| Do we know that sleep occupies the second place in the three much talked about supports of life and good health. When we talk of sleep in relation to health, we tend to refer to a state in which all the organs of the body including the mind, which becomes tired by work, are in a completely relaxed state. Hence sleep is said to be a state of complete rest.
Rest and sleep play a major role in the development of a child. Healthy infants tend to sleep peacefully for long hours and their development happens at a rapid pace. Sleep also provides natural immunity to the body. Disturbed sleep is indicative of sickness. That is why rest is recommended to the ailing.
Sleep is so essential for the brain that it is even considered a tonic for it. According to the Charak Samhita one can get into the state of sleep only when one has dissociated from the objects of senses and motor organs. Charak has compared sleep to pleasure, peace and happiness when he said: "Nidrayatam Sukham", which indicates that only when the body and the mind are disease-free and at peace, the pleasures of life can be experienced.
It was also observed during the European wars that sleep increases muscular tissues and as a result is effective in healing wounds. Ayurved recommends considerable amount of sleep for lean and thin individuals.
There are seven kinds of sleep described in Ayurved:
Tamasik sleep: excess sleep due to lethargy
Sleshma samudbhawa: due to aggravated kapha
Manas shramjanya: due to tired mind
Shareer sharmjanya: due to hard labour
Aagantuki sleep: indicative of disease
Vyaadhyanuvartini: sleep because of weakness due to disease
Ratri Swabhav or natural night sleep: Sleep which protects the health of the individual.
Natural sleep results in the following changes in the body:
- The heart slows down, thereby reducing blood pressure to some extent.
- Breathing is slow, as a result of which the metabolic activity of the body is reduced and body is in harmony with nature.
- Nature is balance and the division between day and night provides the right environment for the being to tune in with this balance. Days are meant for work and night for sleep or rest.
The amount of sleep required by an individual depends on the mental and physical labour they are doing. Generally eight hours of sleep is sufficient for people who do average physical and mental work. For brain workers or older people six hours is enough. Growing children and people who do more physical labour need more sleep.
Those suffering from insomnia or sleep disorders need to look into their lifestyle, dietary habits and identify the cause of their problem as `Unnatural mode of living' is the primary causative factor of insomnia or sleeping disorders.
Ayurvedic texts describe the following causes for insomnia:
Fear or timidity, excessive physical work or exercise, blood letting, anxiety, fury, smoking, anaemia, fasting, purgation, under-nourishment, old age, any physical or mental disease causing provocation of vayu, unsuitable bedding and polluted environment, sleeping during the day (except for those who have dominating
pitt).
To have natural sleep one’s daily routine should be made simple and regular, including time for sleep, waking up, bathing, working. Meals should be taken 1.5-2 hours before going to bed. The mind should be kept free and unoccupied. Massaging the soles of the feet also induces sleep. Complete relaxation of every part of the body is the most effective way to induce sleep.
—The writer is an Ayurveda expert from Dhyan Foundation.
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