Anupama is a woman who is a homemaker as well as an employee in a Bank. Her hectic schedule of all day long including the household works, 8 hours job and the practices to manage her work and personal life does not allow her to even take a nap during the day. Also, at night she goes to bed at 11pm, by setting an alarm of 5am. This is what she generally finds for herself in every 24 hours. But, these 6 hours are also not in her control completely. Why? Because between 2 to 3 am daily, she wakes up suddenly and unable to sleep again for next half to one hour. Is it normal or she might be having some sleep disorder or something else which is disturbing her sleep.
Many of us may have the same issue like Anupama, but most of the times, we do not discuss it with anyone thinking that it is normal. Sometimes, we get a reason also which seems true and the other times, we ignore this.
Night and Sleep is the best combination of life. Earlier normal and healthy people had a life which used to start in the early morning and end after a few hours of evening. But, slowly the changes in our lifestyle and sleeping patterns created the whole mess. The jobs started to be rotational offering night shifts and day shifts, late night parties became a trend, sleeping early is considered as a tag of the sick or old people. Ok, so is it the problem or something else? This is a problem, but here we are not talking about intentional waking up at night (Binge watching, Binge eating, etc.) but the non-intentional which is medically termed as Insomnia. The causes behind this insomnia can be numerous. Let us know about these reasons and find a good solution for the same.
Waking up in the middle of the night may be due to many reasons, some of the most common that are witnessed by the physicians and researchers are:
- Sleep Apnea (Breathlessness during sleep)
- Stress
- Anxiety & Depression
- Legs Pain Syndrome
- Night terror
- Underlying Health Issues
- Growing Age
- Addiction to Social Media
- Imbalanced Hormonal levels
- Menstruation Cycle
- Menopause
- Headache
- Nature Calls
- Sleep Hygiene
- Sleeping Environment
- Intake of Alcohol
- Drug Addiction
- Excess sleep in daytime
- Hallucinations
As per Ayurveda, Aahar (Diet), Nidra (Sleep), Brahmacharya are considered as the three pillars of healthy lifestyle. This means a balanced diet, a hygienic sleep and following celibacy and getting involved in various activities after entering into the right age, are the necessities. A good and proper sleep is really very important for a person, as it not only rests the body, but also each and every organ to restore energy. Even a machine is to be shut down for some period of time so that its parts do not get heated and also they should not be kept closed for long to avoid the stoppage. Likewise, human body is a machine in which different body organs are installed by the universal soul to let it work for the conservation and growth of nature and proper utilization of natural resources.
We can also understand it as, if we continuously use a laptop or phone, it starts to heat up, because its brain that is CPU needs to cool down to work more effectively again. Similarly, human’s brain is made by the nature. It also needs some rest to rejuvenate itself every new day and work properly without getting tired. We only need to support it and maintain its functioning and for that no extra efforts are required. We only need to take care of our intakes and acts whether these are invisible i.e., thoughts or visible i.e., diet.
So, to have a proper sleep and prevent these sudden wake ups in the middle of the night, try a few healthy tips, which will not only aid in healthy sleep but also enhance your overall body functioning. These tips are:
- Have a Soothing Environment in your bedroom
- Keep the Electronics out of your Bedroom
- Have your food at least 1 hour before going to bed
- Get involved in physical activities along with mental acts
- Stay busy towards your growth while you stay awake to avoid any negative thoughts
- Spend good time with family at the end of the day for a minimum of half an hour to 1 hour
- Try not to sleep alone but with a loved one and especially with whom you feel comfortable
- Never take your stress to your bed, it will not let you sleep
- Avoid being negative at anytime to prevent nightmares
- Overcome your night terror
- Always have a dim light in your bedroom, do not sleep in extreme dark room
- Balance your personal and professional life so that you can have the minimum of healthy sleeping hours
Thus, we have talked about the causes behind the unhealthy sleep and the tips to get rid of them. It is also important to know what can be the consequences of ignoring these things? If we ignore these reasons and don’t take any step to combat them, we can face some severe complications that will not only affect our physical health but also the mental, emotional, psychological and professional aspects of life. Improper sleep leads to
- Morning lethargy
- Headache all the day
- Sleepiness during working hours
- Eye irritation
- Digestive issues
- Constipation
- Acidity
- Imbalanced Appetite
- Improper bowel movements
The problems enlisted above are only the most common ones, people face a lot more than it, but most of the times ignore them because they take their health for granted.
You may get many excuses not to have a Proper Sleep. But never forget a Sound Sleep is a vital part in the road to success.
As to go higher on a swing we need to take a back lift, similar to it, in life, to achieve heights and get more success, we need to rest our body for sometime at times, so that it can work without lethargy and we can effectively accomplish our goals.
So, now onwards do not ignore if waking up at midnight starts becoming a daily act for more than 2-3 days. Talk to a good physician and have the natural solutions. Health is your treasure; do not waste it in order to earn the mortal wealth.
Author’s Bio
Dr. Vikram Chauhan (MD-Ayurveda) is an expert Ayurvedic Doctor based in Chandigarh, India, and doing his practice in Mohali, India. He is spreading the knowledge of Ayurveda – Ancient healing treatment, not only in India but also abroad. He is the CEO and Founder of Planet Ayurveda Products, Planet Ayurveda Clinic, and Krishna Herbal Company. For more info visit our website: www.planetayurveda.com