Sleep is a natural and essential part of our daily routine. It relaxes our body and mind and provides us with energy which is essential for living a healthy life. Deep and complete sleep gives complete rest to our mind and body, due to which we feel fresh and energetic. Due to incomplete or not having deep sleep, problems like sadness, weakness, fatigue, laziness arise in a person.
Sleep has been classified into seven parts-
Tamobhaav- Sleep caused by darkness.
Sleshmasamudbhava- Feeling sleepy due to increased phlegm in the body.
Manah Shama Jaanaya – Sleep due to mental fatigue.
Body shyness known- sleep due to physical fatigue.
Agntuki- Sleep caused due to external reasons. Like; accident, toxic substances etc.
Vyadhyanuvartani- Sleep that comes due to some disease. Like; fever, diabetes, state of intoxication etc.
Nighttime habit – falling asleep naturally at night.
Among all these types, only the sleep that one gets at night is considered to be natural sleep which provides health to a person. This is called Bhutdhatri.
What is sleep?
In Ayurveda, a person’s health depends on the balance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha, so any problem arises due to the imbalance in these doshas. In insomnia, mainly the imbalance of Vata dosha is seen. Due to Vata dosha, a person is unable to sleep even after trying to sleep and the person’s mind keeps thinking and pondering about the past events and many types of worries keep going on in his mind. His mind remains restless and unstable, all this happens due to the abnormal increase of Vata dosha. Apart from this, if Kapha dosha increases in a person, then he feels lazy and tired even after sleeping for a long time.
Benefits of Good Sleep
People who get complete and deep sleep at night are healthier than those who suffer from insomnia. Apart from this, there are other benefits too, let’s know about them-
-Sleep affects our arteries. Lack of adequate sleep increases the risk of blood pressure and high cholesterol and also has a bad effect on the heart. It is necessary for an adult to sleep for 6-8 hours.
– Lack of good sleep increases stress and can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure gives rise to heart diseases while deep sleep keeps a person away from all these.
-People who work late at night are more likely to get breast and colon cancer . According to research, bright light affects the melatonin hormone. This hormone helps induce sleep. Lack of light and sleep leads to the development of tumors or lumps which lead to cancer .
-Due to a complete and adequate sleep at night, you feel energetic. Being full of energy, you are able to work better and do not feel tired.
-People who get enough sleep have a good memory. They are able to understand things more quickly and remember them for a long time.
-People who sleep less often face the problem of weight gain. There is a risk of hormonal imbalance due to less sleep, which leads to more hunger.
-Getting enough sleep increases a person’s concentration. People who do not get enough sleep feel lazy and lethargic throughout the day, due to which they are unable to concentrate on doing any work.
-The brain gets rest after sleeping, after working the whole day, adequate sleep is necessary for our brain.
-A person who always gets enough sleep does not grow old. They look more healthy and beautiful.
Side Effects of Sleep
Just like good sleep provides many benefits to the body, similarly less sleep also leads to many disadvantages.
-By not getting enough sleep, a person can become a victim of stress and mental diseases.
– Due to lack of sleep, the body and mind do not get complete rest, due to which problems like body ache, stiffness and fatigue arise.
-Sleep has a huge impact on the digestive system. Constipation occurs due to lack of proper sleep.
-If a person does not get proper sleep, he is not able to concentrate on any work and his memory becomes weak.
– Due to lack of sleep, problems like irritability and depression arise in a person. The person starts getting angry even on small matters.
-Due to lack of adequate sleep, a person remains tired even without doing any work and his head always remains heavy.
Symptoms of Insomnia
Lack of sleep is the most common symptom of insomnia, but apart from this there are other symptoms as well-
-Not being able to sleep even after trying to sleep.
– Waking up for a while even after feeling sleepy or complaining of waking up repeatedly.
-Not feeling fresh and lethargic even after waking up from sleep.
-Laziness is the most common symptom among people suffering from insomnia. The person feels unwell which affects his social and personal life.
-A person suffering from insomnia is always irritable and gets angry very quickly.
-A person suffering from insomnia is quickly surrounded by problems like anxiety and depression. They can also behave strangely.
Prevention Tips of Sleep
The most important thing for a good sleep is to make changes in lifestyle and diet. Let’s know what those changes are-
diet-
-Eat almonds , walnuts, milk and porridge in your diet . This will help you sleep well.
-Drink milk before sleeping at night.
-Include salad in your dinner. Eating salad produces an element called lactocarium in the body, which makes the body feel relaxed .
Consuming Kabuli Chana, Banana , Kiwi at night helps in getting good sleep.
-Drink milk before going to bed at night. The amino acid tryptophan present in milk is important for the brain chemical serotonin . With the help of tryptophan and serotonin, one can easily fall asleep at night.
-Along with milk , include other milk products like curd, cheese etc. in your diet .
-Among fruits, definitely consume cherries. It contains a good amount of melatonin chemical which controls the body clock of our body. According to research, eating cherries a few hours before sleeping helps in getting good sleep. People suffering from insomnia should drink a cup of cherry juice twice a day.
-Eat milk and bananas in the morning breakfast. Bananas have the ability to relax muscles. The potassium and magnesium present in it helps in falling asleep quickly. The carbohydrates present in it also help in getting good sleep.
-According to research, eating rice at night helps in getting good sleep. Rice has a high glycemic index . Also, the chemicals in it called tryptophan and serotonin help in sleeping.
-Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol in the evening . Instead, drink herbal tea.
-Eat 8-10 almonds every day. Almonds contain a good amount of magnesium which relaxes our muscles. According to research, when the amount of magnesium in the body is low, it causes trouble sleeping. Also, almonds produce the necessary amount of protein which controls blood sugar while sleeping.
lifestyle-
Get up in the morning, go for a walk and exercise.
-People who practice meditation and pranayama regularly do not complain of insomnia.
-Keep yourself away from stress as much as possible and try to be happy.
-A person suffering from insomnia should listen to melodious music or read a book before sleeping.
-While sleeping, keep in mind that there should not be bright light in the room and sleep on a clean bed.
Home Remedies for Sleep
Generally, home remedies are adopted first to get good sleep. Here we will talk about some such home remedies passed by Patanjali experts, which help in getting good sleep-
Massage from Mustard Oil Beneficial for Good Sleep
Washing your feet thoroughly before going to bed at night and massaging the soles with mustard oil helps keep the mind calm and induces good sleep.
Ashwagandha mixture beneficial for good sleep
-Take equal amounts of Sarpagandha and Ashwagandha and make a powder. Taking 3-5 grams of this powder with water at night before sleeping helps in getting good sleep.
-Make powder of Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Shankhpushpi, Shatavari, Mulethi, Amla, Jatamansi and Khurasani Ajwain by taking them in the quantity of 50-50 grams. Take this powder in the quantity of 5 grams with milk before sleeping at night.
Fenugreek Leaves Juice Beneficial for Good Sleep
Mix two teaspoons of fenugreek leaves juice and one teaspoon of honey thoroughly and consume it daily.
Cinnamon Beneficial for Good Sleep
Mixing half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder in a cup of hot milk and drinking it helps in getting good sleep at night.
Chamomile Beneficial for Good Sleep
Chamomile tea is a very good natural remedy for insomnia. According to studies, a compound called apigenin is found in chamomile which is very beneficial in insomnia.
Nutmeg Powder Beneficial for Good Sleep
Before going to bed, drink a cup of hot milk mixed with a spoonful of nutmeg powder. Apart from this, drink hot milk by adding a pinch of saffron to it.
Milk and Honey Shake Beneficial for Good Sleep
If you have problem of insomnia, then mixing one spoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm milk and drinking it before going to bed is beneficial.
Cumin Beneficial for Good Sleep
Roast one teaspoon of cumin seeds and grind them. Now mix it in a cup of hot water and keep it covered for five minutes. Drinking this daily before going to bed helps in insomnia.
Fennel Beneficial for Good Sleep
To get relief from insomnia, boil one spoon of fennel in a glass of water and drink it twice a day.
When should one go to the doctor?
If insomnia is not diagnosed and treated early, it can become a serious problem and the person can become a victim of depression and also suffer from stomach related diseases. Therefore, home remedies should be adopted for this problem soon and lifestyle changes should be made. If the person does not get benefit even from these remedies, then a doctor should be contacted immediately.
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