Does Ayurveda help treat insomnia?
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There is evidence from one well-designed study that a traditional Ayurvedic formula (Blissful Sleep, Maharishi Ayurvedic Products International) containing valerian (Valeriana wallichi), rose petals (Rosa centifolia), muskroot (Nardostachys jatamansi), heart-leaved moonseed (Tinospora cordifolia), winter cherry (Withania somnifera), pepper (Piper negrum), ginger (Zingibar officinalis), aloeweed (Convolvulus pluricalis), and licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) may decrease sleep latency (time needed to get to sleep) in people with sleep-onset insomnia, with no side effects. Further research is needed to confirm these results.
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There is evidence from one well-designed study that a traditional Ayurvedic formula (Blissful Sleep, Maharishi Ayurvedic Products International) containing valerian (Valeriana wallichi), rose petals (Rosa centifolia), muskroot (Nardostachys... More -
Yogi Cameron Alborzian answered:It is common in the West to equate the resolution of a condition--like insomnia--with the various substances (drugs, herbs) that can be taken in response. People with insomnia are likely to take sleeping pills or other remedies as a way to help them to sleep but without ever considering why they are experiencing troubled sleep in the first place. Ayurvedic tradition teaches us to look not just at the symptoms of a patient's condition (in this case, poor sleep), but at its root cause.
A person may be experiencing poor sleep because their basic constitution is predisposed to lightness and airiness, which will lead to high levels of activity in the mind when it's time for bed. Or, the person may be dried out by too much travel, movement, or the consumption of drying foods; dryness likewise leads to airiness which inhibits sleep.
To treat insomnia Ayurvedically, it is important to a) determine why the insomnia exists b) ground the body and mind so as to foster more mental and physical peace and bedtime, and c) administer treatment to the body as a whole. This will include providing a diet that fosters moisture and lubrication to better ground the person and reverse dryness, taking herbs that foster restfulness, and avoiding overstimulation of the mind. With a general lifestyle overhaul, insomnia will be a thing of the pastIt is common in the West to equate the resolution of a condition--like insomnia--with the various substances (drugs, herbs) that can be taken in response. People with insomnia are likely to take sleeping pills or other remedies as a way to help them... More
