Sleep (Nidra) is considered as one among the traya upasthambha (sub-pillars) of our body. Like a proper diet, proper sleep is essential for maintaining good health. Dr Pretty Prabhakaran writes:-

According to Acharya Charaka, proper sleep (vidhipoorvaka) promotes happiness, nourishment, strength, virility, knowledge and healthy life. At the same time, improper sleep (aniyamitha nidra) leads to misery, emaciation, weakness, ignorance and death. Sleep is nothing but the dissociation of manas from perceiving its objects when the body and the mind are exhausted.

Sleep time

Sleep is essential for good health and one should get adequate sleep depending on his/her age. Mithya yoga (improper), athiyoga (excessive) and heena (less) yoga of sleep is harmful. One should not be awake at night and sleep during day-time. Ratrijagarana (awake at night) is Rooksha Guna and Diwaswapna (sleeping during day time) is Snigda Guna.

Sleep and different seasons

Sleeping during day-time in seasons other than summer (greeshma ritu) is not advisable as it causes vitiation of kapha and pitta dosha. In summer season, night becomes shorter and vata dosha gets aggravated in the body due to absorption of fluid (Adana kala). Thus the need for day-time naps is felt during this season.

Indication of day sleep

As per Charakacharya, sleeping during day time, in any season, is indicated for those who are exhausted by

•          Singing

•          Studying

•          Alcoholic drinks

•          Sexual act

•          Shodhana therapy

•          Carrying heavy weights

•          Walking long distance

•          Indigestion (Ajeerna)

•          Kshatha ksheena (injured)

•          Person suffering from thirst, diarrhea, colic pain, dyspnoea, hiccup

•          Those who are too old or young

•          Those exhausted by anger, grief and fear

Contraindication of Day- sleep

The other contraindications for day sleep are as follows-

•          Medaswina (Person with excessive fat)

•          Snehanithya (who intake unctuous substance daily)

•          Kapha prakriti

•          Kapha rogi

•          Dooshivisha (artificial poisoning)

Complication of day-sleep in above persons

•          Headache

•          Loss of digestive power

•          Loss of taste

•          Rhinitis

•          Drowsiness

•          Heaviness of body

•          Body aches

•          Urticaria (skin rash)

•          Smrithy budhi pramoha (impairment of memory & intelligence)

•          Srothorodha (obstruction of circulating channels)

Indication of awakening (at night)

According to Acharya Sushrutha:-

•          Kapha roga

•          Medoroga

•          Visha (toxic conditions)

Methods and measures to induce good sleep

•          Early to bed and early to rise

•          Don’t use mobile phones during bed time

•          Intake of food before 7pm

•          Mind relaxing techniques like meditation, prayer can be adopted before going to bed

If a person is not getting sound sleep, the following measures can be adopted to cure the same, according to Acharya Charaka, by correcting the root cause

•          Abhyanga (massage)

•          Snana (Bath)

•          Intake of soup of domestic marshy and aquatic animals

•          Sali rice with curd

•          Milk

•          Soothing lepa (ointment) on eyes, face and head.

•          Comfortable bed, place and time.