Hectic work life, office pressures, emotional complications are common dots that connect all of us. These problems do not come alone, they bring along several side-effects that add more difficulties in our daily lives. Insomnia is one of those side-effects that is currently plaguing lots and lots of adults and middle-aged people. Simply put, it is the lack of sleep that needs to be addressed with proper treatment. Ayurvedic treatment for insomnia is a widely accepted approach in this respect. It takes care of the problem holistically and naturally.
What is Insomnia?
In medical terms, insomnia is a type of sleep disorder that can create difficulty staying asleep all night, waking up early, and not getting to sleep again. The patient may feel restless after waking up. According to a survey, Insomnia affects 30 to 50% of older people, 23% of teenagers, and 50% of pregnant women. Insomnia affects the patient's energy level, mood, health, and quality of life.
Doctors categorize insomnia into two types. Acute Insomnia occurs from one night to a few weeks, and chronic Insomnia occurs from three nights per week to a few months. Primary Insomnia occurs alone and is not associated with other health conditions. On the other hand, secondary Insomnia occurs as a complication of other health disorders like asthma, depression, cancer, chronic pain, alcohol, and some medicines' side effects.
If the condition continues for more than 15 days, one must seek insomnia treatment without delay.
Causes of Insomnia
Common causes of Insomnia include
- Irregular sleep habits
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Physical illness
- Pain
- Medication
- Sleeping late-night
- Excessive use of electronic devices
- Caffeine
- Alcohol consumption
- Jet lag
- Trauma
- Obesity and menopause.
Symptoms of Insomnia
The common symptoms of Insomnia include
- Restlessness after sleep
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Problem in concentration
- Poor memory
- Low motivation
- Low energy
- Tension
- Headache
- Difficulty in working, studying, and lack of coordination.
Risk Factors in Insomnia
Anyone can suffer from insomnia but it generally affects women more than men. People suffering from insomnia a higher risk of suffering from certain health problems. These include:
- High blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Memory loss
- Weight gain
- Restlessness
- Heart-related problems
Diagnosis and Ayurvedic Treatment for Insomnia
Diagnosis of Insomnia depends on the individual patient's situation. A detailed medical history, sleep patterns, physical examination, and blood test can help diagnose a patient with Insomnia. According to Ayurveda, the leading causes of Insomnia are unhealthy diet, weak digestion, physical or mental stress, irregular lifestyle, excess toxins in the body. Ayurveda refers to Insomnia as Anidra or Nidranash.
The accumulated toxins in the body disturb Vaat and Pitta and reduce Kapha dosha. Ayurveda therapies like whole body massage (Abhyanga), Shirodhara, Shirovasti, Nasya, and herbal medicines like Ashwagandha, Brahmi, and Jatamansi are selected to improve the quality of sleep and mind relaxation in a patient with Insomnia. Ayurvedic treatment for Insomnia aims to improve the quality and quantity of sleep, find out the underlying cause, and remove it permanently.
Diet & Lifestyle Changes
Practising 30 minutes of physical workout, relaxation therapies with yoga, and meditation, taking a healthy and light diet according to dosha and Prakriti helps get a good sleep.
Feet massage, head massage, and consuming one glass of warm milk at night help get a sound sleep. A patient with Insomnia must avoid tea, coffee, processed food, fried food, staple food, junk food, and refrigerated foodstuff.
Preventions for Insomnia
Learn to manage stress and work pressures in a positive way. Regular meditation and exercise help de-stressing our body and mind. It strengthens our body and mindset and keeps away anxiety, stress, and depression.
Signs and Symptoms of Insomnia
Restlessness
Fatigue
Irritability
Low Energy & Difficulty in Working
Why To Choose Ayurveda?
Looks for the Root Cause
The ayurvedic approach of disease looks for the root cause and not merely the symptoms. Ayurveda offers two ways of treatment; One is Shodhan, and the other is Shaman. Shodhan is complete detoxification of the body by Panchakarma therapies. Shaman is balancing the doshas by Ayurveda medicines, diet, and lifestyle changes. Ayurveda medicines always work better in a patient detoxified with Panchakarma.
Safe Medicines
Ayurveda medicines are processed most naturally and not in the synthetic and chemical form. For this reason, the herbs are soft on the body, and there is no risk of side effects even if the patient requires to take them for longer durations. The complete eradication of the root cause ensures the cure and prevents future health complications.
Holistic Approach
Ayurveda is not merely a medical science. Instead, it is a philosophical science too. The basic principles of Ayurveda consider an individual human a specific identity and hence his treatment. Ayurveda gives importance to the treatment of the patient rather than the treatment of the disease. Two patients of the same disease can have different treatments because of the difference in their body constitution.