Can Ayurveda Reduce Insomnia and Improve Sleep?

Why Ayurveda helps treat Insomnia

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How Ayurveda works for Insomnia

According to Ayurveda, a person is just like the universe, made of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.

These elements combine in the body to create three energies or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha.

- Vata dosha consists of the elements of space and air. It is the energy of movement.

- Pitta dosha consists of the elements of fire and water. It is the energy of digestion and metabolism.

- Kapha dosha consists of the elements of water and earth. It is the energy that forms different structures in the body, including the bones, muscles, and tendons. Kapha also provides the glue that holds all the cells together and helps the body move smoothly.

The doshas regulate every single process in the body. They control and maintain the body’s tissues (dhatu), waste products (mala), and digestion (agni).

Ayurveda treatment for Insomnia:

Ayurvedic treatment for insomnia is specifically tailored to each individual’s case and looks at the dominant dosha in their constitution.

However, Ayurvedic treatment for insomnia generally involves the following aspects:

A- Purvakarma treatments:

Purvakarma is Sanskrit for “foremost action.” It comprises herbal and oil treatments that loosen the accumulated toxins in the body. Ayurvedic medicine believes the toxins cause insomnia.

Accordingly, purvakarma practices direct these toxins to specific waste and elimination centers in the body. They help prepare people for Panchakarma (detoxification therapies).

Purvakarma consists of three treatments:

1- Pachana (digestion therapy): a practice where herbal treatments are administered to the patient. These herbal formulations help the body digest and eliminate toxins in the gut that cause insomnia.

2- Snehana (oleation therapy): a practice where oils, ghee (purified butter), or oils mixed with herbs are consumed internally or applied to the body externally to loosen toxins in the gut that cause insomnia. It also helps lead the toxins to a particular center in the body, where they can later be expelled via panchakarma therapies.

a. Abhyanga (massage therapy): a practice where oils, ghee, or oils infused with herbs are massaged vigorously into the body to loosen the toxins in the body that cause insomnia. Abhyanga also treats insomnia by restoring balance to imbalanced doshas vata and pitta doshas.

It is part of dinacharya (daily routine). Abhyanga can also be applied after panchakarma to relieve stress and insomnia.

3- Swedana (sudation therapy): is a practice that involves a thermal treatment to help release toxins that cause insomnia through the skin. Swedana also helps the body relax, which improves sleep quality.

It typically occurs after oleation therapy as the oils help the body absorb the steam. To treat insomnia, swedana should target the whole body (bashpa swedana).

During swedana, the patient sits in a wooden box or room filled with herbal steam to help the patient eliminate the toxins in his or her body by sweating. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend having a warm shower after swedana therapy.

B- Panchakarma treatments:

Panchakarma, which is Sanskrit for “five treatments” is a five-step detox program in Ayurveda. These treatments help detoxify the body and restore balance to the vata, pitta, and kapha doshas.

The five treatments are:

1. Vamana (medicated emesis)

2. Virechana (medicated purgation)

3. Vasti (medicated enema)

4. Nasya (nasal medication)

5. Raktamokshan (bloodletting)

An Ayurvedic practitioner would manage insomnia using the following Panchakarma treatments:

1- Virechana (medicated purgation): a practice where patients are given herbal treatments to induce diarrhea. This helps clear out toxins in the gut and restore balance to the pitta dosha, which may be imbalanced in people with insomnia.

2- Nasya (nasal medication): a practice where oils are administered through the nose. It helps restore balance to the aggravated vata dosha. It also soothes the mind and helps prana (life force energy) flow through our body properly, which prevents insomnia.

C- Insomnia treatments:

There are other Ayurvedic treatments that help improve sleep. After Panchakarma is completed, patients should undergo sirodhara and sirovasthi therapy to relax the mind and body.

1- Sirodhara therapy (external oleation): Patients have a liquid (oil, milk, or water) poured onto their forehead. It is also accompanied by a head, body, or scalp massage. This practice soothes the mind and body and decreases stress, which helps improve sleep quality.

2- Sirovasthi therapy: Patients have a warm oil or mixture of oil and herbs poured onto their heads. A bandage is tied on the patient’s head and the oil is poured into an open-headed cap. The oil is allowed to soak the patient’s head for at least 30 minutes. This practice calms the nervous system and relieves insomnia.

D- Rasayana (Rejuvenation treatments):

In Ayurveda, rasayana which is Sanskrit for “path of essence,” consists of practices that help rejuvenate and nourish the mind and body.

Rasayana practices include consuming herbal treatments or decoctions and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. They also incorporate exercise, yoga, and a regular self-care routine (dinacharya) to maintain balance in all aspects of life.

The rasayana practices that help treat insomnia are explained in more detail below:

1- Dietary Modifications:

The Ayurvedic diet aims to balance all three life energies or doshas in the mind and body. People should maintain a diet that restores balance to the vata (energy of movement) or pitta (energy of digestion and metabolism) doshas to treat or prevent insomnia.

An Ayurvedic diet also prescribes eating specific foods as part of Purvakarma (preparatory treatments) before Panchakarma (detoxification therapies) to help loosen the accumulated toxins in different areas in the body that cause insomnia.

People should maintain the Ayurvedic diet even after they complete Purvakarma and Panchakarma therapies.

2- Herbal Treatments:

Ayurveda prescribes herbs or herbal treatments to treat insomnia. The treatments are specifically tailored to the person’s symptoms. Practitioners prescribe different herbs depending on the person’s symptoms.
Some of these herbs include:

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): an herb that helps balance the mind’s vata dosha. It also calms the nervous system and helps the body regulate its sleep.

- Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): an herb that reduces the body’s cortisol levels and helps the nervous system calm down, which reduces insomnia.

- Jatamansi (Spikenard): an herb with anti-stress properties, which help calm the mind. It helps the body eliminate toxins, which prevents insomnia.

- Tagara (Valeriana wallichii): an herb that calms the nerves and improve sleep quality.

- Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica): an herb that reduces feelings of anxiety and stress which can improve sleep quality.

- Shankapushpi (Convolvulus prostratus): an herb with has anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties. It helps calm the mind and reduces the risk of insomnia.

3- Dinacharya (Routine):

Dinacharya or establishing a routine is one aspect of rasayana that helps treat insomnia and restores balance to the body and the mind.

It includes:

1- Adjusting dietary habits: People should eat foods at regular times. They should also eat healthy foods that help restore balance to the imbalanced vata or pitta doshas.

2- Regulating sleeping habits: People need to adjust their sleeping habits and begin sleeping at regular times every night to prevent insomnia.

3- Exercising regularly: People should engage in physical activity every day to stabilize all the doshas, which improves sleep quality. Exercise also helps relax the body.

4- Practicing yoga: People should practice at least 10 minutes of yoga every day to relieve stress and stabilize the vata dosha, which improves sleep quality.

5- Practicing breathing techniques: People should practice breathing techniques or pranayama every day. Pranayama helps decrease stress levels because it helps release prana (energy) blockages in the mind and restore balance to the vata dosha.

6- Practicing meditation: People should practice meditation for at least 20 minutes every day to manage stress levels and relax the body, which helps improve sleep quality.

7- Massaging yourself: People should massage themselves every day to help vata (the energy of movement) move throughout the body. Massages help relieve stress and improve sleep quality.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Sleep: recommendations

- Eat meals regularly: Eat at regular times to improve digestion and prevent the accumulation of toxins in the body, which improves sleep quality.

- Exercise regularly: Engage in physical activity for 30 minutes every day to restore balance to all the doshas. Exercise also decreases stress and regulates metabolism, which helps improve sleep quality and increases sleep duration.

- Sleep at the same time every night: Maintain a regular sleep schedule and get at least 7 hours of sleep to prevent insomnia.

- Practice yoga: Practice at least 10 minutes of yoga, including pranayama (breathing exercises), every day. This helps relieve stress which prevents insomnia.

- Practice activities that increase mindfulness: Practice meditation for at least 20 minutes every day. Meditation helps relieve stress, one trigger for insomnia.

- Massage yourself: Give yourself an oil massage every day either in the morning or at night to relieve stress. If you don’t have time for an oil massage, you can massage your feet or your scalp to help you relax and fall asleep.

- Drink milk before bedtime: drinking milk before bedtime helps you sleep better. You can add a bit of nutmeg to the milk for flavor.

Herbs to use:

The following herbs are beneficial for insomnia because they calm the mind and reduce stress:

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): an herb that helps balance the mind’s vata dosha. It also calms the nervous system and helps the body regulate its sleep.

- Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): an herb that reduces the body’s cortisol levels and helps the nervous system calm down, which reduces insomnia.

- Jatamansi (Spikenard): an herb with anti-stress properties, which help calm the mind. It helps the body eliminate toxins, which prevents insomnia.

- Tagara (Valeriana wallichii): an herb that calms the nerves and improve sleep quality.

- Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica): an herb that reduces feelings of anxiety and stress which can improve sleep quality.

- Shankapushpi (Convolvulus prostratus): an herb with has anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties. It helps calm the mind and reduces the risk of insomnia.

Foods to eat:

According to Ayurveda, all foods possess certain gunas (qualities). The gunas in the foods are transferred into energies that influence the balance of the doshas in the body.

People who have insomnia should eat foods that have warm, heavy, or sweet gunas (qualities). These qualities  increase the kapha dosha (energy of structure and lubrication) to balance out a vata (energy of movement) or pitta (energy of digestion and metabolism) imbalance.

These foods include:

• Fruits:  apples(cooked), strawberries, cherries, bananas, kiwis, avocadoes, and grapes

• Vegetables: carrots, pumpkins, and romaine lettuce

• Meat: buffalo and turkey

• Fish: tuna

• Dairy products: milk, curds, and ghee

• Grains: white flour, oats, and millet

• Nuts: walnuts and peanuts

• Honey

• Spices like cumin, coriander, nutmeg, fennel, ginger

Ayurvedic Medicine for Sleep: things to avoid

- Avoid skipping meals: skipping meals makes it harder to establish a routine and increases vata in the body, which may cause insomnia. It also disrupts the balance of the pitta dosha, which affects digestion and causes toxins to build up in the body.

- Avoid drinking coffee and tea: these drinks aggravate all three doshas and disrupt their balance. Coffee and tea also contain caffeine, a natural stimulant that energizes the body, so they disrupt sleeping patterns.

- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption: alcohol consumption disrupts the balance of all the doshas in the body. It overstimulates the liver which causes a pitta imbalance. This imbalance leads to the accumulation of toxins in the body, which may lead to insomnia.

- Avoid soft drinks: these drinks contain a lot of sugar and aggravate the pitta dosha, which causes toxins to accumulate in the body and lead to insomnia.

- Stop smoking: smoking aggravates the doshas and causes the accumulation of toxins in the body. Cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant found in tobacco smoke and it may disrupt sleeping patterns.

- Avoid napping during the day: taking naps during the day disrupts your sleep schedule and may lead to insomnia.

- Avoid exercising before bedtime: exercising before bedtime stimulates the body, which disturbs sleep. If you need to exercise, do so at least three hours before bedtime.

- Avoid working at night: working at night disturbs your regular sleep cycle and may lead to insomnia.

Foods to avoid:

According to Ayurveda, all foods possess certain gunas (qualities). The gunas in the foods are transferred into energies that influence the balance of the doshas in the body.

People who suffer from insomnia should avoid foods that have light and dry gunas (qualities) that might aggravate the vata dosha (energy of movement) to sleep better.

These foods include:

• Vegetables: raw onions and tomatoes

• Fruits: dried fruits and uncooked apples

• Grains: refined white flour

• Salty foods

• Sugary foods

• Spicy foods

• Processed foods

Ayurveda for Insomnia: precautions

Ayurveda uses natural and herbal remedies to treat diseases. However, if you want to use Ayurvedic medicines, herbs, supplements to treat a particular condition, you should consider the following precautions:

- Consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before taking Ayurvedic products on your own. Let them know if you have diabetes or are taking medication that may affect your treatment plan. They should adjust it to avoid any harmful interactions with the medication you are taking.

- Some Ayurvedic products and practices are banned in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve or review Ayurvedic products. Some herbal compounds or preparations may contain lead, mercury, or arsenic in toxic amounts.

They can cause serious illnesses in children and may be life-threatening for pregnant or lactating women and their babies. Other compounds from untrustworthy manufacturers may contain steroids, which may cause further health issues.

WARNING:

- Make sure to disclose to your primary care physician that you are seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner and are taking Ayurvedic formulations. This ensures you stay safe and avoid medication interactions that might cause serious side effects.

- If you are taking medication for diabetes, don’t stop taking them if you begin Ayurvedic treatment unless your doctor approves it.

- Some Ayurvedic practitioners may not be qualified to treat you. Make sure that your Ayurvedic practitioner is well-trained, certified, and has the relevant experience to meet your needs.

- Be careful when buying Ayurvedic herbs or formulas. Don’t buy Ayurvedic products unless they have a GMP (Good Manufacturing Product) stamp on them if you are buying them from India. Be extra careful when purchasing herbs online because online stores may be selling counterfeit products.

Ayurveda for Insomnia: side effects

Since Ayurvedic treatments are derived from natural herbs and plants, most treatments do not cause adverse events. However, if you take some Ayurvedic preparations or herbs, you may experience the following side effects.

- Some Ayurvedic products contain toxic amounts of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, or mercury, and they might cause heavy metal poisoning.

- Some Ayurvedic herbal formulations might cause headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, rashes, or allergic reactions.