Insomnia or Sleeping Problems

Insomnia means difficulty in getting sleep, disturbed sleep or waking in the early hours of the morning and being unable to get back to sleep.

Causes

Domestic worries are the usual cause. Over-excitement, ill-health, or depression may also be the causes.

Sometimes withdrawal of sleeping tablets also leads to this problem. Even if one consumes stimulants such as caffeine late in the evening, he may be susceptible to this problem.

Signs & Symptoms

Not having enough sleep constantly. Not every body, however requires the same amount of sleep. On an average 8 hours sleep is ideal, but some persons need more and others far less.

Herbal Medicines

Green dhaniya (Coriandrum sativum) in the form of 15ml of its expressed juice, well mixed with sugar and water induces sleep. Since lack of physical activity seems to be one of the causes, regular exercise helps relieve sleeplessness to' a great extent.

Ayurvedic Remedies

1. Before going to bed, have a head massage with a herbal medicated oil, Brahmi tailam and have a cup full of warm milk with some Brahmivati, a herbal malted milk drink.
2. Aswagandha Churna, a readymade drug in powder form is very useful in this condition. 5 grams of the powder should be taken with sugar and ghee twice a day after meals.
3. Drinking amla juice IS-20ml before going to bed is also useful.
4. Brahmivati 2 tablets at bedtime taken with a cup of warm milk induces good sleep.
5. Sunidra tablet (Maharishi Ayurved) 1 to 2 tablets at bedtime acts as a tranquilizer.
6. Calmtone capsule (Uttam) 1 to 2 capsules twice daily after meals is very useful in this condition.
7. Shirodhara-a part of Panchkarma is also very useful in chronic insomnia.