As you grow old, your health starts to deteriorate. Everything, whether it is your mental health or your physical health, starts to slow down. However, with age, your mental health gets overshadowed by your physical health.

Signs You Should Note

If you note these signs in your ageing parents or grandparents, take note of it. Try to get involved with them. It is also important to ensure that they have a separate social circle apart from the family. This way, they can have friends who they can also relate to.

With age, suggests Sinha, you are more prone to be depressed, and anxious. “Mental health conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorders are not something that happens when you grow older. You may have been living with these for the last 40 years, but the management differs, she suggests.

As you grow old, your symptoms start to overlap with other mental health conditions. For the proper treatment professionals use differential diagnosis, suggests Sinha. “The lines become blurred and to differentiate the symptoms from one mental health condition to another becomes difficult,” she says.

Preventive Measures

There are also food habits like eating leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, virgin coconut and beans that help with brain functions.

Sinha suggests that keeping a social circle and continuing your hobbies can help your mind stay healthy. “Men especially face this issue, after they retire, they feel like they are at the loss of authority, and they start to lose control. It is thus important to keep doing things and learning a new skill to keep your brain active. While for women, since they continue taking care of the house, their brain stays active,” she says.

Cognitive stimulation is the key, especially to managing dementia, she notes.

“Just with weight training, you push your body and after a while, it becomes your muscle memory. Same with the brain. However, one should not get into solving too many puzzles, or trivia after being diagnosed with dementia. Because that would mean you are making your already injured brain exercise which might lead to agitation,” she recommends.

How to support?

“The most important part is for the caregiver to understand what is happening and come to terms with the conditions. Because the elderly with cognitive conditions are not able to understand, they cannot be told or instructed to do anything. Thus, the responsibility is solely on the caregiver,” points out Sinha.

So, what can be done?

Awareness

Reach out to therapists and counsellors to know the ways to create such a healthy environment.

Be Patient

She suggests adopting the same approach that you do with kids and with your pets. This is when you focus on gestures, body language and mood over language. Due to cognitive disorders, parents experience a loss of language and the only way to communicate and to understand what they are communicating is through these means.

Be Empathetic

Create a healthy environment by agreeing with them and listening to their stories. The responsibility of creating a safe environment is totally with you.

There might be times when your parents may do socially unacceptable or non-compliance behaviour. But it is important to understand the triggers and ensure that the triggers do not occur anymore.

Help Them Stay Fit

In cities that rarely slow down, sleep is often the first thing people compromise. Late-night work calls, endless notifications, streaming platforms, and the pressure to stay productive are quietly cutting into the hours meant for rest. On World Sleep Day, health experts are raising concerns about a growing issue among urban professionals: sleep debt.

Sleep debt refers to the cumulative effect of regularly getting less sleep than the body needs. While it may seem harmless to sleep five or six hours on busy weekdays, the missing hours slowly add up and begin to affect both the body and the mind.

According to Dr. Manav Manchanda, Director and Head of Respiratory, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Asian Hospital, the problem is far more serious than many people realize.

“Sleep is not a luxury. It is a biological necessity,” he says. “Chronic sleep deprivation affects almost every system in the body. When people repeatedly ignore their sleep needs, it leads to hormonal imbalance, weakened immunity, mood disturbances and reduced productivity.”

The Urban Lifestyle And The Rise Of Sleep Debt

Urban professionals often pride themselves on staying busy. But long work hours, tight deadlines, frequent travel, and social obligations have created an environment where sleep is seen as negotiable.

Many people assume that sleeping longer on weekends can make up for lost rest during the week. However, doctors say the body does not recover so easily.

Sleep debt builds gradually when the body consistently receives less rest than it requires. Over time, this pattern begins to interfere with natural biological rhythms, making it harder for the body to regulate energy, focus and emotional balance.

When Lack Of Sleep Starts Affecting Performance

One of the earliest signs of sleep debt is a noticeable decline in cognitive function. People who do not get enough sleep often experience brain fog, poor concentration, irritability and slower decision-making.

In high-pressure professions such as corporate management, media, finance and technology, this can significantly impact work performance. Errors, missed details and reduced productivity can all stem from insufficient rest.

Dr. Manchanda explains that the effects are not limited to mental fatigue. “When the body does not get enough sleep, it disrupts several important systems including metabolism, hormone regulation and immune function,” he says.

The Health Risks Behind Chronic Sleep Loss

Persistent sleep deprivation can gradually increase the risk of serious health conditions. Experts link long-term sleep debt with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Mental health can also be affected. Poor sleep patterns are associated with increased anxiety, mood swings and symptoms of depression.

“Over time, sleep debt can significantly increase the risk of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases,” Dr. Manchanda adds. “People often underestimate how deeply sleep influences overall health.”

The Role Of Screens And Digital Habits

Another major reason behind sleep debt is digital dependency. Many professionals spend their evenings scrolling through smartphones or watching online content late into the night.

This habit exposes the eyes to blue light, which interferes with the release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating the sleep cycle. As a result, the body struggles to recognize when it is time to wind down.

Building Better Sleep Habits

Doctors say improving sleep hygiene is one of the most effective ways to reduce sleep debt. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, limiting screen exposure before bedtime and avoiding caffeine late in the evening can help regulate sleep patterns.

Creating a calm sleeping environment and engaging in stress-relieving activities such as exercise or meditation may also improve sleep quality.

Experts believe workplaces also have a role to play. Encouraging better work-life balance and reducing after-hours communication can allow employees to prioritize rest.

On World Sleep Day, the message from doctors is clear. In a culture that celebrates constant productivity, sleep remains one of the most powerful tools for protecting long-term health and mental well-being.

Every night when we fall asleep, the brain does not simply power down. Instead, it moves through a carefully organized biological rhythm known as the sleep cycle. During this process, the body shifts through different stages of sleep that help repair tissues, regulate emotions and strengthen memory.

Scientists have spent decades studying these stages using brain recording tools such as electroencephalography, or EEG. This technique measures electrical activity in the brain using small sensors placed on the scalp. By analyzing these signals, researchers can identify exactly which stage of sleep a person is in.

According to multiple National Institutes of Health studies, sleep occurs in repeating cycles of two kinds: Non Rapid Eye Movement sleep (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement sleep (REM). A typical cycle lasts about 90 minutes and the brain repeats this cycle four to six times each night.

The Structure Of The Sleep Cycle

NREM sleep includes three stages, moving from light sleep to deep sleep. After these stages, the brain enters REM sleep, which is strongly linked to dreaming and emotional processing.

Scientists believe the repeated movement through these stages helps the brain complete different biological tasks. Some stages repair the body while others reorganize information learned during the day.

Neuroscientist Jan Born, University of Tübingen, whose research focuses on sleep and memory, explains that deep sleep is essential for memory formation. His work shows that during sleep, the brain transfers information from short term storage to long term memory systems.

Stage 1: The Transition Into Sleep

The first stage, called NREM Stage 1, is the moment when the brain begins shifting from wakefulness into sleep. This stage typically lasts only a few minutes. Muscles relax, breathing slows slightly, and eye movements become slower. Brain waves also begin to change.

When we are awake, the brain produces fast electrical signals called beta waves. As sleep begins, the brain switches to slower patterns known as theta waves.

Because this stage is very light, a person can wake up easily. Many people experience sudden muscle twitches known as hypnic jerks, which can feel like the sensation of falling.

Stage 2: Stable Light Sleep

NREM Stage 2 is where true sleep begins. This stage usually makes up the largest portion of the night. During this stage, the heart rate slows and body temperature drops slightly, preparing the body for deeper rest.

Brain recordings show unique patterns called sleep spindles and K complexes. Sleep spindles are short bursts of rapid brain activity. A 2011 Neuroscience study found that these spindles are closely connected with communication between the hippocampus and the cortex, two brain regions involved in memory formation.

Researchers believe these bursts help the brain protect sleep from outside disturbances while also strengthening memories formed earlier in the day.

Stage 3: Deep Sleep And Physical Recovery

NREM Stage 3, often called deep sleep or slow wave sleep, is the most restorative stage. In this stage, the brain produces very slow electrical patterns called delta waves. These waves indicate that the brain is in its deepest resting state.

Deep sleep is when the body carries out important repair work. Growth hormone is released, muscles recover from physical activity and the immune system strengthens. According to Mark Wu, a sleep expert and neurologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, this stage is also strongly linked to the restoration of energy and overall physical recovery.

It is difficult to wake someone during deep sleep. If they are awakened, they may feel disoriented or extremely groggy for several minutes.

REM Sleep And Dreaming

Most vivid dreams occur during this stage. At the same time, the body temporarily shuts down most muscle activity, a phenomenon called REM atonia, which prevents people from physically acting out their dreams. REM sleep typically makes up about 25 percent of total sleep time during a normal night.

Researchers have found that REM sleep plays an important role in emotional processing and learning. Multiple neuroscience studies suggest that REM sleep helps regulate emotions and supports the strengthening of neural connections involved in learning new skills.

A recent study reported by Harvard Medical School even found that reduced REM sleep may be associated with an increased risk of dementia later in life, highlighting the importance of this stage for long term brain health.

Why These Stages Matter

Experts in sleep science often emphasize that the quality of sleep matters just as much as the number of hours. When sleep is disrupted, the brain may not spend enough time in the stages that support learning, recovery, and emotional balance.

On World Sleep Day, this growing body of research reminds us that sleep is not wasted time. It is one of the most powerful biological systems the body has for restoring both the brain and the body every single night.

As we observe World Sleep Day today, under the theme “Sleep Well, Live Better”, we find ourselves at a digital crossroads. While we have never been more aware of the benefits of eight hours’ sleep, we have also never been more tempted to sacrifice that, like we are today.

Despite our pursuit of better sleep, modern-day lifestyles with late nights have trapped us in a loop of digital indulgence. The main culprit behind this is the rise of the Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms, which contribute to binge watching, followed closely by constant scrolling on social media. We are sacrificing restorative sleep for the lure of just one more episode, not realizing that the biological toll is higher than we think.

The Allure Of Just One More Episode

Binge-watching is not just a matter of lack of willpower; it is actually a carefully crafted psychological hook. The OTT platforms are designed to ignore our stop signals through features such as auto-play and cliffhanger storylines, which make us want to watch more.

When we decide to watch a particular show at 11:00 PM, we invariably find ourselves glued to the screen even at 2:00 AM, which harms our sleep cycle not only for that day, but also our work performance the next day.

This is actually known as Revenge Bedtime Procrastination, where people who have very little control over their lives during the daytime refuse to go to bed early in a bid to reclaim some freedom during the late hours of the night. However, this is actually an illusion that works to deliberately destroy our circadian rhythm, which in the long term is very harmful to our bodies.

The Biological Backlash

Our bodies operate on a delicate internal clock. When we expose ourselves to the blue light emitted by televisions, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, we suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep.

Some of the ill-effects of this include:

1. Disrupted Sleep Cycles and Blue Light Blockage

The human brain doesn’t just turn off when we sleep; it cycles through specific stages, moving from light sleep to deep (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) and finally to REM.

Our OTT devices emit high-intensity blue light. This light hits the melanopsin-containing receptors in your retina, which send a direct signal to the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus—the brain’s master clock. This signal suppresses the pineal gland from releasing melatonin.

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness, signaling the body to sleep and regulating the circadian rhythm.

Depriving yourself of this makes the brain emotionally brittle and unable to distinguish between a minor inconvenience and a genuine crisis the next day.

2. Cognitive Fog: The Failure of the Glymphatic System

Cognitive fog is the subjective feeling of a very real physiological backlog. Think of your brain as a high-performance engine that produces metabolic waste throughout the day. During deep sleep, the space between your neurons increases, allowing Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) to rush in and wash away metabolic waste products, such as beta-amyloid (the same protein linked to Alzheimer’s).

Sleep is also when the brain performs synaptic scaling. It weakens unimportant neural connections made during the day so that the important ones (learning and memory) can stand out. When you compromise your sleep cycle for OTT, the trash isn’t picked up.

Your synapses remain cluttered and noisy, leading to slower neural transmission speeds. This manifests as cognitive fog, characterized by problems in focusing and slow-motion thinking.

3. Physical Health Risks: Autonomic Dysregulation

The brain is the command center for your entire body’s physiology. Chronic sleep deprivation caused by late-night digital habits keeps the brain in a state of Hyperarousal. Staying awake late to watch stimulating content triggers the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. This keeps your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and norepinephrine abnormally high.

Over time, this chronic fight or flight state leads to structural changes in the brain’s vasculature. The persistent elevation in blood pressure (hypertension) and the metabolic shift toward obesity are direct results of a brain that is being forced to stay awake when it should be recharging.

Beyond OTT, doom-scrolling through social media feeds adds to the mental stimulation. The dopamine hits from the ‘likes’ and short-form videos keep the brain in a high state of arousal, making it nearly impossible to transition into a restful state.

Reclaiming the Night: Practical Solutions

However, to fully live by the motto of “Sleep Well, Live Better”, we need to change the way we think about sleep. Sleep is neither a luxury nor a waste of time; it is the key to efficiency in our tasks during our waking hours.

The solutions are simple, but need discipline:

• Digital Sunset: Just as the sun sets, so too should your digital devices. Try to turn off all OTT platforms and social media at least 60 minutes before bedtime. This will give your body the chance to produce melatonin naturally.

• The One-Episode Rule: If you absolutely have to watch something before going to bed, pick a show that has a definitive endpoint for the night. Turn off the auto-play feature on your streaming services to take back control of your viewing habits.

• Create a Sanctuary: Make the bedroom a screen-free zone. If your phone is your alarm clock, consider purchasing a traditional analog clock to take away the temptation of a quick scroll before drifting off to sleep.
• Mindful Transitioning: Swap out the blue light for low-stimulation activities. Reading a physical book will make your brain think, and you will feel tired after some time, which will lead to better sleep. Some gentle stretching or journaling can help your nervous system understand that the day is over.

Sleep Well, Live Better

This World Sleep Day, let us recognize that no plot twist in a thriller or no viral trend on social media is worth the degradation of our health by compromising on sleep.

The “miracles” we seek—success at work, family time, and personal growth—cannot be built on a foundation of exhaustion. We all need rest so that we can wake up with more energy the next day to achieve our life goals with dedication.

By choosing the pillow over the play button, we aren’t just going to sleep; we are choosing to live a more vibrant, focused, and healthier life.