After around 10 pm, Kathmandu, otherwise large, dense, and urban, seems to come to a standstill with everyone cozy in the bed.[break]
This, however, may not be true for all. For a small segment of the society, especially the younger generation, this is no time to be lost in dreams. Reading books, catching up with friends on the telephone or social networking sites, watching movies, television – it’s all saved up for the nighttime.
Geetika Khatri, 17, likes to watch movies late into the night. “I love cinema,” she says, adding “I hardly get any free time during the day, so the nighttime is my only option.”
Khatri stays up to 2 o’clock in the morning watching movies. Apart from movies, television and interesting novels take up her nighttime.
Similar is the story of Ruju Lama, 22. “It’s just my lifestyle,” she smiles. She stays awake chatting up on social networking sites and browsing the Internet. Many of her friends, she says, have joined universities abroad, and social networking sites help her stay connected to them.
“I have college to attend in the morning, and during the day my office keeps me busy,” she explains “I have free time only in the night. Also with everyone in the house fast asleep, there’s no disturbance.”
Staying up during the silent hours may seem like a tempting idea to most, but one shouldn’t ignore the immediate and long-term health risks it brings.
Kathmandu-based psychiatrist Sushama Regmi elaborates. “The immediate consequences are headache, nausea and irritation.” The long-term effects are more dangerous as sleep deprivation can lead to depression.
The health risks, however, seem to never bother these late sleepers.
Duksangh Dolma Sherpa, 18, says her bedtime is midnight at the earliest. “There are so many things to be done,” she says, giggling. “It’s almost like twenty-four hours aren’t enough.”
Sherpa is trying for a foreign university scholarship and uses the night to look for colleges and collect necessary details. Also, she likes to listen to music, and like most of her friends, watch TV or movies, too.
“It’s no big deal,” she says of herself and her friends. “Almost all of us stay up late into the night. Some are simply addicted to Facebook while others are hooked up on Youtube.” With the ever-enhancing technology, these youngsters seem to be getting more addicted everyday.
“Skype is a good pastime,” says Ruju. With the visual and sound features offered by video conferencing options, youngsters seem to take it as an equivalent to meeting up face to face.
“We make plans for the next day, or just gossip over Skype. It’s absolutely normal for us to be chatting up late into the night,” confides Duksangh. While some have adapted to the idea of sleeping only a few hours, there are also those who believe that the nighttime sleeping hours can be compensated by sleeping till late in the morning.
Psychiatrist Regmi, however, begs to differ. She says that one can never recompense the nighttime sleep.
“Our body is trained in such a way that it’s completely relaxed only during the night. It’s a natural process,” claims the psychiatrist. “Any sudden disturbance will definitely lead to health damages.”
Answering to the youngsters’ claims that they have not yet seen any adverse changes in their health, she elaborates, “We have the tendency to swallow a pill at mild headache and ignore such complaints. Most of us are alarmed only after facing severe consequences.”
Not everyone, however, stays up late by choice and utilizes the night as their fun time. There are also those who are compelled to do so.
Deependra Shahi, 26, works as a web developer. It’s normal for him to go to bed at seven in the morning. He has no health complaints, he claims, and working throughout most of the night has been an everyday affair for the past three years. “I don’t have an option,” he says.
Here, Regmi puts in, “Profession and lifestyle is a personal choice.” For those like Shahi, she advises taking some time off and giving the body and mind complete rest.
Weekends, she believes, is a good idea. “I advise at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep for youngsters. Apart from that, they should be able to take out a day in a week and stay away from the disruptive blue rays of TV or computer screens, and rejuvenate themselves.”
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