Representative image.
Local drug traders estimate that consumption of such medicines has risen by nearly 25% over the past six months. Prayagraj’s network of over 300 wholesale medicine dealers has witnessed a sharp rise in demand for sleep-related medicines, according to drug trader Lalu Mittal. He estimated sales of such drugs at Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh over the past six months across various brands and govt supplies.
Dr Rakesh Paswan, psychiatrist at Colvin Hospital, said melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, is released in response to darkness.
Psychiatrist Dr A K Mishra said sleep deprivation has emerged as a growing concern across age groups, with youngsters among the worst affected. Prolonged exposure to mobile and computer screens at night interferes with this process, making it difficult to fall asleep and maintain healthy sleep patterns. Competitive exam aspirants often cut down on sleep to study late into the night, while professionals remain glued to mobile phones for work and social media long after office hours. The trend is reflected in cases such as that of Sudhir, a Civil Lines resident employed at a private bank. Habitual late-night phone use gradually led to insomnia, eventually forcing him to depend on sleeping pills.