Nidra — The Science of Sleep in Ayurveda

The third pillar

Sleep is one of the most important functions of our body. A good night's sleep regenerates mind and body, prepares us to meet new challenges and is essential for health, proficiency and emotional well-being. Modern research confirms that improper sleep increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Ayurveda considers Nidra (sleep) one of the three pillars of health — the Trayopastambha — alongside diet and healthy intimacy. According to Ayurveda, sleep is a naturally recurring state that arises when the mind completes its day's duties and the body grows tired from work. When sleep does not come, this state is called Nidranasha — the loss of sleep. Certain individuals naturally sleep less, typically those with a predominance of Vata or Pitta Dosha.

Six types of sleep

Types of Nidra — Charaka's Classification

Charaka Samhita categorises sleep into six distinct types, each arising from a different source in mind and body:

1. 1
   Tamobhava

   Sleep caused by an excess of the Tamas quality of the mind — heaviness, inertia and dullness predominating.
2. 2
   Shleshma Samudbhava

   Driven by excess Kapha Dosha — often manifesting as lethargy, prolonged or heavy sleep that is difficult to shake off.
3. 3
   Mana-Sharir Shrama Sambhava

   The natural, wholesome sleep that arises when both mind and body become genuinely exhausted from a day of honest work.
4. 4
   Agantuki

   Sudden sleep caused by shock, fear, or delirium — considered inauspicious and often a sign of a severe health crisis.
5. 5
   Vyadhyanuvartini

   Sleep that is symptomatic of or secondary to another underlying disease — a sign to be investigated, not simply treated.
6. 6
   Ratri Swabhavprabhava

   The natural, restorative sleep that occurs as a result of the night's own cycle — the most prized and healthful form of Nidra.

What shapes your sleep

Factors Affecting Sleep

Ayurvedic texts describe the factors that influence sleep with remarkable precision. Four primary influences shape the quality and duration of our Nidra:

When Nidra is lost

Reasons for Loss of Sleep

Ayurveda considers vitiation of Vata and Pitta Dosha the chief culprits behind sleeplessness. The following are cited as causes of Nidranasha:

• Psychological causes — fear, anxiety, anger, grief, sorrow, greed, agitation
• Physical exercise done to excess, or at the wrong time of day
• Fasting and prolonged hunger
• A diet with a predominantly drying effect on the body
• An uncomfortable bed or sleeping environment
• Overwork — both mental and physical
• Old age and natural weakening of the body
• Injury or trauma to the body
• Many diseases, especially those involving Vata vitiation
• Injudicious Panchakarma — excessive Vamana (emesis), Virechana (purgation), Nasya (nasal medications), Raktamokshana (bloodletting), Swedana (sudation) or medicated smoke

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Loss of sleep has a drying effect on the body, which aggravates Vata Dosha and manifests in the following ways:

• Body ache and squeezing pain throughout the body
• Heaviness and giddiness of the head and eyes
• Excessive yawning
• Lassitude and lethargy
• Exhaustion even without physical strain; apathy and fatigue
• Loss of interest in food, or indigestion
• Stupor
• Eventually, diseases produced by disturbed Vata Dosha

Restoring balance

Ayurvedic Measures for Sleep Restoration

Ayurvedic texts offer a rich array of measures to restore healthy sleep. Avoiding the causative factors is always the first and most important step. Beyond that, classical texts recommend:

• Milk and milk products — curd, ghee — are considered especially nourishing for restoring sleep
• Warm sweet milk at bedtime is among the most effective classical remedies — it calms the mind, balances Vata and induces sleep
• A meal including rice, sweet fruits such as grapes, and preparations made with jaggery or sugar
• Abhyanga — whole body oil massage, particularly on the head
• Padabhyanga — Ayurvedic foot massage before bed
• Pleasant fragrances, gentle music and a calm, clean sleeping environment
• Keeping the mind calm and free from worry, painful thoughts and greed
• A person deprived of sleep should rest at the proper night-time hours according to their body type
• If kept awake through the night, sleep the next morning for half that duration before eating
• Herbs with sedative properties — classically, Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) — administered as single or compound formulations

When Sleep is Excessive

While insomnia is the more commonly discussed problem, excessive sleeping is addressed equally seriously in Ayurvedic texts. Excess sleep increases Kapha and Pitta Dosha. Remedies include Panchakarma therapies of emesis and sudation, collyrium (eye preparations), nasal medications (Nasya), and fasting or thinning therapies — always under the guidance of an Ayurvedic physician.