How sleep can make or break your career
Summary
Indian adults lose about three nights of sleep every week, which affects their physical and mental health and productivity at work
Trishita Das, 26, sleeps only three-four hours every night. “I am anxious by nature and have difficulty ‘turning off’ my brain at the end of a day, especially when working on a difficult project or dealing with stress," says the Delhi-based publishing professional. “I have struggled with sleep for a decade." Inadequate sleep causes migraines, fatigue and a lowered immunity, which makes her prone to frequent colds or bouts of flu, and impacts her work. “It makes me less efficient and more irritable on many days. Managing stress is even more difficult because of insufficient sleep and work always comes with stress."
Das is not alone. Health technology company ResMed’s recent Global Sleep Survey 2025 concluded that adults are losing an average of three nights of sleep per week, pointing towards a global sleep crisis. The survey results, based on interviews with 30,026 people from 13 countries, including India, Japan, China, Thailand, Germany and the US, showed that 49% of Indians struggled to fall asleep at least three times a week, and 47% took sick leave at least once in their careers due to poor sleep. Indian women had worse sleep quality than men, experiencing fewer nights of good sleep (3.83 hours versus 4.13 for men), with hormonal changes and menopause being key disruptors.
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Sleep goes beyond rest. It helps boost short- and long-term physical and mental performance. “Science shows that even one night of sleep deprivation can reduce natural killer (NK) cell activity, compromising immunity and increasing inflammation," says Luke Coutinho, an integrative and lifestyle medicine specialist.
At the workplace, erratic sleep can impact focus, creativity, stress management, mood and more. “Poor sleep quality affects your work life significantly, including decision-making, increased mistakes, irritability, anxiety, burnout, and can lead to health issues like obesity, diabetes, depression and more," says Dr. Nileena N.K.M, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist who is a consultant at Chennai’s Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences.
“As we age, it is challenging to learn new things and poor sleep further impacts memory. Career development can be derailed as upgrading skills is essential to staying relevant at work," Dr. Nileena says.
Sleep issues are not new, but Dr. Nileena has observed them worsening in recent years with the overstimulation caused by technology, more light exposure, increased caffeine usage and changes in work culture post covid.
For Rajesh P., sleep issues began post covid owing to disrupted work-from-home schedules and a stressful period at home, which led to anxiety and depression.
“I fall asleep quickly because I am exhausted, but I wake up around 3am either because my baby needs to be walked, or due to something that I am worried about and struggle to go back to sleep," says the 40-year-old who works for a multinational in Delhi.
He is often tired at work, unable to do deep dives that require focused thought or writing, only managing administrative or coordination work in this state. He tries to shut off by watching something, but that doesn’t always help.
Some resort to medication or supplements to help them sleep. Social development professional Ella Sonawane, 61, often struggles to fall asleep, resorting to medicines to help her sleep on some nights. But the next day she struggles to concentrate at work. “I’m irritable but can’t show it. I’ve had to leave work and go home," says Delhi-based Sonawane. “My social outreach visits are postponed due to lack of sleep as I don’t feel rested enough to travel."
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Many organisations across the world emphasise work-life balance, but the reality of working with international teams and looming deadlines makes rest difficult. Rajesh works across multiple time zones, with meetings stretching into the night.
“International systems have frequent mid-year breaks which is absent in India," he says. His company supports employees through hybrid working, and flexible hours and leaves.
“I don’t have to deal with micromanaging or watching the clock. But WFH (work from home) means you are always on call, so you never completely switch off," he says.
Despite growing awareness of its importance, sleep is still not often prioritised. “We often treat sleep as something we can catch up on later, squeezing in a few hours between work, social commitments, and late-night screen time," says Coutinho.
When Das’ choice is between finishing a project on time or getting enough rest, going out with friends or an early night, sleep always loses.
“It doesn’t feel like a ‘productive’ use of time—I’m not getting anything out of it," says Das.
Coutinho advises against underestimating the importance of sleep, reiterating how the lack of it impacts productivity, cognitive abilities and career growth.
Improving nap time
Das has tried medication, meditation and white noise playlists, but in vain. “The only thing that seems to help is avoiding screen time before bed, especially social media. I also try to do some form of exercise during the day so that I am more likely to sleep at night." She manages her migraine and fatigue with painkillers and caffeine to get through the workday.
Others are overhauling their lifestyles to improve their sleep quality. Hospitality professional Anahita Nair has struggled with sleep since she was a child. “It worsened in my late 20s and continues in my early 30s, with adulting and the grief of losing my dad when I was 30 further affecting my sleep," says the 32-year-old marketing head of a global hotel chain in Hyderabad. Light dinners, sleeping early and a leisurely start with a nourishing breakfast helps her energy levels during the day. She avoids socialising on weeknights, and prefers relaxing weekends. Reading before bedtime and during her cab rides to work helps clear her mind and have a more restful day and sleep.
Dr. Nileena advises sticking to the same sleep schedule on weekdays and weeknights, as differing schedules can disrupt the regularity and quality of sleep schedules. She also encourages people to identify their chronotypes—the individual preference for when we are the most alert and productive and when we sleep best, a reflection of our own circadian rhythm.
“One should ideally prioritise work and rest around their chronotype." However, this can be difficult with traditional office hours and social schedules. If lifestyle changes are not helping, seek professional help, advises Dr. Nileena.
One thing Coutinho makes clear is that one cannot catch up on a sleep deficit overnight. “The body needs consistent, quality sleep to function optimally," says Coutinho. “The more mindful you are about sleep discipline, the better you’ll perform—at work and in life."
Catching up on lost sleep
Skimping on sleep is not advised, but there are some tips on dealing with the workday after a one-off night of inadequate rest. Expert Luke Coutinho suggests a 30-minute power nap to refresh and energise during the work day. He advises against oversleeping to “make up" for lost hours, returning to regular consistent bedtime to realign your circadian rhythm. Hydrating with water and fruit juices, without added sugar, helps with feeling lighter, rather than overloading on caffeine, which can cause energy crashes and disrupt sleep the following night. Gentle movement like stretching or walking and sunlight exposure can improve circulation and reduce grogginess.
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