Hyderabad Neurologist Claims Losing An Hour Of Sleep Can Take 4 Days To Recover

We are all aware how sleep is an important part of our routine, and insufficient sleep can cause a significant impact on our health. Highlighting this issue, Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, in a viral post claimed that losing even one hour of sleep can disrupt our well-being and take up to four days to fully recover from the effects of this sleep loss.

In a post shared on X (Formerly Twitter), Dr. Sudhir wrote, “If you lose just one hour of sleep, it could take 4 days to recover from that. Sleep deprivation can cause various symptoms, such as headache, poor focus and attention, increased irritability, poor judgement, poor decision making and increased sleepiness. Sleep, Healthy Habits.”

See the post here:

Since being shared online, the post has accumulated over 86,000 views, instigating a lively discussion in the comments section.

A user remarked, “Sleep is very underrated… on its impact on overall health. In today’s times – sleep is more vital than ever – due to high stress levels & poor lifestyle habits.”

Another shared a personal struggle, “I lose several hours of sleep every day even after following all the rules of being ready to sleep ! I’ve never been able to figure it out but maybe at 81 I don’t require more than 5 hours of sleep in spite of being active!”

“Sleep is indeed the elixir of life. Listen to your body well in time because if you don’t for a very long time, it is not going to listen to you. Your body is your first best friend. Take care and respect it,” a person stated.

Many users sought advice from Dr. Sudhir about sleep-related issues. An individual inquired, “Are melatonin tablets safe for sleep deprivation?” Dr. Sudhir responded, “Melatonin is safer than benzodiazepines and zolpidem, however, it is preferable to take them only after consulting a doctor.”

Another asked, “For how many hours a person has to sleep? age wise please Also pls tell us how to manage for youngsters who work on alternate night shifts/ afternoon shifts etc.”

Dr. Sudhir provided a detailed breakdown:

• Newborns (up to 3 months old): 14 to 17 hours.
• Infants (4 to 12 months old): 12 to 16 hours, including naptime.
• Young children (1 to 5 years old): 10 to 14 hours, including naptime.
• School-aged children (6 to 12 years old): 9 to 12 hours.
• Teenagers (13 to 18 years old): 8 to 10 hours.
• Adults (18 years and up): 7 to 9 hours.