Premium

‘Sleep is frequently deprioritised’: video series by Armed Forces Medical Services highlights crisis, shares practical tips

The series uploaded on the official DG-AFMS YouTube channel is not only designed for professionals but for veterans, students, and those seeking to harness the power of restorative sleep in their daily lives.

3 min readPuneSep 2, 2025 04:25 PM IST

The series of five videos, in English and Hindi, includes strategies to enhance sleep quality and provides practical tips for better sleep hygiene (Youtube/DGAFMS)

A new video series released recently by the Directorate General of the Armed Forces Medical Services unpacks the science of sleep and its impact on physical and mental health while sharing practical insights to sleep better, recover stronger, and live healthier.

Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DG-AFMS), told The Indian Express that though sleep plays a crucial role in human performance, many people unfortunately remain unaware of its importance and neglect it. “Even without valid reasons, sleep is frequently postponed or deprioritised,” Surgeon Vice Admiral Sarin said.

The series of five videos, in English and Hindi, includes strategies to enhance sleep quality and provides practical tips for better sleep hygiene, besides providing guidance on maintaining a sleep diary.

“The series on the official DG-AFMS YouTube channel is not just designed for medical professionals but for soldiers, veterans, students, and those seeking to harness the power of restorative sleep in their daily lives,” said Col Datta, who was previously with the Sports Medicine Department at Pune’s Armed Forces Medical College.

Growing issues due to lack of sleep

One of the primary issues many people face is the subtle and gradual onset of the harmful effects of poor sleep, combined with a general lack of awareness. “These effects often go unnoticed, creeping in slowly over time. In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, people tend to ignore the early warning signs, simply because they don’t recognise them. Over time, this neglect can lead to the development of full-blown sleep disorders and also increase the risk of other health conditions emerging earlier and progressing more rapidly,” Col Datta explained.

“Even if just one person learns to understand and manage their own sleep, it can lead to a lifetime of improvement for that individual. The more people we can reach and help improve their sleep health, the healthier the overall population will become. This is important because sleep loss and sleep problems contribute to increased allostatic load (wear and tear on body due to chronic stress), which can elevate the risk for various diseases,” Col Datta added.

Teaching kids about sleep hygiene

Studies worldwide have reported that the quality and duration of sleep in schoolchildren is affected by various factors, including pre-sleep habits, addiction to screen devices, lack of physical exercise, and unhealthy meal timings, among others.

Story continues below this ad

“We had also reported the relative lack of parental control, as reported by schoolchildren, as one of the causes behind this in our study. Lack of awareness about sleep and its problems among schoolchildren, parents, and schools also plays an important role. Like we talk about oral hygiene and body hygiene to students in nursery and kindergarten, we must also talk about sleep hygiene,” Col Datta added.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

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. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Recommendations...

Mar 08: Latest News

Live Blog