The talk of 4 hours of sleep is nonsense- Dr. Monika: If your body is a machine then the brain is the engine and good sleep is its fuel – Gujarat News

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People are now getting advice for everything, but have you ever heard of a sleep advisor? This year, for the first time, a sleep advisor has also been appointed for our athletes. This advisor is Dr. Monika Sharma, who has been active as a sleep advisor for the last several years.

Why was a sleep advisor needed for the Olympics?
Dr. Monica says that I have been working with most athletes as a sleep consultant for a long time. Due to my advice, there has been a lot of difference in the routine life, fatigue and daily work of the athletes. This has also made a lot of difference in their performance. SAI (Sports Authority of India) and IOS (International Olympiad of Science) took it seriously. They also paid attention to how much benefit can be derived from sleep. In the Olympics, every aspect was given enough attention, but no one paid attention to the sleep circle. But, this has been focused on for the first time and I have been appointed for the same.

Dr. Monica further says that the sleep needs of Olympic athletes are very different from ours. They have to perform at their best. They have to practice hard. They have to compete with athletes from all over the world on different schedules. Amidst all this, their body and mind are under severe stress. This directly affects their sleep and overall performance. In this way, sleep is not only for rest, but it is also an important part of their recovery and performance.

How do you keep an eye on so many players at once?
Regarding this, Dr. Monica says that for this we have different timetables and setups, which have been ready for a long time. Now there is no change in it. Those people have to follow it regularly and also have to report to me daily. They have strict instructions that there should be no ‘cheat code’ when it comes to health. Nothing should be hidden from me, only then we will be able to make their sleep absolutely perfect.

Every disease is related to sleep
Talking about her initial days as a sleep consultant, Dr. Monika Sharma says, ‘When I was doing clinical practice in Delhi in 2007, I noticed a trend in my clinic that whenever a patient came to me I would ask them a few questions about their sleep. Then I realised that sleep is responsible for everyone’s illness in some way or the other.

People don’t go to the doctor with their sleep problems, but everyone has sleep problems and it also causes other diseases. Well, from then on my interest in sleep gradually started increasing. I started reading different books on sleep. I realized that I need a special training or course for it. I started searching for it, but there is no course for it in India. Finally I applied to a university in America and did the course from there.

What are the symptoms of poor sleep?
In response to this question, Dr. Monica says- The first thing is how long does it take you to fall asleep after going to bed? If it takes 30 minutes or more, then you should definitely see a doctor. Apart from this, if your sleep breaks in between, then this is also a bad sign. Sleep should always come together, not in pieces. If you fall asleep early in the morning, then this is also a symptom of illness. Many people come with the problem that we have set the alarm for 8 am, but sleep disappears by 4 am, if snoring occurs regularly, then it is a disease. All this causes many problems throughout your day. Such as, sleepiness during the day, anger and irritability. There are many difficulties like restlessness, memory problems, effect on decision making power, lack of concentration.

What is good sleep called?
Regarding this, Dr. Monica says, ‘There is a simple rule for sleep.’ One should sleep at least 8 hours a day. Out of 24, you do your work for 8 hours, give 8 hours to your hobbies, your family and friends and get 8 hours of sound sleep. For which some things have to be kept in mind. First of all, your sleep timetable should be fixed. The time of sleeping and waking up every day should be fixed. For example, if you go to bed at 11 pm, then you should maintain the same time every day. If you want to wake up at 7 am, then wake up at 7 am every day. Sleeping time keeps fluctuating by half an hour, but go to bed at 11 pm one day and 2 pm the next day. This is an open invitation to disease.’

Question: How many hours before sleeping should one have dinner?
Answer: Your regular diet also makes a lot of difference to your sleep. Due to lack of proper sleep, we keep feeling sleepy during the day and to stay awake, we consume more tea and coffee, which keeps us constantly alert. The use of tea and coffee is increasing all over the world. Caffeine enters our body not only from tea and coffee but also from energy drinks. For a good sleep, take special care that you should not drink tea or coffee after 3 or 4 o’clock. Apart from this, fast food also has a bad effect on your sleep. For a good night’s sleep, you should eat at least 2 hours before sleeping. ‘At least 2 hours gap is necessary between dinner and bedtime.’

Why do we wake up while dreaming?
In response to this, Dr. Monica said that for this we first have to understand the sleep cycle and also know how many stages sleep is divided into. The sleep cycle is divided into 4 parts. This includes the initial stage, raw sleep, which is the initial stage of sleep. In that stage, even if someone enters the room or turns on the light, your sleep is disturbed. In Stage-2 your body temperature, heart rate all decrease and your whole body relaxes.

After this comes stage-3, which is the most important part of sleep. Stage-3 plays a role in removing physical fatigue. No matter how much work is done throughout the day, all the fatigue goes away in stage-3. This stage is necessary for good sleep. And finally comes stage-4, which is also called the dream state. In stage-4 the brain becomes relaxed and mental fatigue goes away. Every dream comes to you in the dream state. And that is why everyone says that the dream was going on and the sleep went away, because that is the last stage of your sleep.

The room should be quiet and cool for a good sleep
What should one do if one has trouble sleeping? Dr. Monica advises people, ‘If this problem occurs regularly, then it is a disease and you must go to the doctor for it. At present, everyone’s condition is such that they are unable to get full sleep even if they want to. Due to too much work, we are unable to get full sleep even if we want to due to every responsibility. But if your problem is that you are unable to sleep for 22 hours after sleeping, then it is 100% a disease. The environment of the room should be like a cave even for sleeping. Meaning, the room should be cool, quiet and dark.’

It is not possible to sleep only 4 hours a night
We often hear many people saying, ‘I sleep only for 4 hours and yet I can work with full energy the whole day.’ So is this possible? Regarding this, Dr. Monica says – If you sleep for 4 hours, then there is no possibility of a good day. You are just compromising with yourself and getting your point across in the wrong way, but scientifically this is not possible. Everyone needs at least 7 hours of sleep, only then can your day go well. If you sleep less than this, then 100% your body will pay the price for it. Diseases like diabetes, blood pressure can also occur. ‘It is not possible to spend the whole day with just 4 hours of sleep.’

What to do if you can’t sleep?
What is the reason for the sleep related problems faced by people these days? People are becoming insomniacs day by day. Explaining the reason behind this, Dr. Monica says, ‘The most responsible reason for this is increasing stress throughout the day, excessive use of social media, disordered eating habits, being constantly connected to technology, not having a fixed timetable for their sleep. Due to which they have to face insomnia continuously. If this becomes a disease, then one will have to go to the doctor. But if the problem occurs only occasionally, then turmeric milk is the most effective. ‘Keep a gap of 2 hours before dinner and drinking turmeric milk at bedtime helps you sleep well and quickly.’