Abstract
Background:
Sleep is the most underrated medicine, with its benefits seldom being known to, and understood by people. On the other hand, sleep is only a luxury for professionals working in the healthcare industry. Sleep deprivation is very common among healthcare professionals due to unspecified continuous work. According to epidemiological studies, a sleep duration of less than 7 hours can lead to stress, which can predispose the person to a higher BMI (Body Mass Index) caused by variations in hormonal levels. Therefore, this has been taken up as the topic of the present study to analyze whether sleep deprivation induced stress can lead to conditions associated with obesity.

Aim:
The objective of this study was to find out whether sleep deprivation which is commonly observed among medical professionals, leads to stress and obesity.

Methods:
130 medical professionals and post graduate doctors were included in the study through an online questionnaire. Data was collected from August to September 2023 and 108 responses were recorded, which implied an 83% response rate. Obesity related parameters such as BMI, waist circumference, physical activity and hunger frequency were included. Diabetic, hypertensive and participants with respiratory disorders were excluded. Statistical analysis was done using chi squared test.

Results:
Majority of the participants belonging to the category of those with more than 5 years’ work experience and in the age group of 40-50 years maintained a healthy lifestyle with 6-7 hours of sleep and proper food habits. It was observed that 60% of the participants had a well-balanced professional life and hence no significant change was observed neither in the weight nor BMI and waist circumference among these participants, irrespective of their gender.

Conclusion:
Statistical analysis of the data collected indicated that there is a significant association between number of hours of sleep and BMI, thereby also associating with obesity, as studied among medical consultants in this study. The importance of a healthy lifestyle comprising good eating habits and diet with moderate physical activity in improving the sleeping pattern, is also indicated by this study, thereby emphasizing on the positive impact of a healthy lifestyle and sleep cycle in reducing the incidence of obesity.

Key words: Sleep deprivation, Lifestyle management, Obesity, Body mass index, Work-life management