Insomnia is defined as “difficulty to fall asleep”. People with Insomnia or sleepless ness suffer from various symptoms. They feel it difficult to fall asleep. Sometimes they wake from middle of sleep and find it difficult to fall asleep again. Many of those who suffer from sleep disorders feel tiered after waking up. Even waking up too early in morning is a sleep disorder.
Causes of Insomnia
Stress from job or stress due to family matters can cause acute insomnia or temporary sleeplessness which gets cured as soon as the stress factor is solved. Emotional discomforts like grief and physical discomforts like pain, blocked nose, cough, fever etc may also cause sleeplessness for a short period. Changing the place of sleep, bright light, noise, extreme temperatures, jet lag, working in shifts etc. can lead to acute insomnia.
Lifestyles like watching television before going to bed, viewing smart phones during sleeping hours, consuming a heavy meal during sleeping hours and drinking caffeinated beverages can also cause sleeplessness. If these lifestyles are continued for a long time the chronic insomnia may set in. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy which are used for treating cancer may also cause temporary insomnia. Long standing stress, anxiety and depression may become reason for Chronic Insomnia.
Insomnia Leads to:
- indigestion,
- Body pain,
- Lowered immunity,
- Loss of libido,
- Reduced span of attention,
- Low memory power
- Erectile dysfunction
Ayurvedic tretments for Insomnia:
- Include more of milk, curd and lean meat soups in your diet.
- Massage whole body with medicated oils like ksheerabala Taila. Warm the oil before massaging. Take a hot water bath before going to bed.
- Take a head massage with pure sesame oil extracted from sesame seeds.
- Do not sleep in day time if you are not getting good sleep at night.
- Meditate for 15 minutes before going to bed.
- Exert yourself with good exercises in morning. These exercises inturn help to get a good sleep at night.
- Eat food 3 hours before going to bed. Avoid caffeinated beverages in late evenings. Reduce consumption of alcohol and smoking cigarettes.
- Keep your bed room neat and clean. Use it only for sleeping and sexual activities.
- Avoid watching TV or Smart phone before going to bed.
- Involving in sexual activities help to get a good sleep.
Author:
Dr Nirav Joshi, Ayurvedacharya
