Falling asleep was never meant to be hard. Yet, for millions of Indians today, it is!
We live in a world that glorifies hustle, late nights, and always being ON. We push through exhaustion, scroll long past bedtime, and treat sleeplessness like a badge of honour. Until it starts showing up as anxiety, burnout, and bodies that simply won’t switch off.
Somewhere along the way, rest became optional and sleep started feeling like a luxury.
The scale of the problem is shocking. More than 55% of Indian adults struggle to fall asleep at least three nights a week. It is a nationwide problem.
And that’s exactly the problem Neend is trying to solve.
Built around the idea that sleep should feel natural, safe, and culturally familiar, Neend is quietly fixing one of India’s most overlooked health problems.
First, what is Neend?
Launched in 2021 by Surbhi Jain, Neend is a Bengaluru‑based sleep management app built to help people slow down, relax, and sleep better without medication or habit‑forming shortcuts.
Instead of quick fixes, Neend blends ancient Indian practices like Yog Nidra with scientifically backed methods such as guided meditation, calming music, and bedtime stories. It is designed to gently ease the mind into rest.
What truly sets Neend apart is its cultural lens. While many global wellness apps focus primarily on English‑speaking users, Neend is built for India’s diversity. The app is available in Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu, with plans to expand into more regional languages.
What does the app offer?
Neend’s content library is designed to help users feel safe, calm, and ready for sleep.
It includes:
- Bedtime stories crafted to slow racing thoughts
- Yog Nidra sessions rooted in traditional Indian sleep practices
- Guided meditations to ease anxiety before bed
- Calming music and natural soundscapes for a restful environment
- Regular content updates to keep the experience fresh
The impact has been tangible.
- 90% of users report better sleep quality
- Over 750K Android downloads with a 4.5‑star Play Store rating
- More than 20 million views on YouTube
A founder’s journey shaped by sleepless nights
Neend’s origin story is deeply personal.
Surbhi Jain, an IIT-Bombay graduate from a small town in Rajasthan, never expected sleep to become her biggest challenge.
Known among friends as someone who could fall asleep anywhere, her relationship with rest changed dramatically after the COVID‑19 pandemic.
After she and her family contracted the virus, Surbhi found herself lying awake night after night, unable to sleep the way she once could.
As she searched for solutions, she realised how few natural, non‑habit‑forming options existed for people dealing with insomnia.
That frustration became her turning point.
“When you sleep, you dream. But when you sleep well, you wake up wanting to go after your dreams,” she reflects.
Determined to solve this problem not just for herself, but for millions of Indians, Surbhi founded Neend.
Funding, growth, and a growing community
Neend’s mission quickly resonated with the startup and investor community. The company raised $700,000 in its pre-seed round, led by Better Capital.
High-profile entrepreneurs such as Rohit Bansal and Kunal Bahl (Snapdeal), Kunal Shah (CRED), Nandan Reddy (Swiggy), Niraj Singh (Spinny), Sandeep Singhal (Nexus), Lalit Keshre and Harsh Jain (Groww), among others, also participated in the round.
The funds are being directed towards linguistic expansion. It will help in deepening content categories like Yog Nidra and guided meditations, and collaborating with professional sleep experts.
The startup’s long-term vision is to help users measure and better understand their sleep quality, alongside falling asleep faster.
Growth so far has been largely organic. Neend first found traction on YouTube, crossing 10 million listens within months and building a loyal audience. Today, its app users and YouTube subscribers together form what the team affectionately calls its “sleepy family.”
How Neend is important in India
Global apps like Calm and Headspace have shown the power of digital wellness, but they often lack cultural relevance for Indian users.
Neend fills that gap with local language content, familiar storytelling, and scientifically tested practices. More importantly, it pushes back the idea that rest is unproductive and positions sleep as an essential wellness tool.
Looking ahead
In a country where late-night screen scrolling has replaced bedtime rituals, Neend is redefining how we think about sleep.
It is more than an app. It’s a reminder that health, peace, and dreams begin with something as simple as closing your eyes.
So the next time you’re tempted to stay up for “just one more episode,” remember- your dreams are waiting.
Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is… go to sleep.
-By Rinkle Dudhani and the AHT Team
