For a Good Night's Sleep

Software engineer Abhimanyu Nagdev started the year with a resolution to be a "sleepmaxxer," someone willing to go to extreme lengths in pursuit of better sleep.

- Pooja Singh

Seven months in, his goal of getting a perfect night's sleep remains a dream.

It's not that Nagdev, 36, is not making an effort. The Delhi resident has tried everything from indoor air quality monitors and earplugs to sleep trackers and calming music. He regularly goes to the gym, has changed the mattress, propped his nostrils with dilators, sprayed comforting mists on pillows. He and his wife even sleep in separate bedrooms so that her movements don't disturb him.

"I can't keep this damn thing on silent," Nagdev says, pointing to his phone. "This is the main reason for my bad sleep, but what if there's a work emergency? What if my parents (who live in Mumbai) need me? I can't just disappear at night."

Nagdev wasn't this sleep-deprived till about a year ago. He regularly clocked in the recommended seven-eight hours every night, with little to no interruption. Things changed around the time he signed up for a new job that came with a fancier title, a bigger paycheck and an opportunity to relocate to Delhi from Mumbai. But with more responsibilities came longer working hours. The 1,300km distance between his parents and him added to the stress. Days became longer, nights, shorter, and dark circles, deeper. Now, if he manages to get five hours of sleep, he brags about it.

"It's like I can feel the sleep in my eyes throughout the day, but as soon as I hit the bed, it vanishes," Nagdev says. "And then I am on the phone, while my brain is screaming 'go to sleep,' 'go to sleep'."

During one such recent night, Nagdev came across wellness centers and resorts that offer services promoting peaceful slumber. He had heard about "sleep retreats" in the US, but wasn't aware that the concept had reached India.

So, in August, he's embarking on his next sleepmaxxing experiment: a 10-day sleep-focused wellness retreat in the hills, about 500km from Delhi.