Nidra

Nidra

by Vedic Society

When the mind and the sense organs are tiered and retract from their respective functions, then the person goes to sleep.
Effects of proper sleep on the body:
It gives sukha(happiness), pushti(nourishment), bala(strength), vrishata, jnana(knowledge), jeevita(life).
Effects of less sleep on the body:

Dukha(unhappiness)

Karshyata(emaciation),
Abala(weakness),
Kleebata(impotant)
Ajnana(impaired knowledge or unwise)
Destroys the life.

Effects of akala nidra(untimely sleep), atinidra(excess sleep) and anidra(no sleep):
Destroys the life like Kalaratri(the night of destruction at the end of the world).
Effects of proper sleep:
Proper and timely sleep leads to sukhayusha(happy life) like a yogipurusha attains siddhi on reaching stya buddhi.
Indications for day sleep and its benefits:

• One who is tiered due to
• singing(geeta),
• Studing(adhyayana),
• alcohol(madya),
• sexual intercourse(stree),
• purification procedures(karma),
• wait lifting(bhaara),
• walking(adhwa).
• Ajeerni(indigestion)
• kshata(injured)
• Ksheena(weak)
• Vriddha(old aged)
• Bala(child),
• Abala(weak)
• trishna(suffring from thirst)
• Atisara(loose and excess stools)
• shoola(suffering from pain in the abdomen)
• Shwasa(breathing difficulty)
• Hikka(hiccough)
• krusha(emaciated)
• Patita(fallen)
• Abhihata(injured)
• unmatta(intoxicated)
• klanta(fatigued)
• yana(travalling)
• Prajagara(awake at night)
• Who is affected by krodha(anger), shoka(grief), bhaya(fear)
• In greeshma rutu. This rutu being the part of adana kala there will be predomonance of rookshata(dryness) and vata dosha. Nights are short in this season. So day sleep is advised.

Benifits:
Day sleep in above conditions leads to

• dhaatu saamya(balance of body tissues)
• Bala(strength)
• sleshma pushnati changani(the phlem nourishes the body parts)
• Stabilises the ayushya(life span).

Contraindications:

• Other rutus except greeshma rutu as it will vitiate kapha and pitta in these seasons.
• medaswi(who has excess fat in the body)
• Sneha nitya(who takes unctuous substances daily)
• Shleshmala(kapha prakruti)
• Shleshma rogi(diseases of kapha)
• Dooshi vishaarta(poisoning)

Diseases caused by divaswapna:

• Haleemaka(advanced stage of jaundice)
• Shirashoola(head ache)
• Staimitya(stiffness)
• Guru gatrata(heavyness in the body)
• Angamarda(body pain)
• Agni nasha(destroys agni)
• Pralepo hrudayasya(feeling as if something is applied around the chest)
• Shopha(swelling)
• Arochaka(tastelesness)
• Hrullasa(excessive salivation)
• peenasa(coryza)
• Ardhavabhedaka(migraine)
• Kotha
• Pidaka(rashes)
• kandu(itching)
• Tandra(sleepiness or sluggishness)
• Kasa(cough)
• Galamaya(diseases of throat)
• Pramoha of smruti and buddhi(infatuated memory and intelligence)
• Srotorodha(obstruction in the channels)
• Jwara(fever)
• Indriyanam asaamartyam(inefficiency of the sense organs)
• Visha vega pravartanam(increases the speed of the poison spreading in the body)

Qualities of divaswapna(day sleep):

• Snigdha(unctous)

Sleeping in the day time in sitting posture is arooksha(doesnot cause much unctousness) and anabhishyandi.Qualities of ratri jagarana(not sleeping at night):

• Rooksha(dry).

Importance of sleep:
Just like taking proper food keeps the body healthy the proper sleep leads to arogya(health) and sukha(happiness).

Food and sleep are responsible for sthulya(obesity) and karshyata(emaciation).
Sleep inducing food and activities:

• Abhyanga(oil application on the body)
• Utsadana(rubbing the body with powders)
• snana(bath)
• Gramya, anupa, audaka rasa(meat soup of animals of dry land, marshy land,and aquatic animals)
• Shalyanna(rice)
• Dadhi(curd)
• Ksheera(milk)
• Sneha(unctous substance)
• Madya(alcoholic drinks)
• mana sukha(happyness of mind)
• Exposure to smell, sound which are liked by manaas(mind).
• Akshi tarpana(filling unctous substance in a dam built around the eyes)
• Lepa on head and vadana(oral cavity)
• sukha shayya(comfortable matress)
• Yathochita kala(proper timing)

Sleep reducing factors:

• kaya virechana(inducing purgation)
• Shirovirechana(nasal drops)
• Chardhana(inducing vomiting)
• Bhaya(fear)
• chinta(sadness)
• Krodha(anger)
• dhoomapana(smoke inhalation)
• vyayama(physical exercise)
• raktamokshana(blood letting)
• upavasa(fasting)
• Asuhkashyaa
• Karya(engaged in some important work)
• Kala(time) Like old age and Other than routine sleeping hours.
• Vikara(diseases)
• Vata prakopa
• Improving the satwa guna or victory over the tamo guna.

Types of sleep:

1. Tamobhva(due to tamo guna) - This is the origin for all papakarmas.
2. shleshma samudbhava(due to excess phlem)
3. Mana shareera shrama sambhava(due to the tierdness of mind and body)
4. Agantuki(
5. Vyadhyanuvartini(following some diseases)
6. Ratri swabhava prabhava(by nature sleeping at night) - This sleep protects the living beings with great affetion It is called bhoota dhatri.

2,3,4,5 are considered as vyadhi(diseases).

1. Nidra is one of the 13 non suppressable urges.
2. Suppresion of the sleep causes yawning, body pain, tandra, shiroroga and akshi gaurava.

Sushruta samhita: (Su. Sha 4/ 32)
Nidra is one of the mayas of Vishnu. It is also called as papma.It affects all living beings by nature. When the sanjavaha srotas(channel responsible for conciousness) is covered by tama predominant kapha, the person goes to sleep. This type of sleep is called as tamasee nidra. This type of sleep prevents the person from waking up and it happens during the pralaya kala(universal destruction). The people who have predominance of tama goes to sleep in the day time as well as in the night time. The rajo guna predominant people goes to sleep in अनिमित्त time.(Their sleepingtime cannot be predicted) The satwa guna people goes to sleep in the midnight(अर्धरात्रि). People who have ksheena kapha, vata prakopa, mana and shareera abhitapa does not get sleep. This is the vikara(disease). Hrudaya is the place of (चेतना). When the hrudaya is covered by tama guna the person gets the sleep. So tama guna is responsible for the sleep and the raja guna is responsible for waking up. The main reason of the sleep is (स्वभाव). Some acharyas believe that when the sense organs are affected by tama guna they become विकल(weak), then the bhootatma who doesnot sleep also goes to sleep.
Swapna(dreams):
When the bhootatma of the sleeping body percieves the good and bad events of the past body through the raja guna predominant manas is called as swapna or dreams.
Indications for diva swapna(day sleep):

• Greeshma rutu Bala(children)
• Vruddha(old aged people)
• Stree karshita(one who is weak because of sexual intercourse)
• kshata ksheena(weak due to injury)
• Madya nitya(one who takes alciholic drinks daily)
• Yana(travelling), vahana(travelling by vehicle)
• Adhwakarma parishranta(who is tierd due to walking)
• Abhuktavatam(who doesnot take food on time)
• Ksheena meda(who has less fat)
• Ksheena sweda(less sweat)
• Kseena Kapha(less kapha)
• Ksheena rakta(less blood)
• Ksheena rasa(less rasa)
• Ajeerni(indigestion)

In these cases sleeping in the day time for one muhurta kala is advised.
People who were awake at night can sleep in the day time and the duration should be half of the lost sleep.
Effects of day sleep on the body:

• sarva dosha prakopa(aggravation of all doshas)
• kasa(cough)
• shwasa(breathlessness)
• pratishyaya(coryza)
• shirogaurava(heavyness of the head)
• angamarda(body pain)
• arochaka(tastelessness)
• jwara(fever)
• agni daurbalya(weak digestive fire)

Effects of ratri jagarana on the body:

• Vata and pitta diseases.

Keeping these points in the mind one should not stay awake at night and should not sleep in the day time. The person who follows this rule will be

• Aroga(free from all diseases)
• sumana(pleasent mind)
• balanvita(strong)
• varnanwita(having good complexion)
• Vrusha
• Nati stoola(not very obese)
• Nati krusha(not emaciated)
• Jeevet sama shatam(will live for hundred years)
• Sreeman(will have lot of wealth)

People for whom the ratrijagarana and diva swapna are satmya, they will not have any kind of doshas by practicing them.
Reasons for nidra nasha:

• Vata and pitta prakopa
• Manastapa(mental agony)
• Kshaya due to abhighata(weakness due to injury) etc

Treatments for nidra nasha:

• Abhyanga(oil application)
• Moordhni thaila(oil application on head)
• Gatrasya udwartana(rubbing the body with powders)
• Hitam samvahana(gentle rubbing of the body)
• Shali(rice)
• Godhooma(wheat)
• Pistanna(foods prepared by flours)
• Foods prepared with ikshu(sugarcane)
• Madhura, snigdha bhojana(sweet and unctous foods)
• Ksheera(milk)
• mamsa rasa of vileshaya and vishkira animals(meat soup)
• Draksha(grapes)
• Sita(candy sugar)
• Ikshu(sugarcane) and its various preparations at night.
• Pleasent and soft shayana(matress) and seatings
• Pleasent yana(vehicle)

Atinidra chikitsa(Treatment for excess sleep):

• Vamana etc samshodhana therapy(vomiting etc purification procedures)
• Langhana(fasting)
• rakta mokshana(blood letting)
• Manovyakulata (sadness of the mind)

Indication for ratri jagarana(Indication for staying awake at night):

• Kaphaja vikara
• Meda vikara(diseases of the fat)
• Vishaarta (one who is affected by visha)

Indications for diva swapna(Indications for day sleep):

• Trushna(thirsty)
• shoola(pain)
• hikka(hiccough)
• ajeerna(indigestion)
• atisara(loose stools)

Astanga sangraha:- (A. S. Su. 9/ 38)
Reasons for the sleep:

• कालादिसर्गप्रभवा(origin by nature)
• तमोमूला(root is tama)
• तमोमयी(composed of tama or made of tama)
• बाहुल्यात्तमसो(due to excess tama)
These are the reasons of nidra at night.

• When the srotas are covered by sleshma and when the sense organs are tired and withdraws from the respective functions, puts the persons to sleep.
श्लेश्मावृतेषु स्रोतःसु श्रमादुपरतेषु च।
इन्द्रियेषु स्वकर्मभ्यो निद्राआविशति देहिनाम्॥

Swapna(Dream):
When all the indriyas are tierd and withdraw from their functions(सर्वेन्द्रियव्युपरतौ) but the mind is engaged with its functions(मनोअनुपरतं विशयेभ्यो), the person will see dreams in his sleep.

Effects of proper, excess and less sleep on the body:
निद्रायत्तं सुखं दुःखं पुष्टिः कार्श्यं बलाबलम्।
वृष्ता क्लीबता ज्नानमग्ज्नानं जीवितं न च॥
अकाले अतिप्रसंगाच्च न च निद्र निषेविता।
सुखायुषी पराकुर्यात् कालरात्रिरिवापरा॥
Effects of proper sleep:
sukha(happiness)
pushti(nourishment)
bala(strength)
vrushata
jnana(knowledge)
jeevita(life)
Effects of improper sleep:
dukha(unhappiness)
kaarshya(emaciation)
abala(weakness)
kleebata(impotence)
agjnana(lack of knowledge)
will loose the jeevita(life).

So the person who wants to have a happy life(sukha ayushya) should avoid akaala nidra, atinidra and anidra considering them as kalarati.

सैवा युक्ता पुनर्युंक्ते निद्रा देहम् सुखायुषा ।
योगाभियोगिनां बुद्धिर्निर्मलातपसा तथा॥
The proper sleep joins the body with the sukha ayushya, just like the nirmala bhuddhi helps the yogis to become one with the satwa.
Properties of raatri jagarana(staying awake at night) and divaswapna(day sleep):
Ratri jagarana is rooksha.(staying awake at night is drying)
divaaswapna is snigdha.(day sleep is unctous)
Sleeping in the sitting posture is not dry(arooksha) and not channel onstructing(anabhishyandi).
Indications for divaswapna(day sleep):

• greeshma rutu - Because of the vata sanchaya, adana kala,rookshata in the nature and short nights in greeshma rutu the day sleep is indicated. Day sleep in other rutus aggravates kapha and pitta.
• Bhashya(who talks more)
• yaana(travels more)
• adhwa(walking)
• madya(alcoholic drinks)
• stree(one who enjoys with woman)
• भार(who carries weight)
• क्रोध, शोक, भय क्लान्त(who is affected by anger, grief and fear)
• श्वास(breathing difficulty)
• हिक्का(hiccough)
• अतिसार(loose stools)
• वृद्ध(old age)
• बाल(children)
• अबल(who has less strenghth)
• क्षीण(weak)
• क्षुत् पीडित(affected by hunger)
• तृट् पीडित(affected by thirst)
• शूल पीडित(affected by pain)
• अजीर्ण(indigestion)
• अभिहत(injuried)
• उन्मत्त(intoxicated)

Day sleep in above people helps in balancing the body tissues(dhatu samyata). The kapha generated due to day sleep nourishes their body parts(अंगानि).
Contraindication for day sleep:

• बहुमेद(who has excess fat)
• बहुकफ(excess phlem)
• स्नेहनित्य(who takes unctous substance daily)

Contraindication for sleep:

• विषार्त(who is affected by visha)
• कंठ रोगि(throat diseases)

Reasons for ahita nidra(unhealthy sleep):

• हलीमक
• शिरोजाढ्य(sluggishness of the head)
• स्तैमित्य(stifgness)
• गुरुगात्रता(heavyness of the body)
• ज्वर(fever)
• भ्रम(giddyness)
• मतिभ्रंश(impaired mental functions)
• स्रोतोरोध(blockage of channels)
• अग्निमन्दता(weak digestive fire)
• शोफ(swelling)
• अरोचक(tastelessness)
• हृल्लास(nausea)
• पीनस(coryza)
• अर्धावभेदक(one sided headed head ache)
• कण्डु(itching)
• रुक्(pain)
• कोठ(rashes)
• पिटका(rashes)
• कास(cough)
• तन्द्रा(sleepiness)
• गलामय(throat diseases)
• विषवेग प्रवृत्ति(poison)

Reasons for Atinidra(excess sleep):
अपच्यमानो बाहुल्यात्स्रोतांस्यावृणुते कफः।
ततः स्रोतःसु रुद्धेषु जायते गात्रगौरवं॥
गुरुगात्रस्य चालस्यमालस्यादतिनिद्रता।
When the major part of the food is not digested the kapha covers the channels. This leads to gatra gaurava(heavyness in the body). The gurugatrata causes lazyness ( alasya). Alasya causes excess sleep(atinidra).
Treatment for atinidra(excess sleep):

• कायविरेचन(purgation)
• शिरोविरेचन(nasal drops)
• वमन(vomiting)
• रक्तमोक्षण(blood letting)
• धूमपान(smoke inhalation)
• क्षुत्(hunger)
• तृट्(thirst)
• व्यथा(agitation)
• हर्ष(happiness)
• शोक(sadness)
• मैथुन(sexual intercourse)
• भय(fear)
• क्रोध(anger)
• चिन्ता(sorrowfull thinking)
• उत्कण्ठ(anxity)
• असुख शय्या(unpleasent matress)
• सत्वौदार्य(increasing satwa quality)
• तमोजय(reducing the tama quality)
• रूक्षान्न(dry foods)

Reasons for loss of sleep:

• The factors which are responsible for reducing excessive sleep are the reasons for loss of sleep.
• काल(time)
• शील(habits)
• धातुक्षय
• व्याधि(diseases)
• वात वृद्धि, पित्तवृद्धि

Treatment for raatrijagarana(staying awake at night):
असात्म्याज्जगरादर्धं प्रातः स्वप्यादभुक्तवान्।
If one could not sleep in the night, he should sleep half the quantity of lost sleep in the daytime without eating food.
Treatment for loss of sleep:

• क्षीर(milk)
• इक्षुरस(sugarcane juice)
• आनूप, औदक मांसरस(meat soup)
• गौडिक(preparations of jaggary)
• पैष्टिक(preparations of flour)
• शालि(rice)
• मद्य(alcohol)
• माष(blackgram)
• किलाट
• महिषदधि(curd prepared by buffalowmilk)
• अभ्यंग(Oil application on the body)
• उद्वर्तन(rubbing the body with powders)
• स्नान(bath)
• मूर्धपूरण(covering the head with oil)
• श्रवण पूरण(filling the ear with oil)
• चक्षुस्तर्पण(filling the unctous substance in adam prepared around the eyes)
• शिरसो लेप(appling the paste on the head)
• वदन लेप(appling the paste on tthe oral cavity)
• प्रवाते सुरभौ देशे सुखां शय्यां यथोचिते(sleeping on a pleasent matress in a pleasent place which is exposed to breeze)
• संवाहन(gentle rubbing of the body)
• स्पर्शसुखं चित्तैरनुजीविभिः(Gentle rubbing of the body by hands of a person whom he likes)
• Ghee processed with jeevaneeya gana drugs with milk as anupaana.
• कान्ता बाहुः(sleeping by hugging a woman)
• मनोअनुकूल विषयाः(listening to things which he likes)

The person who is already suffering from excess sleep should not indulge in above factors.
Types of sleep:

1. काल स्वभावज
२. आमयज
३. चित्त खेदज
४. देह खेदज
५. कफज
६. आगन्तुज
७. तमोभव

Among these kalaswabhavaja is the one which helps to maintain the shareera and the rest of the sleep types are papatmika or are caused by vyadhis(diseases).