Ayurveda Treatment For Loss Of Sleep

 

There are several theories about the factors which are responsible for sleep. Fatigue, the darkness and tranquility of night and habit are some common factors which cause sleep. A healthy individual should sleep for about six hours a day. It is always better for an individual to go to bed early and leave the bed as well before the sunrise. There are others, who because of their professional requirement, remain awake at night. They should sleep during day time for a longer period of time.

For normal individuals, sleep during the day is prohibited. In summer however, a nap is permitted for a few hours only during the day. People suffering from indigestion should are advised to sleep for about half an hour before food and those suffering from sprue syndrome are should sleep after eating. Patient suffering from chronic diseases and some of the acute ones like fever require more sleep. This helps in the promotion of anabolic aspect of the metabolic system and catabolism is reduced to the minimum.

Among the various age group, children require more sleep than older people. Those who are exposed to hard labour also require more sleep. Mental work also results in fatigue of the brain cells and this leads to sleep. Excess mental work and less physical work often creates difficulty in sleeping. Normal mental work apart, worry, anxiety, anger, emotional stress and strain also cause sleeplessness.

All the factors that are responsible for the aggravation of vayu and pitta in the human body result in sleeplessness. Intake of spicy food, stimulating drinks, exercise immediately after meals,environmental factors like excessive heat, cold or rains, exposure to noise and change of environment along with the psychic factors enumerated above lead to sleeplessness. There are many drug which when taken for the treatment of some others type of diseases also result in sleeplessness. It occurs as a normal physiological phenomenon in ladies during menopause and men during their old age. There are many disease like high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease and other conditions associated with pain in different parts of body which results in sleeplessness.

Insomnia or sleeplessness may be transitory or may continue for a long time. This causes many other diseases. During sleep glands secreting hormones do their work properly and disturbance in sleep affect them considerably which result in the manifestation of the disease. Heart disease and high blood pressure are often caused after the patient has suffered for a prolonged period of sleeplessness.

Sleeplessness result in weakness and patient may get constipated, indigestion and formation of excessive gas in the body.

Grading of insomnia or sleeplessness
The National Institute of Mental Health Consensus Development Conference divided insomnia into three categories as follows:
1.Transient insomnia
Lasts less than 3 days and usually is caused by a brief environmental or situational stressor. It may respond to attention to sleep hygiene rules. If hypnotics are prescribed, they should be used at the lowest dose and for only 2 to 3 nights.

2.Short-term insomnia
Lasts from 3 d to 3 weeks and is usually caused by an ongoing personal stressor such as illness, grief, or job problems. Again, sleep hygiene education is the first step. Hypnotics may be used adjunctively for 7 to 10 nights. Hypnotics are best used intermittently during this time, with the patient skipping a dose after 1 to 2 nights of good sleep.

3.Long-term insomnia
Lasts for more than 3 weeks; no specific stressor may be identifiable. A more complete medical evaluation is necessary in these patients, but most do not need an all-night sleep study.

Treatment
The cause of sleeplessness should be ascertained and removed. If inspite of that, sleeplessness persists medicines should be administered. Brahmi(Bacopa monnirei) and vaca(Acorus calamus)  and amalaki(Emblica officinalis) are the drug of choice of this condition. The podwer of this drug are taken individually or together and given to the patient in a dose of one teaspoonful three times a day followed by a cup of ordinary tap water or milk each time. Til oil should be boiled with the powder of these drugs and used for massaging the head and body before bathing which gives sound sleep.

The commonly used home remedy for this condition is ripe banana. To this fruit, about a teaspoonful of fried powder of cumin seeds is to be added and taken at night before going to the bed.

The best therapy for the treatment for sleeplessness, particularly when it becomes chronic is known as  shirodhara. For the preparation of this therapy, buffalo milk(about two litres) should be boiled in two ounces of the powder of amalaki, which is then made into curd. This is then churned by adding water to it and removing the butter. This buttermilk should be dripped onto the forehead(between two eyebrows) of the patient when lying flat on his back. This should be continued for about 20 to 30 minutes and then the patient should be washed. This is to be administered in the morning. This is well known for its therapeutic efficancy in curing insomnia.

Diet
Depending upon the digestive power of the patient, he should be given nourishing diet. Heavy food always help to good sleep provided the patient has good power of digestion. Buffalo milk, butter and ghee are considered to be very useful.  Hot and spicy food ingredients should be avoided.

Other regimens
Massage and regular bath in cold water is always useful. The patient should be made to do physical exercise in additional to mental work. Constipation should be removed. A brisk walk in the evening and early morning is always useful. The psychic factors producing stress and strain and factors responsible for anxiety, worry and sorrow should be removed.