We all know a bad night's sleep makes the next day sluggish. But what many don't realise is how chronic poor sleep and persistent stress quietly reshape your body and brain over months and years. Sleep and stress form a toxic, two-way loop.

Stress fragments sleep, and fragmented sleep amplifies anxiety, mood disorders and metabolic strain. The health consequences are broad, ranging from raised blood pressure and insulin resistance to cognitive fog and a higher risk of depression.

In India, where long work hours, urban noise, air pollution and rising mental-health pressures converge, sleep disorders are increasingly common and often untreated.

Recent reviews and epidemiological studies link insufficient or irregular sleep with worsened cardiovascular outcomes, and systematic Indian data point to high prevalence of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea across age groups.

The good news is that sleep problems are treatable, and interventions as simple as regular bedtimes or cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can improve both sleep and mental health.

Chronic sleep loss and disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are independently associated with higher cardiovascular risk. 

Source:Ndtv