Geeta Meena, 35, from Delhi NCR, recalls her nocturnal awakenings and daytime sleepiness. Until six months ago, her routine was normal. Then she started having difficulty sleeping and would sleep for small periods of time, but the problem steadily worsened. Now she is unable to sleep for more than three hours, with interruptions.
Until two months ago, Geeta Meena had not addressed her condition. One day she came to my clinic with a case of severe sleeplessness. I recommended routine haematological investigations to rule out co-morbidities. The results of the investigations were normal.
After a few conversations with her, it became apparent that a history of stress related to family troubles was the main cause of her sleeplessness.
Cause of sleeplessness
Sleep is important physiologically because it restores, rejuvenates and calms the body. It is a vital event for the care and preservation of both the physical and mental capacities of all living beings.
According to principles of ayurveda sleep is one of the three sub-pillars of life required for maintaining optimum health. Diet, lifestyle and mental instability as well as physical illnesses can contribute to sleep disorders. These causes, either alone or in conjunction with others, eventually contribute to the development of insomnia or sleeplessness.
The symptoms
Bodily discomfort, headache, yawning, stiffness, weakness, giddiness, indigestion, drowsiness and vata dosha (imbalance in the air element) are symptoms of a lack of sleep.
Sleep and the individual
Geeta Meena believed that since she frequently wakes up at night, she should sleep during the day. However, this behaviour disrupted her body clock and further worsened her health.
According to ayurvedic principles, a person should sleep for half of the day if they wake up during the night.
Ayurveda also mentions that a person should sleep according to one’s body constitution.
- Individuals with a vata prakriti or a predominantly vata disposition generally have disturbed sleep and sleep for less than six hours.
- Pitta prakriti individuals sleep moderately and for six to eight hours.
- Kapha prakriti individual have reported deep sleep lasting over eight hours.
In this case Geeta has pitta prakriti, and ideally, she should sleep for six to eight hours to preserve her health and fitness.
Importance of timely sleep
According to ayurveda, excessive sleep and prolonged vigilance reduce lifespan and happiness. So, one should sleep at night and in a relaxed position to get the maximum benefits of sleep.
Dietary modifications
Geeta’s food habits were modified. Dietary changes included avoiding foods that are excessively spicy, salty and fried. She started to eat more sweet and unctuous foods before retiring to bed. She was advised to drink milk at bedtime, particularly buffalo milk. Taking black gram at night can also improve sleep.
Sleep hygiene in ayurveda
Maintaining a good sleep routine is critical for overcoming sleep issues and achieving quality sleep. The word ‘sleep hygiene’ refers to positive practices, healthy habits and controlled environmental factors that promote peaceful sleep. Getting adequate sleep is critical for sustaining both physical and mental well-being, therefore people should practise good sleep hygiene.
The following practices promote healthy and high-quality sleep.
- Application of oil on the scalp before going to bed
- A comfortably warm shower or bath before going to bed.
- Massaging the foot with a moisturiser or sesame oil.
- Rubbing or gently pressing the body with hands.
- A lepa or application of soothing medicinal pastes and oil on the head, eyes and face.
- A soft and comfortable bed.
- Listening to calming music or sounds
- Application of pleasant perfumes
- Shutting the television or electronic gadgets an hour or two before bedtime.
Herbs and panchakarma
Ayurveda offers many herbal solutions for sleeplessness or insomnia. Some of the herbs are ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), jyotishmati (Celastrus paniculatus), tagara (Valeriana wallichii), tulasi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina) and jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi).
Ayurveda practitioners also treat sleeplessness with these procedures:
Shirodhara (the ayurvedic treatment followed in Kerala advises taila dhara, takra dhara and kshira dhara or respectively drips of oil, buttermilk and milk), shiromardana (head massage), nasya (nasal instillation), abhyanga (body massage), shirolepa (application of medicated paste on the head), karna purana (instilling medicated oils in the ears), Shiro pichu (applying oil on the head) and shiro basti (putting oil within a bund made on the head).
These are some of the ayurvedic detoxification therapies found effective in coping with stress and sleeplessness.
