According to Ayurveda, sleep is one of the important pillars (upastambha traya) which sustain life. Nidra is also important as Ahara (food). Again it comes under unsurpassable urge (Adharniya Vega). If it is suppressed then it can cause headache, body pain, heaviness of eyes etc. Getting enough Nidra (sleep) at the right times supports wellbeing and good quality of life. Proper Nidra protects growth and development of body (Dhatu Pushti). Nidra helps to get proper learning capacity (gyan). Again Oja which is responsible for our body (immune system) also relies on sleep to stay healthy. Sleep deficiency can affect the body as tension may increase and emotional wellbeing may be affected. Ongoing sleep deficiency, which mainly occurs due to late night study, night duty of different professions, may raise risk for some chronic health problems. In Ayurvedic classic several diseases occurs due to Nidra Viparyaya (improper sleep), Prajagaran (whole night awaking), Divaswapna (daysleep). One of the causes of Vatavyadhi is due to Nidra Viparyaya, in Ayurvedic classic Vatavyadhi gets prime importance and covers almost 50% of diseases. Some life style diseases like Madhumeha (Dibetes mellitus), Sthoulya (Obesity) etc. can occur due to improper sleep.
Dr Jeuti Rani Das
(arri.itanagar@gmail.com)