Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Manan Vohra recently highlighted a common yet overlooked issue in Indian households — “sleep shaming” — arguing that it may be harming people’s health.
In an Instagram video, he said, “You know what one of India’s biggest problems is? It is sleep shaming. People don’t let anyone sleep. This is very common in Indian households.” Calling out a common mindset, he added, “We’ve grown up believing waking up early means disciplined and sleeping late means lazy. But the body doesn’t work like that.”
Highlighting how people are often judged for sleeping in, Dr Vohra said, “If someone hasn’t completed their sleep, waking them up is disturbing their brain.” Referring to the familiar household routine of “Lights on, fan off, door slammed and then the shaming starts,” he urged families to rethink their approach, saying, “Sleep is not a time pass. It resets your brain, it improves your mood, it supports your immunity, and it protects your decision-making.”
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
But is sleep shaming really affecting our health? Dr Neetu Jain, Senior Consultant, Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at PSRI Hospital, says the issue deserves serious attention.
Sleep is a biological necessity, not a luxury
According to Dr Jain, sleep shaming —whether mocking someone for sleeping longer or glorifying those who sleep less—is increasingly a public health concern.
“In many workplaces and homes, getting less sleep is seen as a badge of dedication or productivity, while sleeping adequately is viewed as laziness. Such attitudes can lead to chronic sleep deprivation and serious health problems,” she says.
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Research recommends that most adults get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night. Consistently falling short can impair concentration, decision-making, emotional regulation and reaction time.
Dr Jain explains that over time, inadequate sleep is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, weakened immunity, anxiety, depression and even dementia.
“Sleep is not a luxury. It’s a biological imperative. Valuing good sleep is just as important as promoting healthy eating and regular exercise,” she says.
Does waking up early really mean you’re more disciplined?
Many Indian households continue to associate early rising with discipline and success. However, Dr Jain says science does not support this belief. “There is absolutely no scientific basis for the idea that waking up early automatically makes you more disciplined or productive,” she says.
Instead, she points to chronotypes—our body’s internal biological clock—which determine when we naturally feel sleepy and alert.
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“Some people are natural ‘morning larks’, while others are ‘night owls’. These differences are influenced by genetics, age, hormones, and environmental factors. Adolescents and young adults, for example, are naturally predisposed to later sleep schedules,” she explains.
What matters most, she adds, is getting enough restorative, good-quality sleep that aligns with your biological rhythm. “Rather than when you go to sleep, it’s the length, quality and regularity of sleep that count.”
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Why waking someone up mid-sleep isn’t harmless
Dr Vohra argues that waking someone before they’ve completed their sleep can disturb the brain. Dr Jain agrees, noting that sleep occurs in roughly 90-minute cycles, each playing a vital role in restoring the body and brain.
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“Each sleep stage contributes to physical restoration, memory consolidation, learning, emotional processing and immune function,” she explains.
Repeatedly interrupting sleep can trigger sleep inertia—the groggy, sluggish feeling after waking—and, over time, negatively affect attention, memory, creativity, problem-solving and decision-making. “People who are chronically sleep deprived are often more irritable, emotionally reactive and at greater risk of anxiety and depression,” says Dr Jain.
She also challenges the notion that sacrificing sleep boosts productivity. “Sleeping less rarely translates into better performance. Research consistently shows that well-rested people are more alert, learn better and work more efficiently and accurately than those who are sleep-deprived.”
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.