The novel coronavirus may be the worst nightmare of infected people, healthcare workers and governments across the world, but it is depriving numerous others of a good sleep also. Anxiety about virus-induced job loss, placement delay and business slump are keeping many awake at the dead of night.Youngsters, especially fresh graduates and techies, are among the most affected.
“Mid April, our team leaders benched a few of us from projects temporarily. Since then, I am not able to sleep well. Sometimes, I stay awake the whole night worrying about sustaining my family,’’ says Ashwin Ravi (31), an IT employee in OMR.Those who just completed their dream courses are also spending sleepless nights.
“I paid Rs 7 lakh fees for the course but placements are yet to take off due to the lockdown. I am sleepless, worried about explaining the scenario to parents,’’ says a young journalism graduate, who did not want to be named.Medical and mental health experts say that sleep deprivation and insomnia are outcome of stress and it could have consequences ranging from short term to long term.
Dr Bhuvaneshwari Rajendran, a neurologist at Kauvery Hospital, says this is a period of uncertainty in the job market and many people are vulnerable.“This creates an undercurrent of stress and triggers change in cortisol and adrenaline levels. Our sleep cycles are severely affected in this period,” says.
Dr Bhuvaneshwari adds that lack of sleep disturbs the day and night cycles in individuals. “Change in blood pressure, heaviness in head, headache and rise in sugar level are some effects of sleep deprivation.’’
The neurologist adds that when people work from home, they tend to work ‘more’ and as a result, they expose themselves to too much artificial light. “This may lead to people having more vivid dreams.’’
Sahithya Raghu, consultant psychologist with Gleneagles Global Health City, points to a case of her client, a businessman with no medical history, having a cardiac arrest. “Since the lockdown, his funds were stuck somewhere. He had not been sleeping the whole night for two months thinking about it. Suddenly, on a fine day he ended up having cardiac arrest.’’
She says that all our glands function only in the night and sleeplessness may internally change the way the body functions. Minimal exercise can help in developing a good psychological health, she adds.