode.
• Set up your sleep zone: Your bedroom should signal “rest only.” The right mattress, especially one that supports your back and regulates temperature, can be the unsung hero of uninterrupted sleep. Brands like Duroflex are actively working towards incorporating science in their products to facilitate better sleep. 
• Redefine productivity: Hustle culture makes us feel guilty for resting. Flip the script: sleep isn’t laziness, it’s fuel. A well-rested brain is sharper, more creative, and more resilient than one running on fumes.

We live in a culture that glorifies busyness, but biology doesn’t negotiate. Sleep is the foundation of resilience, focus, and long-term health. The real flex isn’t how many hours you can grind, it’s how well you can show up, rested, clear-headed, and ready to take on whatever the day throws at you. In the end, rest isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.