Sleep: Ayurvedic Home Remedies + 10 Tips To Improve Sleep

“Getting too much and very less sleep can dramatically affect your health. Irregular sleep or waking up the middle in the night and not being able to sleep again can be problematic.”

A proper sound sleep contributes to overall health of a person. It helps you to start a fresh day with a recharged body and mind. Proper sleep makes you more productive in your work as it clears the adenosine from the brain. Sleep plays critical role in health and well being of a person in number of ways. It repairs and rejuvenates the tissue in the brain and other body parts. Muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis, wound healing, release of growth hormones mostly occurs during sleep.

Ayurveda classifies the sleep disorder according to the doshas. Vata, pitta and kapha are the three doshas that constitutes a human body. Disturbance in the balance of these doshas lead to sleep disorder. Increase in kapha dosha induces sleep and aggravated vata or pitta dosha causes insomnia or loss of sleep.

Ayurveda lays much importance on sleep being an essential part for a healthy living. When vata dosha is dominant the person has poor-quality sleep and often complain of insomnia. Aggravated pitta dosha is associated with moderate sleep disturbed by dreams. Increased kapha dosha makes a person sleep easily but not easy to awake.

Stress is the main reason for not being able to sleep. Aggravated vata dosha keeps our mind occupied with many thoughts and this makes it impossible to relax.

People who work in rotating shift may suffer from sleep deprivation in night or have chances of falling sleep at work during day. But not everyone suffers from shift work disorder. There are many health problems related to such sleep disorder.

10 Tips To Improve Sleep:

1) Take your dinner early – eating late heavy dinner reduces the digestive strength and prevents sound sleep. Ayurveda suggest eating light food at-least two hours before sleeping.

2) Cut your alcohol intake- initially alcohol makes you sleep but later it over stimulates liver and causes restlessness. Avoid alcohol intake at night and observe the quality of your sleep.

3) Adding weight in your leg may help you get a good sleep. When vata dosha is aggravated it governs the leg and may disturb sleep. It is one of the effective way to fall asleep.

4) Massage – a simple massage on feet, low back, ears and head can induce sleep. Massage with warm medicated oil helps.

5) Drinking warm milk at night helps you sleep better. Cinnamon and cardamom mixed in milk promotes digestion and also helps in sleeping.

6) Unplug your electronics such as phone, TV, tablets and computer atleast an hour before sleeping.

7) Avoid caffeine, sugar and other stimulants in evening after 3 pm.

8) Meditation – it is a way to bring calmness in your mind and release all the stress.

9) Exercise or yoga work on your muscles and keeps your mind and body fit.

10) Deep breathing exercises such as pranayam helps in inducing sound sleep.

Ayurvedic Home Remedies To Induce Sleep

In this fast paced life everyone of us are stressed and we all have come across the times when it becomes very difficult to fall asleep. You must have tried all the methods to induce sleep but in vain. Ayurveda has some herbs that help in inducing sleep. These herbal medicine, not only provide sound sleep but also relieves stress and anxiety. Always consult an ayurvedic doctor before switching to these herbs.

1) Brahmi – it is called brain tonic and is known for curing problems related to digestion. The herb supports sleep, brings calmness and improves concentration and alertness.

2) Vacha – it calms the brain and helps in relieving tension and cures insomnia. It is a tonic for nervous system and removes stress and other issues.

3) Sarpagandha – it is beneficial in reducing hypertension that causes sleeping disorder.

4) Shankpushpi – it acts on a nervous system by acting as tranquillizer. Thus it decreases anxiety and helps in sleeping better.

5) Ashwagandha – it contains a compound called tri-ethylene glycol that induces sleep. It is beneficial in treating stress and anxiety.

6) Jatamasi – it is also a brain tonic that rejuvenates and nourishes the nervous system. It brings calmness and relaxes the hyperactive mind thus inducing sleep.

Panchakarma Therapy For Inducing Sleep

Shirobasti, shirodhara and nasya are recommended for sleep disorders. Abhyanga (full body massage) with medicated oil such as sesame oil, narayana taila, bala taila induces sound sleep. Brahmi oil head massage is very effective. Foot massage with ksheerabala taila relaxes the body and mind.

Ayurvedic medicines and therapy works naturally, gently and very effectively on nervous system that helps in bringing calmness in the mind, relieves stress and helps a person get better sleep.