A minimum daily sleep regimen is vital for physical and mental well-being. The sleep duration could vary from anything between six to eight hours, depending on age etc. Along with quantity, quality sleep is also necessary, with both the factors having to be in sync with each other for optimum benefits. Adequate and proper daily quota of sleep, thus, acts as a restorative and gives one an opportunity to recuperate from the wear and tear of life associated with work, illness, stress. Stress cannot be avoided but its adverse effects on health can be largely neutralised through adoption of healthy lifestyle practices wherein sleep forms a vital component. Deficient sleep gives rise to myriad conditions like anxiety, loss of appetite, constipation, irritability etc.
Ayurveda advocates the adoption of a lifestyle regimen, supplemented with medication, for achieving levels of sleep necessary to mitigate adverse effects on health. These are:
Leading regulated life with positive attitude, having simple and nutritious diet with proper exercise, doing Yoga.
Purification of body through Panchakarma.
Treating cause of sleeplessness with appropriate medication derived from herbs like Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal), Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentine (L.) Benth. ex Kurz), Tagara (Valeriana jatamansi Jones) etc.
Abstaining from smoking and alcohol.