Are you sleeping miserably because of the city you live in?

More than half of the Indian population sleeps better on a holiday. So is the city we live in responsible for erratic sleep cycles?

With people leading frenzied lives in most metropolises, it is no surprise that these cities have earned the moniker: “A city that never sleeps”. One out of four Indians claim to have insomnia as of 2024, while close to half of India’s population wakes up feeling fatigued, according to Bengaluru-based sleep solution firm Wakefit’s Great Indian Sleep Scorecard 2024. 

The sleep aids market in India which was, by and large, restricted to mattresses and pillows at one point, has now boomed into a million-dollar industry in the country with solutions featuring technology, aromatherapy, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Presently valued at US$289 million, the market is predicted to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.55 per cent over the next five years. Evidently, insomnia is rampantly becoming the new normal.

However, take a step back and transport yourself to your last vacation—did you find yourself sleeping better outside of the distressing hysteria of city life? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone—a whopping 66 per cent of Indians reported sleeping more and better than usual while on a holiday. Forty-nine per cent of the American population also shared the same feeling. So is the city we reside in responsible for our collapsed sleep make-up? We ask experts to find out more.

Sleep and our immediate environment

There’s a reason why pillow mists, melatonin gummies, white-noise playlists, and sleep-enhancing supplements are thriving. How you feel right before you hit the snooze button influences the quality of your sleep considerably. Hence, every tool that stimulates your internal and external environment is selling like hotcakes. While Dr Lily Blecher, Chief Medical Officer at Soneva Soul, informs that factors like temperature, noise levels, light exposure, and air quality directly impact our ability to fall asleep and move through sleep cycles effectively, psychologist and psychotherapist Shaurya Gahlawat throws light on the physical, social, cultural, and physiological aspects of one’s environment that can make or break a good night’s sleep.

“Our surroundings can have psychological implications that impact our mental well-being and sleep quality. For example, cluttered or disorganised spaces can contribute to feelings of stress and overwhelm, making it difficult to unwind before bedtime. The presence of others in our environment, such as family members, roommates or neighbours, can also influence our sleep patterns. Lastly, cultural norms, beliefs, and practices such as bedtime routines, meal times, and social activities related to sleep can vary widely, influencing  sleep behaviours and attitudes,” says Gahlawat.

Why does city life pose threats to sleep?

Besides direct triggers such as unmonitored noise disturbances from incessant traffic, excessive construction work, and overall commotion, city life wreaks havoc with your mental health in more ways than one. “The aforementioned elements can interfere with our circadian rhythm—the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle—leading to difficulties in falling and staying asleep,” says Blecher. “In addition, food, water and air pollution affect the body’s detoxification systems and cause toxicity and inflammation which, in turn, can cause an imbalance in the hormones and neurotransmitters that dictate our sleep/wake cycles,” she explains further.

Dr Neeru Jain, Wellness Director at Six Senses Fort Barwara, shares that how you spend your day defines your night’s sleep. “Driving on a busy road disrupts the energy of your body; high expectations from the self can be emotionally draining; overthinking—driven by manipulation—can complicate our intellectual body, and with no time to reconnect with our deeper self, there is a spiritual void,” she says, explaining how city life is indeed draining for its residents at multiple levels.

Along similar lines, Bleacher presents an Ayurvedic point of view. “In reality, nature and solar/lunar cycles dictate sleep/wake patterns. To experience healthy sleep, as humans, we need to attune ourselves to nature’s rhythms, and not the other way around. In cities, we are most often in unnatural light, sound and temperature environments, far removed from natural cycles. Additionally, non-stop activity elevates stress and anxiety, keeping the body in a heightened state of alertness that counteracts sleep.”

According to the previously mentioned Wakefit report, over 58 per cent of Indians go to bed after 11.00 pm in 2024. Living in a city means we tend to make peace with late nights, a lack of stress management, an absence of work-life balance, and anxiety as a way of living. “Most of my clients living in fast-paced cities report long working hours, excessive exposure to screens, long commute hours, navigating crowded spaces, social pressures, and chronic stress as the major reasons for poor sleep,” admits Gahlawat. And, if one happens to unwind as well, the common means of doing so are more or less unfavourable for your overall well-being in the long run. “‘Weekend culture’, where individuals work for long and heavy hours for five days of the week and then want to completely stay in bed or drown themselves in alcohol and drugs on the weekend also creates sleep disruptions,” says Gahlawat.

What many don’t consciously realise is that the daily grind of city life is also a spin-off of the rat race that we voluntarily sign up for—constant comparison with peers, toxic ambition, and FOMO encourage us to normalise the proscription of downtime. A 2017 survey revealed that over 60 per cent of working professionals in Tier 1 cities are stressed, and people working in Mumbai were more stressed than those in any other city in India. “Stress, anxiety and depression have a bi-directional relationship [with sleep], meaning that they can interfere with falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up feeling fresh,” says Dr Manvir Bhatia, neurologist and Vice President of the Indian Society of Sleep Research.

According to Dr Richa Mittal, from the Pulmonary Medicine department of Mumbai’s HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, depression can manifest as insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping for long hours). To sleep well and naturally, your body releases melatonin (or the sleep hormone) close to sunset and cortisol (or the stress hormone) close to sunrise, which helps keep your circadian rhythm in check. “With mental health concerns, hormones may not function the way they are supposed to, thereby hindering good sleep,” explains Gahlawat. “While chronic stress can lead to heightened arousal and hyper-vigilance, making it difficult to relax and fall asleep, anxiety-related sleep disturbances can manifest as difficulty initiating sleep, waking up frequently at night, or waking up very early in the morning,” she adds. 

Adopting a healthy sleep pattern 

“Sleeping and waking up at the same time (5-6 times a week), sleeping within 15 minutes of hitting the bed for 7-9 hours a night (for adults) without disruptions, and waking up refreshed is how a healthy sleep pattern looks like,” informs Gahlawat. Belcher adds, “A healthy sleep cycle involves 4-6 complete cycles of the four sleep stages, including both REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep, across a typical night.” An ideal sleep pattern according to Jain is going to bed and waking up at the same time feeling both physically fresh and mentally looking forward to the day, irrespective of the number of hours. 

Gahlawat says, “To sleep well, you need a tired body and a relaxed mind. Unfortunately, most of us do the opposite.” It is recommended that you make room for sleep hygiene—a system of practices and rituals you adapt for a good night’s sleep, every night. 

“A good night’s sleep from an Ayurvedic perspective begins with a harmonious lifestyle and diet that pacifies Vata, the dosha often responsible for sleep disturbances,” says Belcher, indicating how vital evening routines are. “Calming activities like a warm bath, meditation, or light yoga; setting up a tranquil environment; and avoiding stimulating activities before bedtime are considered essential. Ayurveda also suggests a light dinner with easy-to-digest foods to prevent sleep disruptions.” Maintaining cooler temperatures in your bedroom, soundproofing the space, and gratitude-journaling are a few other things that could help. Opting for meditation and yoga and seeking professional help as and when needed are two winning choices you can make. 

Lastly, for those who are able to, you can consider going on a holiday with good sleep as the premise of the trip. The trend of “sleep tourism” is a multibillion-dollar industry, estimated to grow at 8 per cent and over US$400 billion between 2023 and 2028, according to an analysis by HTF Market Intelligence. According to Bhatia, people today are voluntarily opting for “sleep restriction” in order to accommodate a plethora of tasks in a day. However, she also feels we are sleeping poorly because that’s the choice we’re making by prioritising social engagements and professional commitments, leading to delayed bedtime. However, following sleep hygiene can help you sleep better, even in the city, believes the doctor. “If there is only one thing you can work on for better health, let it be your sleep,” concludes Gahlawat.

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