Ayurvedic Treatment For Insomnia

‘Ouch! My days appear dragged…My nights are making me an owl…..Even my simple breakfast takes much time to digest…..I’ve started developing dark circles around my eyes…..I always feel exhausted and worn-out. What’s happening to me?’ I often hear these lifeless statements from many of my friends and colleagues. If you are experiencing any one of the indications listed above, then listen you are suffering from insomnia.

According to Ayurveda, insomnia is the basis for angst, nervousness, gloominess, depression, obesity, hypersensitivity, stress, deprived immune system and constant worrying. These symptoms can also be called as the siblings of insomnia. If left unnoticed you’ll more or less be encircled by a shadowy atmosphere where even your bright white dress might look completely black to your eyes??? Only a spiritual healing of an Ayurvedic treatment can perfectly save your head from insomnia and its siblings.

What is insomnia? Insomnia simply means sleepless nights when you are still lying on your bed waiting for a profound sleep to knock your night. People suffering from insomnia experience difficulty in falling asleep and slog to enjoy the comfort of a lasting sleep.  There’s nothing as dreadful as insomniac nights. By the time you are struggling, striving, tossing and turning on your bed, you’d quickly realize that the Sun has come up to serve its purpose. Oh My God! What a kind of irritation it is? How worse it is to stay awake while the entire home sleeps peacefully?

Reasons behind insomnia: What causes insomnia? Is the biggest question in this context. Ayurveda states that insomnia branches out from vata predominant emotions in people who have a medical history of constipation, unbalanced eating habits, improper digestion, regular dehydration and few other health disorders. Sleep is completely natural in Ayurvedic terms and this common sense science recommends human beings to sleep before 10:00 PM at night and wake up before 6:00 AM. This is because our body naturally influences the secretion of melatonin hormone from the pineal gland, when the natural light starts fading and induces sleep. Intake of caffeine-based drinks, hectic routine, siesta, intake of excess alcohol, late night meals and other in the wrong lifestyle changes alters the natural secretion of melatonin and ends up in insomnia.

Ayurvedic treatment for insomnia: According to Ayurveda, good sleep and rest known as ‘Nidra’ is one among the three vital pillars of human health. Taking up an Ayurvedic routine and following it right in your daily lives will gradually make your system complete and your life meaningful. Ayurveda, the natural wisdom has a bunch of fruitful remedies for treating insomnia and few other serious health conditions caused by acute and chronic insomnia.

  1. Healthy and nutritious diet: Ayurveda always insists on the intake of a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet with fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. After your first Ayurvedic consultation, your Ayurvedic practitioner will help you in identifying your predominant dosha and guide you with a healthy diet containing the food items that would suit your inherited constitution in a hale and hearty manner.
  2. Abhyanga or the Ayurvedic massage: An enlivening Ayurvedic massage can give you all that you need for a calm and composed living. It has proven benefits and is in practice for more than 5000 years. A relieving massage with Ayurvedic essential oils and other medicated oils aids in reducing pain, muscular tension, nervousness, stress, enhances your blood circulation, soothes your nervous system, rejuvenates your mind and helps in alleviating anxiety, fatigue, stress, depression and other mood fluctuations paving way for an entirely new system that will certainly help you in getting a good night’s sleep.
  3. Shirodhara: It can be called as a revivifying treatment useful in treating mental exhaustion, neurological disorders, sinusitis, loss of memory, tension and insomnia. It stimulates relaxation of muscles and increases the concentration power. This therapy engages gentle pouring of oils or other medicated liquids on the forehead for a specific time from a specific distance.
  4. Use of Ayurvedic essential oils: Ayurvedic essential oils have a natural fragrance that calm the senses and soothe the mind gradually. The mesmerizing aroma along with the therapeutic properties like anti-depressant, calmative, soothing, sedative, relaxing and revitalizing help considerably in treating insomnia. You can either add few drops to your bath tub for a warm refreshing bath before going to bed or add two to three drops of essential oil to your pillows to bring in calmness or place a cotton ball near your pillow with few drops of mild essential oils that can help through the entire night in inculcating warming thoughts. The best and most effective Ayurvedic essential oils for insomnia are Lavender essential oil, Clary sage essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil, Sandalwood oil, Neroli oil, Roman Chamomile oil, Bergamot essential oil, Marjoram essential oil, Rose essential oil and Basil essential oil.
  5. Soothing physical exercises, yoga and meditation: Regular physical exercises, yoga and meditation are vital for your harmonized living. Everything should be done methodically, preferably in the early hours of the day that has a greater impact on your positive thinking, dynamism, clarity of mind and improves your self-confidence.

Always end up your day with a small prayer before going to bed. This really helps a lot. There is no use in worrying or staring at the ceiling when the complete city sleeps in silence. Come on! The gift of sleeping right and tight at night just demands these simple and startling steps. Enjoy your sleep and all I have to say you is ‘Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite’. Bye! Bye!

Thought for the day:

Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking.    -By Clifton Fadiman.

Suggested reading:

  1. NATURAL INSOMNIA TREATMENT Best Essential Oils to Use for Chronic Insomnia, Sleep Disturbances, Night Fears & to Restore Natural Sleep Cycles
    By KG Stiles
  2. Beat Insomnia Quickly (Bullet Guides) By Sara Kirkham
  3. Overcoming Sleep Disorders Naturally By Laurel Vukovic
  4. Sleep Tight: Sleep well tonight and every night By James M Brunton

Reference Links:

  1. Insomnia by Wikipedia
  2. What Is Insomnia? What Causes Insomnia? by Medical News Today
  3. Ayurvedic Cure for Insomnia by Onlymyhealth
  4. Melatonin by University of Maryland Medical Center