MyVoice: Views of our readers 28th January 2026

Address chronic sleep loss on priority

This refers to the editorial “Brain drain of a different kind is happening globally” (THI Jan 27). It rightly flags how chronic sleep loss drains cognitive sharpness, much like talent exodus hurts nations. In India, long work hours and screen time make it worse for many professionals. Workplaces can help by enforcing a ‘no meeting’ after 8pm rule and flexible hours. Schools should teach sleep basics early.

K Sakunthala, Coimbatore-641016

Solution is to have realistic work hours

Apropos your editorial “Brain drain of a different kind is happening globally”. It justifiably draws attention to a quiet but serious issue affecting our young workforce-chronic sleep deprivation among corporate employees. Reduced sleep impairs memory consolidation, decision-making and overall brain health, as the piece notes.

This “brain drain” through exhaustion is especially worrying when over 65 per cent of our youth face such pressures, leading to stress, burnout, and diminished productivity. Companies should enforce realistic work hours, discourage late-night emails, and promote flexible schedules. Public campaigns and workplace wellness programmes can normalise adequate (7 to 9 hours) rest as essential for performance. Schools and colleges could also educate students early on sleep hygiene. This way, we can protect our human capital.

M Barathi, Bengaluru-560076

Curb sleep deprivation

Apropos “Brain drain of a different kind is happening globally”. The editorial highlights a growing but often ignored problem: normalisation of poor sleep and mental overload. The concern is not about hard work or ambition, but about a system that quietly rewards constant fatigue. When young professionals function on minimal rest, clarity of thought, learning ability, and emotional balance steadily decline.

Over time, this weakens productivity and burdens public health. This is not an individual lapse but a collective issue. Employers can set firm boundaries on work hours and schools can include lessons on sleep and mental fitness. Valuing rest today will help build healthier minds and a more resilient society tomorrow.

S M Jeeva, Chennai-600032

Educate students about value of sleep and brain health

This refers to the editorial “Brain drain of a different kind is happening globally”. The concern over sleep deprivation among young professionals is timely and serious. While awareness is growing, we need more workplace-level changes.

Companies should actively promote healthy sleep habits—simple steps like discouraging late-night emails, offering flexible hours, and integrating mental wellness into HR policies can help. Schools and colleges too must educate students on the value of sleep and brain health. We must treat sleep not as a luxury but as a civic priority. The time to act is now.

Abbharna Barathi, Chennai-600023

Sleep disorder is a major risk factor

The editorial “Brain drain of a different kind is happening globally” rightly highlights how chronic sleep deprivation is quietly eroding cognitive capacity and overall health. Recent evidence reinforces the urgency of this concern. Reports from 2025 indicate that nearly 22.5 per cent of Indian adolescents are clinically sleep-deprived, with a majority showing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also warned that lifestyle disorders linked to inadequate sleep—such as diabetes, hypertension, and mental illness—are rising sharply among urban youth and working professionals. The World Health Organization now recognises sleep disorders as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, alongside poor diet and physical inactivity.

As the editorial aptly notes, glorifying sleep deprivation as a “badge of honour” must give way to respecting the brain’s non-negotiable need for rest. Beyond individual lifestyle changes, policy-level interventions are required—awareness campaigns on sleep hygiene, regulation of excessive work hours, and inclusion of sleep health in school and workplace wellness programmes. Treating sleep as essential infrastructure for human capital is vital if India is to safeguard its public health and productivity.

Vidyasagar Reddy Kethiri, Hanumakonda-506009

Give importance to adequate sleep

A different kind of brain drain is unfolding globally as modern lifestyles and work schedules steadily erode the most basic human necessity—sleep. As your editorial points out, a University of Pittsburgh neurologist has highlighted how reduced sleep, prolonged wakefulness, and night shifts contribute to neurological disorders and long-term health complications.

Chronic sleep deprivation disrupts appetite, digestion, and body metabolism, affecting nearly 65 per cent of India’s population today. If left unaddressed, the much-celebrated demographic dividend may transform into a burden of psychosomatic illness. For a developing nation, protecting healthy sleep patterns is not a luxury but a prerequisite for sustained productivity, social harmony, and overall personal well-being and healthy long term national productivity.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad