Anil, 47, (name changed), a corporate executive who led a demanding, fast-paced lifestyle, had gained 5-6 kg over time and was slightly overweight. One and a half years ago, he consulted the doctor mainly for poor sleep and fatigue and was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea. A simple outpatient scopy examination to evaluate the airway showed blockages in the nose and palate-throat area that led to obstruction during sleep. Anil, however, did not take out time from his busy schedule and it was only when the condition worsened that he decided to undergo the brief minimally non-invasive procedure a few months ago.
“Like many patients, he was partly in denial and attributed his fatigue simply to sleepless nights, without realising that the underlying cause was sleep apnea. As Anil’s family began to understand the potential dangers of untreated sleep apnea, he decided to proceed with treatment. These are relatively simple, non-invasive procedures that take only a few minutes but must be performed under proper protocols in an operating theatre with appropriate precautions,” Dr Seemab Shaikh, founder national president of the Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnea, said.
Anil also lost weight due to lifestyle changes and post intervention, sleeps a lot better. “With improved quality of sleep his performance at work has also improved,” Dr Shaikh said and, on the occasion of World Sleep Day (March 13), emphasised that there is a dramatic effect when one’s sleep quality improves. “People do not realise that snoring is a very strong indicator of obstruction in the airway and people are unnecessarily worried that it would require a major surgical intervention. However OSA is one of the most common causes of sleep disorders. The incidence is continuously rising due to sedentary lifestyle, work pressure and other issues,” Dr Shaikh said.
Rise in cases of sleep deprivation
“In the last five years, the number of patients with sleep deprivation related issues has doubled,” Dr Shaikh said and pointed out that there was a need for a clear message. “This year’s theme for World Sleep Day is Sleep Well, Live Better. Sleep is an integral part of health and disturbed sleep has an adverse effect on almost every system of the body including your brain, thinking capacity and ability to make decisions, inability to control high blood pressure among others,” Dr Shaikh explained.
Dr Manvir Bhatia, vice president of Indian Society for Sleep Research, said that their tagline was “Sleep loss is injurious to your health”. “We need more awareness on this very important pillar of good health and as part of our activities are also connecting with pilots, school children and others to focus on improving sleep quality,” Dr Bhatia said. She also agreed that there has been a rise in the number of patients at the OPD with sleep deprivation. “It has been across all ages, be it lifestyle related problems or issues about work, there has been almost an almost two-fold increase in the number of people seeking solutions to lack of sleep,” Dr Bhatia said. According to Dr Neeraj Rayate, consultant robotic laparoscopic bariatric surgeon at Jupiter Hospital, obesity is a major risk factor for OSA causing upper airway collapse, intermittent hypoxia and poor sleep quality leading to day somnolence and said it was vital that these factors are addressed.
24/7 lifestyle
Dr Shambhavi Joshi, who is in charge of the Sleep Lab at Bharati Vidyapeeth Hospital and Research Centre also flagged concern about the 24/7 lifestyle, paired with prevalent use of electronic devices and social media. “We have forgotten to switch off or disconnect. It seems as if we have lost touch with our innate need to sleep. We are going to bed later, but not getting up any later to match,” Dr Joshi said adding that it was creating a sleep deprived population who seems to believe that our need for sleep can reduce to fit in our busy lives. “Sleep is not a luxury. It is a necessity for optimal human functioning and survival. According to research, more than one-third of Indians have severe sleep problems and the disease burden for sleep disorders is huge among our population,” Dr Joshi said. She recalled the case of a youth in his early 20s who was unable to sleep and had cognitive concerns and expressed concern that inadequate sleep has been normalised to such an extent that people don’t realise this can lead to serious health issues. “One must practice good sleep hygiene to get good quality sleep,” she added.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .
Professional Background
Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.
Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.
Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.
Awards and Recognition
Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care
"Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose.
2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series)
Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs.
"For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune.
3. Lifestyle & Wellness News
"They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions.
At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents.
4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure
For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics.
Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far.
Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership
Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.
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