All set for the night shift?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">They are not the usual night-shift workers at call centres, hospitals, police force, hotels or even in newspaper offices. But the average Kolkatan willingly does his annual bit of nightshifts during the Pujas, and with <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">elan</span>. While spirited <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pandal</span>-hoppers are on their feet till the wee hours of the morning, there are some who get together for all-night marathon <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">addas</span>. For the unconventional ones, it''s disc-hopping followed by coffee at a 24-hour coffee shop.<br /><br />"I try to catch as much sleep as possible before <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Panchami</span>, because the madness begins with the first round of pandal hopping on that day. If I''m not at some <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pandal</span>, I''m with friends. By the time we finish, we can hear the morning aarti at the local puja <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pandal</span>," said Pratik Sengupta, an executive with an ad agency.<br /><br />Circumventing sleep is, therefore, the primary preoccupation for anyone bit by the Puja bug. While the ‘Circadian rhythm'', or the biological clock, goes for a toss, most die-hard enthusiasts treat sleep as their biggest enemy during these days.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">For actress Koel Mallick, it doesn''t take much effort to remain sleepless for the five days. "During the Pujas you get this extra boost of energy which helps you in remaining awake effortlessly. We remain so involved in the Pujas at home that there''s just no time to sleep. But on <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ekadashi</span>, we just crash and try to make up for the five days of sleeplessness."<br /><br />But what can the five sleepless Puja nights possibly lead to? What is not so evident in the fun and frolic is the repercussion it leaves on the body. According to general physician and paedeatrician Dr Gautam Chatterjee, "People mostly suffer from weakness and fatigue after the Puja days. Body aches accompanied with constant headache are also common. Even if you are okay foregoing sleep for the first two nights, a third sleepless night often causes a nauseating feeling, and even acidity."<br /><br />In fact, studies have shown that loss of a night''s sleep results in a 30 per cent drop in cognitive performance. The percentage rises to 60 if one goes without sleep for two consecutive nights. And docs have a word of caution.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal">"During the Pujas, people don''t realise the stress factor. But once the Pujas are over, they are bogged down with mild fever and respiratory problems. Sleeplessness of the festive days is also coupled with junk food and irregular meals, which often lead to acidity and indigestion.<br /><br />But whatever might be the impact, we would still not discourage people to have their share of fun. The ideal way would be to fit in at least a few hours of sleep during the day if one plans to remain awake at night," said Dr Subhashish Bhattacharya. What is probably most taxing is going to work on <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ekadashi</span> morning after going the whole hog on Dashami night.<br /><br />Luckily, this year the day following <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Dashami</span> is a Sunday, and that will serve as a perfect opportunity for people to de-stress and make up for all those sleepless nights.</div> </div>