(In the weekly Health Matters newsletter, Ramya Kannan writes about getting to good health, and staying there. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox.)
You are going to have to wake up wide for this week’s newsletter, for this time, we are going to tell you about prioritising sleep. A good night’s sleep is highly underrated, but we are just coming to terms with the multiple impacts that sleep, or the lack of it, indeed, have on the human body.
It’s no coincidence that World Sleep Day was around the corner. This is an annual event organised by the World Sleep Society to raise awareness about the importance of sleep for overall health and well-being. Celebrated on the Friday before the spring equinox each year, World Sleep Day 2025 was on March 14. This year’s theme, ‘Make Sleep Health a Priority,’ emphasises recognising sleep as a fundamental component of health alongside diet and exercise. We seized the opportunity to build some awareness about it with a bunch of articles.
Dr. D.C. Mathangi wrote about mind-body techniques to sleep smarter, where she argued that sleep should be our priority: not a luxury, but a necessity for optimal health, mental clarity and emotional well-being. Numerous studies have stressed the adverse effects of poor sleep as an increasing risk to almost all diseases starting from diabetes and hypertension to cancer. Another aspect often overlooked is how bad sleep affects mental health, emotional balance and cognition. Good sleep, especially in the night, is critical to having a good day, with better mental resilience, a calmer mindset and enhanced productivity.
In this article, Don’t sleep over it: debunking slumber myths and embracing healthy habits Dr. Ishan Capoor again stresses on sleep hygiene. Proper sleep aids in muscle repair, brain function, hormone regulation, and stress reduction. The ideal window to fall asleep is between 10 pm and 11 pm, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule—even on weekends—helps regulate the body’s internal clock.
If you think sleep, can snore be far behind? We’ve thought of that too. Do read Serena Josephine M.’s article here: More than a snore: deconstructing sleep apnoea. There is normal habitual snoring that could be due to reasons such as nasal obstructions and nasal polyps. This may not impact routine life. Then, there is snoring due to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. Here, snoring is a symptom and impacts individuals in more than one way. It could affect their personal and professional lives, and can also carry grave consequences if it is allowed to advance without any course correction.
Also, in case you did not know this yet, Good sleep is a struggle for many startup founders, business leaders: as per a survey. More than 26% of professionals said they are getting less than six hours of sleep in the night, a problem even more pronounced among entrepreneurs.
Also World Kidney Day was observed a day earlier on March 13, and Siddharth Kumar Singh had a story. No longer is kidney disease just a problem of the elderly, it is affecting young Indians too, say experts. Do hit up the link above, but the gist is chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly affecting younger individuals in India, with experts attributing this trend to factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and lifestyle choices. Early detection and lifestyle modifications are crucial in managing CKD and preventing its progression.
This week, we also had fascinating explorations into the sphere of mind and memory. What is memory, and what is the mind, asks Avishek Parui in his article: How could you forget? The mysterious, mischievous memory-machine. He delves into the complexities of human memory, highlighting its fallibility and the factors influencing it. The article discusses how memories are not static recordings but are reconstructed each time we recall them, making them susceptible to alterations. Factors such as emotions, suggestions, and biases can distort our recollections, leading to inaccuracies, and it is important to understand these nuances.
Another interesting take by Sweta Gupta is here: The Mandela Effect: When memory plays tricks on us. The Mandela Effect is a further exploration of memory, about quirky memory slips; but also how it’s deeply rooted in how our brains work. Every time we recall an event, our brain fills in the gaps with what seems plausible, often influenced by external sources like news, movies, or even conversations with others. This can lead to shared false memories that feel incredibly real.
Baby Chakrapani P. S.’s article on substance abuse argued that it was important to Understand the neurobiological basis first, identifying it as the root of the problem. Abhish K. Bose examines Kerala’s mental healthcare scenario and quotes students who say infrastructure requires more staff and a written action plan.
With interest in obesity creeping up in the country, thanks to the Prime Minister mentioning it in his Mann Ki Baat programme, Dr. Arun Gupta brings to perspective what is spurring the crisis in India: Flawed food regulations. Weak and subjective labelling and advertising laws have let junk food giants enjoy the freedom to make profits at the expense of public health. Meanwhile, check out C. Maya’s article: After teen’s death, doctors in Kerala highlight serious impact of eating disorders among adolescents.
Priyadarshini Singh in Tackling the problem of nutrition emphasised the need for a comprehensive nutrition agenda to effectively address malnutrition in India. It critiques the current focus on targeted interventions, suggesting that they may not be sufficient to tackle the multifaceted nature of malnutrition.
In this story, Serena Josephine M. looked at a Study that found high rates of polypharmacy, self-medication among older adults in India. Polypharmacy refers to the intake of five or more medications per day. Among those who self-medicated, a majority lacked knowledge about self-medication, and did not understand the risks associated with it, emphasising the need to regulate this.
In other stories for the week, Kailash Satyarthi wrote about Building compassion into the health-care structure, while Athira Elssa Johnson brings the light on Adult immunisation. It can provide protection from multiple diseases.
R. Sujatha brings some good news for diabetics, as she speaks to experts on what it means now that the drug Empagliflozin is going off patent. Doctors look forward to price reduction, and eventually, benefitting diabetic, heart and kidney patients. I had a story this week on the benefits of almond consumption: A many splendored nut: studying the health benefits of eating almonds regularly
Veering on to one of our regular subjects, on infectious diseases, we have B. Behera,T.S. Sarin,V. Vinoj wrote on how Environmental mapping revealed melioidosis in Odisha peak during monsoon. If we have not introduced Melioidosis to you, it is a bacterial infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, and is primarily acquired by inoculation, inhalation and/or ingestion of soil- and water-dwelling environmental saprophytes. The disease is strongly influenced by environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, and humidity.
R. Prasad writes on Treating chikungunya using HIV/AIDS drug efavirenz. As part of the recent partnership with Naruvi Hospital, Vellore and The Hindu, a webinar on Immunising the elderly is crucial in disease prevention, was held. On the same thread, do read The Hindu’s edit on adult immunisation in the light of the current influenza cases in the Delhi-NCR area.
Dr. C. Aravinda questions if cancer can be a notifiable disease? Making cancer notifiable could enhance data collection, leading to better prevention and treatment strategies. However, concerns about patient privacy and the potential misuse of data are also addressed. The article suggests that careful consideration is needed to balance public health benefits with individual rights.
Pooja Sagar, Aruna Bhattacharya in their article From insurance-driven private health care to equity critiqued India’s current health care approach, which heavily relies on insurance-driven private health care, leading to inequities in access and quality of services, while Vikash R. Keshri wrote on The challenges of public health education in India. He highlighted issues such as inadequate infrastructure, shortage of trained faculty, and limited research opportunities, calling for a multidisciplinary approach, integrating fields like sociology, economics, and environmental science into public health curricula.
Soham D. Bhaduri in A status check of universal health coverage in India made the points that while India has made significant strides toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), challenges persist.
In our tailpiece segment this week, we have Kabir Sardana ask: What’s in a (disease’s) name? Did you know that naming a disease is almost as tricky as naming a baby—but with way worse consequences if you get it wrong. A poorly-named disease can create unnecessary panic (remember the Wuhan flu debates?), unfairly target places (sorry, Spanish Flu), or just sound too scary (bone-crushing fever). Scientists try to keep names neutral and factual, but let’s be honest—nobody wants to be diagnosed with something that sounds like a horror movie title. The takeaway? Choose your disease names wisely, or risk a PR nightmare besides a lot of offended cities.
We have a solid batch of explainers this week, do tarry over the links…
Meenakshy S. All you need to know about: PMDD
All you need to know about: low-bone density
Dr. Monisha Madhumita Ahead of Holi, understanding the impact of colours on skin health
Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan What is viral meningitis?
All you need to know about public health
From mines to minds: how lithium shapes energy and psychiatry
If you have some extra moments, do also read the following articles:
Zubeda Hamid Science Quiz: Oral Health
Bindu Shajan Perappadan People living near river drains are at elevated risk of developing cancer: ICMR
Serena Josephine M. Tamil Nadu’s sex ratio at birth makes steady progress, moves from 931 in 2021-22 to 941 in 2023-24
Over 3,200 PMJAY hospitals should be penalised for fraud, says NHA
WHO starts slimming down in response to U.S. cuts, document shows
FDA recalls batches of acne creams due to slightly elevated benzene level
Over six lakh cases identified under 100-day TB control campaign: as per Health Ministry data
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Published - March 18, 2025 05:03 pm IST
