Insomnia

Sleep is nature’s greatest blessing of life which repairs the wear and tear of the body and mind. Most of the women sleep 45-60 minutes more than men. The amount of sleep required varies at different ages as mentioned below;

New born                18-20 hours
Growing children     10-12 hours
Adults                    7-9 hours
Aged persons         5-7 hours

For good sleep, one should not sleep on one’s back but on the side with both legs brought well up and the head and the shoulder slightly forward, in a well-ventilated and hygienic room.

Insomnia deprives the person of mental rest. Sleeping on a bed that is neither too hard nor too soft but comfortable enough gives relief from tension and rejuvenates the brain and the body. The amount of sleep varies from individual to individual. Normally, seven to eight hours of sleep every night is adequate. The common causes of sleeplessness are mental tension, anxiety, worries, overwork, over excitement, dull brain, anger and bitterness, constipation, dyspepsia, over eating, excessive intake of tea or coffee, smoking, going to bed hungry, etc.

Sleeping pills bring out indigestion, rashes on the skin, infection, circulatory and respiratory problems and mental confusion.

How to relieve Insomnia

• Have a regular sleeping schedule. Early to bed at a fixed time, and early to rise is a good practice.

• Deficiency of key nutrients, especially vitamins and other chemicals is the main cause of insomnia which should be improved.

• A balanced diet and the eating pattern.

• Do not lie on your back, but on your side.

• Controlled breathing helps in inducing sleep.

• Have a regular exercise during the day. Exercise stimulates, eliminates lactic acid from the body, relieves stress and muscular tension and produces hormonal changes. Walking, jogging, skipping, cycling and swimming are ideal exercises.

• Applications of hot spinal packs, hot fomentation to spine and hot foot bath before retiring at night overcome insomnia.

• Yoga also helps to cure insomnia and tones up the whole body system. Halasana and Sarvangasana are recommended postures.

Halasana

Sarvangasana