Priyanka Tiwari
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A new study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) indicates that clinical sleep disorders now impact roughly 25% of adults in metropolitan areas. The problem is especially severe with younger professionals in tech hotspots like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“There is no answer among sleeping pills or high-tech equipment,” said a spokesperson. “Very encouraging results are coming from simple breathing techniques.”
The Association Between Breathing and Lack of Sleep
Dr. Ramasree Yerramsetty, a General Physician and Heart Specialist from Secunderabad, explains that the early signs of sleep disorders are often neglected. “It starts subtly with a few nights of pain and phone overuse. Later it looks like stress patterns seen in heart attack survivors,” she explains. It has become the norm for urban patients to exhibit rapid, and shallow breathing during sleep consultations.
ICMR’s research indicates that an irregular circadian rhythm places tech employees as one of the most exposed. Many do not know that broken breathing rhythms, alongside increased screen time, escalates worsen gaps in sleep for a lot of people self-inflicting through devices.
Modern Problems Require Ancient Solutions
AIIMS Delhi had a study looking into the effects diaphragmatic breathing had on office workers. The outcomes were astonishing as the subjects completed the test 19% faster and reported a 31% reduction in waking during the night.
Dr. K Govinda Rao of Sai Amrutha General & Diabetic Care, Secunderabad, tells us "These micro-practices fit nicely within hectic Indian work hours. Even commuters in Mumbai relax using the 4-7-8 breathing technique on the train, reporting a nearly 33% decrease in stress hormones and sleep improvement akin to mild sedatives."
Families adopting bedtime humming rituals also witnessed significant gains, with children gaining up to 41 extra minutes of sleep each night.
5 Simple Breath-Based Rituals Helping Indians Sleep Better
4-7-8 Breathing During Commutes
Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, exhale for eight seconds. This ritual practiced during commutes shifts the body’s stage to rest and reduces cortisol levels.
Diaphragmatic Breathing Breaks at Work:
Deep breathing through the nose followed by exhaling through pursed lips can be performed in high-stress professions. A five-minute session can aid in falling asleep faster during the night and minimize waking up during the night.
Pre-Bedtime Family Humming Rituals:
Joint sessions of humming have been reported to hasten the process of falling asleep for children and adults and reduce the need for medication as per The Sleep Medicine journal.
Guided Breathing with Wearable Monitors:
Monitors such as QuickVitals that calculate breathing rates help the user to identify their day time breathing patterns with sleep in the night, increasing compliance with healthy lifestyle habits.
Breath-Matching Apps for Nighttime Wind-Down:
Novel Indian apps with live audio and visual coaching breathe guidance have benefits similar to other sleep aids without adverse effects.
