SLEEP NATURALS

WHAT IS INSOMNIA?

Insomnia is a habit of not falling asleep easily or having trouble maintaining a long and sound sleep without getting disturbed.

It is becoming an increasingly common problem these days given the rising stress levels and our decreasing tolerance to cope with our challenging life on a daily basis.

COMMON CAUSES OF INSOMNIA

Insomnia may occur from any reason which may or may not be having any underlying pathology. Sometimes a recent tension or stress in life may keep you awake and at other times ill health may be the main reason for loss of sleep.

Other factors include:-

• Disturbing and noisy surroundings
• Uncomfortable temperature – too hot or too cold atmosphere
• Change of environment
• Change of sleeping place or sleeping habits
• Medications
• Health conditions like Depression, arthritis, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and Parkinsonism etc.

DIETARY AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS THAT AFFECT SLEEP

• Too much caffeine
• Drinking alcohol before bedtime
• Excessive cigarette smoking
• Over sleeping in the daytime
• No fix time of sleeping
• Stressing or worrying too much about how one sleep's

These are some of the main features of a person suffering from insomnia and they may vary from person to person. The symptoms also reciprocate in different ways in males and females. If we talk about the most troublesome of the symptoms of stress and depression, insomnia is at the top of the list. It is a major cause of concern in depressed patients and can become an aggravating factor in such patients.

INSOMNIA AS PER AYURVEDA

Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine which has blessed us with the knowledge of such wonderful herbs that are a boon to mankind and provide a natural and simplistic solution to all of our health problems.

Insomnia can be compared to "Anidra" in Ayurveda. It is a disorder affected by the vata and the kapha component of the three body energies.

GENERAL MEASURES TO ENJOY A SOUND SLEEP

Here are a few common steps that every person should follow in order to avoid minor sleep related disturbances.

1. Fix a time for sleep and make it a habit to sleep at the same time. This will allow your body to adapt to the situation.
2. Eat light before going to bed. Never overeat before sleeping
3. Reduce salt intake in diet, it can cause high blood pressure which also affects sleep.
4. Do breathing exercises to avoid stress and anxiety before sleep time.
5. Exercise regularly to control stress levels both physical and mental.
6. Take body massage occasionally, it is very helpful in inducing sleep.
7. Listen to light music at night time.
8. Limit usage of electronic gadgets like laptops, iPad and computer. They also affect sleep patterns.