Epidemiology of Sleep Characteristics and Sleep Disorders in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Pooled prevalence of any sleep disorder: 51.4% (95% CI: 38.0–64.8) across 14 studies (n = 8,291). • Mean sleep duration (5.77 hours), efficiency (73.5%), and latency (28.2 minutes) all below optimal thresholds. • Prevalence 19-fold higher in community (58%) versus clinical (3%) settings, revealing a major surveillance gap that calls for standardized, region-specific epidemiological research in India. The rapid transition in the demographics and lifestyle of the Indian population has resulted in an overall sleep health crisis, which is recognized as a major determinant of cardiometabolic and neurocognitive morbidity. However, the consolidated national estimates remain unknown. This demands a systematic review and meta-analysis, such as this study, which aimed to quantify the pooled estimates of various sleep architecture parameters (sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep latency) and the pooled prevalence of sleep disorders in the Indian population. A protocol-based systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD4202661287630) for the validation of the study. The searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (published between January 2000 and December 2023) using various keywords and Boolean operators. The eligible studies contained all the above-mentioned sleep parameters measured using validated questionnaires or polysomnography in the Indian population only. For meta-analysis, random-effects models were applied to calculate pooled estimations with 95% confidence intervals. The I² statistic and Egger’s regression test were used to quantify heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. A total of 14 studies (including 8,291 participants) across India were analyzed, and the calculated pooled prevalence of sleep disorders was 51.39% (95% CI: 38.02-64.77), showing substantial heterogeneity (I² = 99.85%). The pooled mean sleep duration, pooled mean sleep efficiency, and pooled mean sleep latency were consecutively 346.12 minutes (95% CI: 306.18-386.05), 73.51% (95% CI:71.39-75.63), and 28.20 mins (95% CI:71.39-75.63). No statistically significant publication bias or risk of bias was detected. According to this meta-analysis, one in two individuals in the analyzed study populations of India, where the pooled estimates indicate a worse sleep status in India, such as shortened sleep duration, reduced efficiency, and prolonged latency. This demands immediate action in government policies regarding sleep-related lifestyles and occupational health.