All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Sleep is like a precious gift that each one of us receives at the end of the day’s work. During sleep, man is in a semi-conscious state. The body sleeps but the mind is still active. Sleep is also a process that connects us with other subtle worlds. Sleep rejuvenates both body and mind, thus keeping them healthy.

Sleep gives us respite and peace for a short while. However stressed out and unhappy a person might be, the sleep provides him mental balance, removes his worries and stress, and gives him physical and mental strength. Concentration and ability to comprehend are also rejuvenated through sleep.

Some people do not take sleep seriously. Scientists have warned such people saying that those who do not take adequate hours of rest are playing with their life in a dangerous manner. British scientists say that lack of sleep may cause harmful effects on the internal processes of the body. According to a research study, there is permanent change in the genes of those who get less than 6 hours of sleep per day. Also, such people are more susceptible to obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart troubles.

Inadequate sleep has adverse effect on digestion which in turn leads to hyperacidity and other related problems. Inadequate sleep also affects our ability to take decisions. Sleep not only restores mental balance, but also enhances our memory. Hippocampus is the seat of memory in our brain. Research studies have shown that the connectivity of neurons in the Hippocampus is not done well which leads to weakened memory in those people who sleep less.

Those who cannot sleep well or experience difficulty in sleeping are generally found to be restless and worried in their daily life. People
who cannot sleep and have to resort to several methods like sleeping pills or other drugs realize the true value of good sleep. A large population today is suffering from insomnia. 50% of Indians suffer from it. Researchers also say that insomnia is the root cause of a plethora of mental ailments of which depression is the foremost.

Insomnia is a disease in which a person does not get sleep, or takes a long time to sleep or cannot sleep for as long as the person wishes to. This disease can affect people of any age group. There are four primary symptoms of insomnia – inability to sleep, getting suddenly awakened in the middle of night, not feeling refreshed after waking up, irritability and anxiety. The probability of mental illnesses like depression and restlessness are increased manifold because of insomnia. The hormones related to hunger are heightened due to lack of sleep causing the person to increase food intake, thus leading to obesity. The metabolism rate decreases due to insomnia thus also becoming a cause for obesity. This also leads to indigestion, constipation and gastritis.

There could be several causes for insomnia, of which emotional problems like stress, restlessness, depression etc. are the primary ones. A person’s daily lifestyle and physical constitution can also be reasons for insomnia. Some medicines for hyperthyroidism,
contraception and corticosteroids can also cause insomnia as a side effect. Excessive consumption of caffeine and alcohol also
increase problems related to sleep. Being addicted to television or internet till late in the night also creates problems with the process of sleep. Worries have the most adverse effect on sleep. Many a time it so happens that people begin to recollect their incomplete tasks as soon as they lie down and start worrying about them. This snatches away their sleep. The concept of using the services of sleep therapists is gaining momentum in Europe and America. In America, sleep therapy has become a business worth billions of dollars. This goes to show that insomnia is widely prevalent there. The country might be very developed and prosperous, but it
is plagued by many problems related to sleep. Countries like India are still developing and less prosperous in comparison, and therefore have relatively less of these problems.

One-thirds of man’s life is spent in sleep. We lose our perception to smell during sleep, which is why many people do not detect a
gas leak at night. There occurs deficiency of hormone named Leptin in those people who stay awake late in the night. This is what
causes excessive hunger and thus obesity. If a person sleeps for less than 7 hours in a day, then his immune system is weakened which makes him more susceptible to common cold, fever, etc. There is imbalance in the hormones of those who sleep less.

Normally, eight hours of sleep is considered ideal. Infants can sleep for 12-13 hours, while children can sleep for 9-10 hours and 7-8 hours of sleep is adequate for adults. Elderly people barely get deep sleep for 3-4 hours, after which they are easily awakened. They also see less dreams. In this way, you can see that we sleep less as we grow older. Also, with increase in ability to think and increased responsibilities and worries, our sleep decreases.

In general, it is not good to wake up suddenly from sleep. But at the same time, it might not be right to sleep for long hours too. If
someone feels fatigued even after sleeping for 10 hours, then it might indicate some other trouble. According to a study published in
‘Public Library of Science’, excessive sleep may not just be linked to some older illnesses but also can be indicative of diseases related to high BMI and other mental disorders. Depression is also considered a cause for insomnia. Such people prefer to lie down
on bed for long hours, though not asleep. In addition to insomnia, if a person feels sleepy always, it might also be a symptom
for hypersomnia.

Sleep is an essential ingredient of life. But sleeping less or more could be a problem. Sleep restores balance in our life. Our duration and quality of sleep also should be such that our life is not thrown out of balance and our day to day activities are not affected. If we manage to remain free from worries and stress, we will be able to stay away from all disorders related to sleep. Shavasan and Yoganidra are two techniques which can make you feel rested and refreshed in a very short duration and are best suited in this age of busy life styles.