Sleepless in UAE
I feel that the major cause of sleep disorders in UAE is work stress, very early school timings, traffic congestion that forces people to start their day early, night life with malls and shops open very late at night, which causes people to end their day very late and so on (‘Sleep problems affect half the UAE,’ Gulf News, January 16). There is a misconception that if the employee is constantly under pressure, his ability can be utilised to the maximum for the benefit of the company. This actually ends up leading to a lack of sleep for the employee, which then causes several physiological problems. It would be a concern for the employee’s family members, but not the employer. Many children start their day at 6am. They may be sleeping late because their working parents get home only at that time, and some may even be taken to shopping malls in the evenings. Children also fall asleep in the school bus as they haven’t been able to sleep for a complete 7-8 hours. Change in school timings and understanding on the part of employers will surely make a difference.
From Mr Ashik Siju
Dubai
Website comment
More parks needed
I have been in the UAE since the past five years and my work always finishes between 10pm and 11pm, which leads to sleeping problems and disorders. It would help if there were more public parks where people can exercise regularly, as this would help their sleep schedule.
From Mr Syed Ali
Dubai
Website comment
Studying sleep habits
It is wonderful to see that the community is now recognising that sleeping disorders are a serious issue here in the UAE, but I wonder what the authorities are doing to help people get diagnosed and treated for such issues. I am aware that sleep studies are not covered by most health insurance firms in the UAE and such studies cost a lot of money. Are we going to see sleep studies covered under the standard health insurance scheme for the working force? I certainly hope so.
From A Reader
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Impending peril
Food, water, dignity and knowledge, when denied to the masses, are capable of emerging as new, powerful weapons, capable of destroying the global economy and changing the course of humanity (‘Urgent steps needed to address challenges in water, energy and food sectors,’ Gulf News, January 16). The present global economic crisis is just an indication of the impending peril. Globalisation and information technology give a new dimension to the interdependence between nations and their people. Any imbalance in any region or nation or sector is capable of upsetting the delicate balance.
From Dr Raju M. Mathew
Al Ain
Website comment
Bloody diplomacy
The comment by Qais Ghanem is a perfect depiction of the present turmoil faced by the common people in Yemen (‘Yemen: Two Years under President Hadi,’ Gulf News, January 16). The writer foresees the solid fact that the situation in Yemen will not be better than Iraq and Afghanistan. When America drones fired on Yemeni people in the name of militant operation, thousands of innocent lives were lost, hence new militants were formed. The authorities in Yemen could have avoided these merciless massacres if they had dealt with the situation differently.
From Mr Jafar Nizami
Kerala, India
Much concern
I commend Qais Ghanem for an excellent and daring comment. I hope everyone involved will note and understand our concern for the South of Yemen and indeed the whole of the country.
From Mr Himat
London, United Kingdom
Website comment
Watch your children
This is simply shocking (‘Juveniles on trial over Jumeirah school sex attacks,’ Gulf News, January 16)! I seriously wish the experts sat together and looked into the grave matter. Juvenile crimes are rampant everywhere in the world these days. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are installed in almost all schools and I wonder why it was not discovered, rather a teacher had to unveil the incident from the mobile phones of students! Students as young as kindergarten-goers are exposed these days to the vast content available in the internet, and many of our modern-day movies simply add to the vulgarity. Even if there are sites blocked over the internet, I am told that there are ways to view and download content using many programmes. Students cannot simply be advised or taught to be moral only at schools. It is the duty of parents as well to see what their children are watching, who they are meeting, and how their lives are going about.
From Ms Agniyah Shaikh
UAE
State of mind
Recently, I came across a report that stated money can buy happiness. Although the entire world runs after money to survive, I personally feel that money could never bring genuine happiness. A well-known adage, ’a contented mind is a continuous feast’, is the only way to everlasting happiness. It doesn’t mean that one should stop attaining his or her target and be stagnant in the path of life. Money cannot be the sole reason for the happiness of the soul. It can be incorporated as one among the reasons for happiness. I believe that happiness is not an object to be bought from a store. Rather, it is in everything we see. Happiness is a state of mind. Even a small flower that blossoms on the roadside that goes unnoticed by hundreds of passersby can bring us happiness. I am of the opinion that many readers would agree!
From Ms Hajira Nazar
India
Awkward questions
Hearing about rape cases from parents and elders, children get curious about it (‘Indian children curious about rape after Delhi attack,’ Gulf News, January 16). They want to know what’s happening. Why are people around them disturbed? Attacking and insulting women is rape - it’s better to tell them in simple words. Nowadays, children are growing fast thanks to technology, and they end up asking questions that are difficult for parents to answer.
From Ms Renu Kala
Facebook comment
Teaching children
My 11-year-old son asked me the question ‘Mum, what’s rape?’ I just told him that rape is something really something very bad, done by bad and insane people. I had to tell him he would understand one day when he grows up. I diverted his mind and luckily, he did not ask me further to elaborate how bad the action was. As some psychologists have said, it is definitely necessary to educate children about ‘bad touch’ and ‘good touch’. As a mother, I have made my child aware of bad touch.
From Ms Rekha Subramanyam
Dubai
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