"Insomnia" is a
broad term doctors and other healthcare providers use to describe a common sleep
disorder, and which refers to one of many conditions classified as "sleep
disorders." Insomnia symptoms vary from person to person, and is a broad
allopathic term.
Symptoms:
Insomnia symptoms may include:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Waking up too early
Day time fatigue and sleepiness
Day time irritability
Ayurvedic perspective: According to the Ayurvedic perspective,
the doshas which are responsible for insomnia are tarpak kapha, sadhak pitta and
prana vata.
Tarpak kapha is a sub-dosha of kapha dosha. It nourishes the brain cells and is
helpful for a good night’s sleep. Imbalance of this causes poor nourishment of brain cells and causes
insomnia.
Sadhak pitta is a sub-dosha of pitta dosha and is located in the heart. It
controls the emotions, desire, drive, decisiveness, and spirituality. Its
imbalance makes a person demanding, perfectionistic, and workaholic.
Prana vata is a sub-dosha of vata dosha. It is linked to insomnia, worry,
anxiety, and problems like depression. Prana vata makes the nervous system
sensitive, which seems to be the cause of disease. A sensitive nervous system
and aggravated prana vata lead to insomnia.
In each patient, different combinations of doshas occur. In some patients it is
only due to an aggravation of pitta dosha. In some patients it is only due to
aggravation of vata dosha. But tarpak kapha is low in both cases.
Treatment Ayurvedic line of treatment in your
case would be to balance
tarpak kapha, sadhak pitta and prana vata. Besides that relaxation of mind is
also important part to the treatment.
Diet
Your diet should increase kapha and decrease prana vata.
This includes most fresh fruits, pasta, rice, dairy products, avocado, sweet
foods and lots of fluids (especially warm drinks). Salads should have a creamy
or oily dressing. Whole grains and almonds, peanuts and other nuts or sesame
seeds should be included. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and caffeinated beverages
(especially in the evening).
Body massage with oils and
head massage are very beneficial for this.
