If you got enough sleep last night, then chances are that you would wake up with a good rest. However, not always does it mean that you got enough hours of sleep. Experts emphasize that sleep isn’t just about duration—it’s about quality.

Despite its critical role in health, sleep remains a mystery. Scientists still don’t fully understand why we need it, but they do know that something remarkable happens when we rest. It is one of the most natural forms of self-care available to us.

The general recommendation is to get between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Research shows that this range has the lowest association with health problems. However, sleeping less than six hours or more than nine hours regularly can increase health risks. That said, everyone’s sleep needs are different.

More important than hitting a specific number is how you feel upon waking up. If you regularly wake up tired despite sleeping for a long time, there may be an underlying issue affecting your rest.

How Sleep Needs Change Throughout Life

The amount of sleep needed varies at different stages of life. Newborns require the most sleep, averaging between 14 to 17 hours daily. Infants and children need extra sleep because their bodies are rapidly growing.

For most adults between ages 26 and 64, the recommended amount of sleep is seven to nine hours per night. Older adults (65 and above) may require slightly less, while young adults aged 16 to 25 may need slightly more.

Sleep occurs in cycles of approximately 90 minutes, transitioning through different stages:

• Slow-wave sleep (deep sleep): This occurs in the early part of the night and is critical for bodily repair and restoration. Growth hormone is released during this stage.
• Rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep: More time is spent in this stage in the latter half of the night. It plays a key role in learning and memory consolidation, turning short-term memories into long-term ones.

Children get significantly more deep sleep than adults—around 50% of their night is spent in this restorative state. However, deep sleep decreases during adolescence as the body’s need for physical repair and growth lessens.

Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men?

Research does not conclusively show that women require more sleep than men, but women do tend to get slightly more sleep on average. Differences in sleep patterns between genders begin during puberty.

Teenage girls often report more frequent sleep disturbances and higher rates of insomnia than teenage boys. This pattern continues into adulthood. New mothers experience major sleep disruptions due to nighttime caregiving. Hormonal changes related to pregnancy and menopause can also impact sleep quality and quantity.

During menopause, sleep issues often worsen due to increased nighttime awakenings and reduced sleep efficiency. Some women also experience the need for more sleep right before their menstrual cycle.

When to Seek Help for Sleep Issues

If you frequently wake up tired or struggle with sleep disturbances, it could be a sign of a deeper issue. Common signs of inadequate sleep include:

• Irritability or mood swings
• Trouble concentrating
• Persistent fatigue despite getting the recommended amount of sleep

Long-term sleep deprivation can contribute to serious health risks, including:

• Depression and anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
• Weakened immune function
• Greater risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s

If you suspect an issue, start by speaking with your primary care doctor. They can help rule out underlying conditions that may be affecting your sleep. If problems persist, consulting a sleep specialist can help identify specific disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea and provide targeted treatment options.

Listening to Your Body’s Sleep Needs

There is no universal “perfect” amount of sleep. Instead, focus on how you feel when you wake up and adjust accordingly. If your body is signaling a need for more rest—such as during times of hormonal shifts or high stress—listening to those cues is essential for overall health.

Making sleep a priority can improve mental clarity, physical health, and emotional well-being. If you’re struggling with sleep, small adjustments in bedtime habits, environment, and daily routine may help improve the quality of your rest.

Heart failure has quietly emerged as one of India’s most serious and underestimated health challenges, driven by a rise in hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and delayed diagnosis of heart disease.

Due to a shortage of donor organs and a long waiting period before receiving the right treatment, end-stage heart failure patients in India faced a lot of difficulties a few years ago.

Today, advancements in heart transplant techniques are changing the situation from what was once an untreatable condition to a second chance at life.

Data from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) shows a significant year-on-year rise in heart transplants, with 253 transplants done in 2024, showcasing improved organ donation awareness, better coordination between hospitals, and stronger transplant networks.

What was once considered the only option is now emerging as a life-saving solution, offering patients not just a second chance but a return to a more meaningful and active life.

Why Are Heart Transplants Needed?

A heart transplant offers hope and gives a second life to patients whose hearts no longer support the body even after the best available medical aid.

Although it is never performed instantly, it becomes necessary whenever conditions of the heart result in end-stage heart failure, where the pumping function of the heart is compromised.

Also read: Harish Rana’s Family Donated His Heart Valves And Corneas After His Death From Passive Euthanasia

When medications and modern technologies cannot supply an adequate amount of blood and oxygen to the organs, patients experience extreme breathlessness, fluid buildup, fatigue, and repeated hospitalizations, making even simple activities like walking, eating, or lying flat exhausting.

As the flow of blood continues to deteriorate, failure is also expected in other vital organs such as the kidneys and liver. It is at this point that the transplantation of the donor heart is considered the only treatment option to ensure that the blood flow is normalized.

How Heart Transplantation Transforms Life?

Heart transplant is not just a surgical replacement of a failing organ, but a complete life restoration for patients with end-stage heart failure.

Its benefits include:

• Normalizes Heart Functioning: A healthy donor heart can immediately restore normal and effective blood flow. This will reduce weakness and fatigue that makes carrying out everyday tasks rather difficult.
• Enhances Survival Rates: Patients diagnosed with end-stage heart failure can only experience the best post-transplant survival outcomes when they undergo the transplant procedure as compared to other medical treatments.
• Enhances Quality of Life: The patients are able to attain independence once again as they are able to walk, sleep, travel, and socialize with their families and friends.
• Prevents Frequent Hospitalization: The successful transplant procedure prevents constant hospitalization, especially in cases with deteriorating heart failure, infections, and organ dysfunction.
• Protects Other Vital Organs: By restoring adequate blood flow, heart transplantation helps reverse damage to the kidneys, liver, and lungs caused by prolonged heart failure
• Permits Return to Normal Roles and Responsibilities: Patients regain their ability to work, take care of others, and carry out their daily responsibilities, which helps their emotional well-being.

Scottish Olympic legend Liz McColgan has warned athletes to wear sun protection during their training hours to protect their skin from “lasting consequences”.

Liz McColgan shared the health warning to athletes after undergoing surgery to remove lesions on her face.

The Olympic silver medalist from Dundee shared post-surgery photographs on the social media platform Instagram and lamented that, as a young runner, she never focused on wearing sun protection.

Avoiding sun cream because she felt it made her "sweat more" was her “ignorance”, said the 61-year-old former athlete.

“As a young athlete, I trained and raced in all weathers. Sun protection was never something I gave much thought to. In fact, I avoided it. I didn’t like the feeling of creams on my skin - I thought they made me sweat more, so I convinced myself I was better off without them. Looking back, that was ignorance,” Liz McColgan said.

“Recently, I had to undergo surgery to remove two lesions on my face. It was a stark reminder that the choices we make early on - especially the ones we dismiss as unimportant - can have lasting consequences,” she added.

Liz McColgan noted that athletes keep all their focus on "performance - mileage, sessions, recovery, nutrition”, but simple things like protecting their skin are often ignored.

“Yet it’s just as much a part of our overall health and wellbeing as any training session,” she said.

Sharing the health message to both young and old athletes, McColgan said, “Take sun protection seriously. Whether you’re training, racing, or even just spending time outdoors, protecting your skin matters.”

McColgan won a silver medal in the same event at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. In 1991, she went on to win the 10,000m World Championships title in Tokyo.

Also read:5 Simple Do's And Don'ts For Healthy Skin

Why Sunscreen Is Essential

Using sunscreen protects the skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes

• skin cancer,
• premature aging,
• painful sunburns.

Should Sunscreen Be Used Indoors Too?

Sunscreen is meant to be part of a daily skincare routine. But most people reach for sunscreen when heading to the beach or stepping out for a long day in the sun.

According to dermatologists, sunlight can still reach you indoors.

Dr Khushboo Jha, Chief Dermatologist Consultant at Metro Hospital, explains that sunlight entering through windows can still affect the skin.

“While standard window glass blocks most UVB rays, which cause sunburn, UVA rays can still pass through. These rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are linked to long-term concerns such as premature aging, uneven pigmentation, and loss of skin elasticity,” she said.

These UVA rays are often overlooked because they do not cause immediate redness or burning like UVB rays. However, over time, they can lead to visible signs of skin aging and pigmentation.

Also read: Why Should You Must Apply Sunscreen Inside A Plane?

A Practical Approach To Daily Skincare

Dermatologists suggest viewing sunscreen as a preventive skincare habit rather than a rigid rule.

Dr Jha recommends incorporating sunscreen into your morning routine, particularly if your day includes stepping outdoors or spending time in naturally lit environments.

In simple terms, if daylight reaches your workspace or you plan to go outside later in the day, applying sunscreen in the morning is a small step that can help protect your skin over time.

Many men believe that as long as they feel healthy, active, and free from major illness, their fertility remains intact. While men do not have a sudden fertility cut-off like women, age still plays an important role when it comes to male fertility. Currently, a large number of men wish to start families later in life, often thinking their good health guarantees easy conception and fatherhood. They often neglect the age factor, even though it is linked to hormonal imbalance, stress, and genetic issues. A large number of men are unaware of their fertility health and continue to suffer. However, even in the absence of visible health problems, older men may face unexpected fertility challenges. Dr Madhukar J Shinde, Fertility Specialist at Nova IVF Fertility, PCMC, Pune, answered this for Health and Me.

Read more: The Overlooked Role of Men in IVF: Why Their Silent Strength Is Key to Fertility Success

Why do older men struggle with infertility?

Decline in sperm quality: Various studies have confirmed that as men age, sperm count, movement, and shape can slowly decline. Even if the numbers appear normal, DNA damage in sperm increases with age, which can reduce the chances of successful fertilisation.

1. Hormonal imbalance: It is important to note that testosterone levels naturally decrease over time. Lower testosterone can affect sperm production, sexual function, and overall reproductive performance, even when a man feels physically fit.
2. Some medical conditions tend to take a toll on fertility: Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and thyroid disorders become more common with age. These may be well-managed and symptom-free, but can still affect sperm health and fertility.
3. Stress and other lifestyle factors can impact fertility: Chronic stress, lack of sleep, smoking, alcohol consumption, or exposure to pollution can take a toll on sperm quality and lead to fertility issues that can be worrisome for men. Preservatives in a lot of frozen and junk food not only contribute to poor fertility health, but research suggests they may also affect DNA function. Therefore, men should stay vigilant.
4. Genetic issues: Advanced paternal age is associated with a higher risk of genetic mutations in sperm. This can further affect embryo development and increase the risk of miscarriage or certain developmental conditions.

Men must stay in touch with a fertility consultant who can design an appropriate treatment plan. The expert will evaluate them thoroughly and suggest lifestyle modifications such as a well-balanced diet, exercise, stress management through meditation, and medication for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol. Awareness helps men take informed steps towards parenthood, even later in life. Certain pre-medications, including antioxidants advised by a fertility consultant, may significantly help in reducing DNA fragmentation, which contributes to poor sperm function. Therefore, men should prioritise their reproductive health, stay informed, and not suffer in silence.