Coronavirus: Lockdown Leaves Indians Sleep-Deprived According to a study by mattress company Wakefit.co, 81 per cent said they would sleep better after the lockdown ends.
By Debroop Roy
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While the effects of the ongoing Coronavirus-enforced lockdown in India can be seen far and wide, it seems to have disrupted a particularly interesting area of people's lives – sleep. According to a study by mattress company Wakefit.co, 81 per cent said they would sleep better after the lockdown ends.
The 'Work from Home' study was conducted across the cities of Bengaluru, Delhi/NCR, Mumbai among others and saw the participation of 1,500 respondents. 55 per cent were in the age group of 26-35 years and 20 per cent between 36 and 45.
Work From Home
Several companies have had their employees working from home owing to the lockdown and this has led to disruptions in sleep schedules, as per the study.
50 per cent respondents said that working from home made them feel sleepier during work hours, while 67 per cent said it had at least altered their sleep timings.
Late Nights
The survey indicates that there has been a 40 per cent rise in late-night sleepers post the lockdown. Before the nationwide lockdown came into effect last month, 25 per cent respondents went to bed after midnight, a number that has shot up to 35 per cent after the lockdown.
Even the hours of sleep seem to have take a hit. 25 per cent of respondents used to get less than 6 hours of sleep under regular circumstances. Now, 36 per cent of the respondents fall in that category.
49 per cent said that they were staying up late due to lockdown-induced stress while 15 per cent said it was due to working late hours. Interestingly, 14 per cent blamed it on binge watching shows.
Other Findings
59 per cent respondents said they worked from their beds while for 56 per cent, their sleeping space is used for eating and watching online content on their devices.
Dedicating their sleep space could be made better by dedicating it only to sleep, felt 50 per cent of the people. Some activities that they believed would help them sleep better were adjusting the light, creating a sleep ritual, and following guided sleep meditation among other things.
"This survey will provide us with actionable insights to strengthen our response to the current crises. Sleep is not just an immunity booster but also an essential function to help the body and mind respond optimally to any challenging situations," said Wakefit.co co-founder Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, in a statement.
