DK Kotwal
It is advisable to make the most of any technology that makes our life easier,comfortable and cosy but today we are coming across a trend that is widespread,alarming and nonsensical,to put it mildly—fidgeting with electronic gadgets late into night atthe cost of sleep. What follows, there is a progression from sleeplessness to depression. Watching movie at 2,have chats with friends at 3,surfing TV channels late at night —-what the people young and old are doing with electronic gadgets at the ungodly hours ?.This practice is generally being followed by urban dwellers.
Not very long before, there was a time when having dinner at 8 or 9 and after that going to sleep was a normal habit and is still being followed in some areas. Now dinner is had close to midnightor later and then getting active on line has turned the natural pattern of sleep upside down. Psychiatrists say that peoples’preoccupationwith the internet, cell phones,and TV sets and excessive use of these gadgets has had devastating effect upon their health.
Medical experts say that 6 to 8 hours sleep is an absolute must for young and children may have more than this whereas the oldpeople may a little bit less ,that too not less than six hours.During deep slumber,reparation and recoupment work is carried out by the internal system of the body. The mind also tones up memory during the sleep.It ingrains what is necessary into memory system of the brain .Those who are on the line at night tend to become the victims of forgetfulness.
Those people whosleep late at night are generally lethargic,feel drowsy and listless.Their behaviour undergoes a sea transformation and are irritable, forgetful,angry and fall prey to stress and anxiety.Children often miss schools and even if they go they are inattentive. Among adults lack of concentration is the cause of all sorts of accidents,nonproductivity and familial discord,setting apart the devastating effectthat is there on their health. It is said that less sleep stimulates stress hormones and instead of the body is fresh after sleep it becomes subjected to additional stress. Is there the need to stay connected 24 hours? Experts are of the view that it is a false sense of importance .Most of the information is not of any value——they are unimportant conversationsand idle gossips.
People are becoming addicted to the gadgets and are neglecting daily routine normal activities that are good for physical and mental health.The relationships are suffering .Such type of style of living can be attributed to some extent to the advertisements put across the globe by telecom companies .I am reminded of the catch line of one of the advertisements of a telecom company,’Karlo Dunia Muthi M ein’ .This gives you a feeling that you can have access to anyone,anytime and anywhere.
The psychiatrists say that the young children are going to them for treatment of the problems unheard before —–abnormal aggression,severe headache, depression,abnormal weight,anxiety and epilepsy.When people are advised to sleep early ,most argue that they may be sleeping late but they also get up late and the number of slept hours is particularly the same .Is this argument a sound one ? Not at all. The psychiatrysays ,’The body has a natural biological clock which is in syc with sun rise and sun set .This controls the internal hormonal system that is responsible for the reparation , recuperation and growth in the case of children . If this clock is disturbed,severe consequences follow. There is no substitute to sleep.
Stanley Coren, noted professorof Psychology and author of the very popular book,’Sleep Thieves’ says,’ Not sleeping enough can compromise your immune system ‘. You eat well and exercise in order to keep your immune system up.Coren goes on to explain, but if you are not sleeping, you undo all that good work. ‘The immune system works best when you are sleeping,’ he says. ‘That is when your natural killer cells are generated,’It isnot just our immune system that gets adversely affected when we cut down on sleep.According to Dr Michael Sole, a Canadian cardiologist,there is a higher rate of heart failure among people with sleep disorders and disturbances
Researches in various universities all over the world have discovered that chronic sleep loss can reduce the body ability to regulate hormones and process carbohydrates. In a study at the university of Chichago, the researchers reduced participants sleep from eight to four hours a night and after less than even aweek.,they noted changes in the body similarto the effects of early diabetes or advanced aging. Sleep disturbances increase the likelihood of insulin resistance.
Parents are advised to switch off their gadgets and TV sets by 10 pm. IN 50 percent of the cases the parents are directly or indirectly responsible for these technological indiscretions being used by their children. Children are immature, they need to be guided. The teachers have to be encouraged to drill in to the heads of students, the importance of sound sleep otherwise they will be victims of insomnia and will be tempted to taking pills. And the body will be driven by chemicals; carefully, we will have to impart education based on principles of Yoga and meditation to overcome the burning problem———“a sleep deficit” of the current times.
It is fairly simple at the end, control the remote in your hand or be controlled by it.
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