I feel sleeplessness I am 82. Can u suggest something other than sleeping pills?

Dear health seeker, please go through my blog on the same topic as under.

http://www.wellcure.com/body-wisdom/296/tackle-sleeplessness-through-nature-cure

Sleep is the most important, restorative function of the body. There were a group of researchers in USA, that tried to reduce their sleep , by sleeping in a 48 hour cycle, that means sleeping after 24 to 28 hours, but within few months, all their mineral levels were imbalanced and they began to have memory loss, constipation and depression.

As Dalai Lama shared , "Sleep is the best Meditation", and when there is lack of sleep, it can have a huge impact on the mind body balance.

Ofcourse, if the body is unable to fall asleep, it is very disturbing, since the next day you dont have the energy to get up and do daily chores, and this backlog of sleep keeps compounding, to form a bigger cause for concern.

When one is unable to sleep, it is due to many factors, and to uncover these factors,and fix these causes, we have to play a detective role, almost like Sherlock Holmes!

Health and sound sleep , are a result of several daily choices, made mindfully, regularly and routinely.

Here are some tips for you to fall asleep like a baby :

1. Reduce the digestive burden on your organs, so that when you sleep, there is no digestion activity, pending to be completed. When we sleep on full stomachs, neither do we get good digestion and nor do we get restorative sleep.

2. First meal of the day needs to be Fruit Breakfast. Replace morning tea with Coconut water and Egg or Bread/Porridge breakfast with Fruits.

3. Dinner needs to be only of cooked vegetables, soup or/and salad.

4. Eat your dinner by 7 p.m., and incase of a heavier dinner of bread, rice or chapati, eat by 6 p.m., maximum.

5. Shift the side of your bed to face east, so that your head is now eastwards and your feet are now westwards. This alignment promotes better rest.

6. Switch off all wireless devices in the house. Your mobile phone needs to be on airplane mode, or kept far away from you.

7. After 7 p.m., wind down with dim lighting , and soft music, and avoid looking at a television screen or mobile phone or directly at a bright light, after 7 p.m.

8. Avoid all conflicts before bedtime, and keep all conversations short, and withdraw to a silent space.

9. Soak your feet for 20 miniutes in warm water, and avoid stepping out of bed after you do this.

10. Keep a strong aromatic herb or incense in the room , before you sleep.

11. Check your posture, such that for teh first 20 minutes or so, you are lying down on your back, with a very thin pillow or piece of fabric under your head. Avoid thick pillows.

12. Before you sleep, write down any memories, worries, things to do , and keep them away from you.

13. Make a time table for yourself fro next morning. Visualise yourself getting up and doing all the things, and enjoying what you do.

14. Meet friends or family you love, on a daily basis.

15. Before you retire to bed, spend 10 minutes with mindful breathing. Watching your breathing and trying to breathe deeply.

Here are a few articles that might help you further your understanding on sleep.

https://www.wellcure.com/body-wisdom/130/9-ways-to-sleep-better-naturally

https://www.wellcure.com/body-wisdom/131/sleep-your-natural-doctor

https://www.wellcure.com/body-wisdom/36/facing-sleep-issues-soak-your-feet-in-water-and-relax

Moonstar Doad

Nature Cure Practitioner

Namaste Radhakrishnanji

To get good sleep you can add six habits in your daily routine

1 You can walk morning and evening as much as you can in fresh air.

2 Practice relaxed breathing whenever you remember and especially just before going to bed.

3 Eat more fruits and vegetables as far as possible. Do not eat after sun sets, because it is not comfortable to go to bed with a heavy stomach

4 Participate in some bhajan singing in any temple or asram near by or enjoy singing bhajans on your own with family every evening.

5 You can take a hot foot bath every night before going to bed for good sleep.

6 Every morning you can take a spinal bath

You may refer here for hot foot bath and spinal bath

https://www.wellcure.com/body-wisdom/259/magic-of-water-hydrotherapy-part-1

https://www.wellcure.com/body-wisdom/265/magic-of-water-hydrotherapy-part-2

Things you can avoid

1 Heavy, deep fried, highly processed foods

2 watching movies or tv or mobile one hour before going to bed.

3 avoiding sleep when ever you are sleepy after sunset.

4 Thinking or worrying about things that you don't have control on.

The best thing you can do is join other people of the same age group either at a temple, park or some common place everyday to talk and share and empty yourself every day so that when you go to bed you dont have any unwanted thoughts on your mind.

Be happy be healthy always

Swati Dhariwal

Nature cure Practitioner

नमस्ते ,

आज के भागदौड़ भरी जिंदगी में अनियमित दिनचर्या ,सोने से पहले अधिक मात्रा में भोज्य पदार्थों का सेवन ,सोने से पहले चाय -काफी, तीव्र प्रकाश में सोना ,तेज आवाज में बात करना, देर रात तक मोबाइल, टेलीविजन ,कंप्यूटर पर काम करने की वजह से, क्रोध, ईर्ष्या, चिंता, तनाव,डर की वजह से नींद नहीं आती ।
 

• शाम का भोजन हल्का, सुपाच्य मौसमी फल व हरी पत्तेदार सब्जियों से युक्त सायं 5:00 से 7:00 के बीच करें,ताकि सोने से पहले भोजन का आसानी से पाचन हो जाए।

• सोने से पहले 15 लीटर पानी को गुनगुना करके उसमें घुटने तक पैर को डुबाए (अवधि 15 मिनट) रक्त संचार पैर की तरह होते हैं ,नींद अच्छी आती है।

•  सोने से पहले पैरों में सरसों के तेल की मालिश करें।

• सोने से 30 मिनट पहले बल्ब बंद कर अंधेरे कमरे में बिस्तर पर लेट जाएं, शांत चित्त होकर।

 निषेध- सोने से पहले चाय -कॉफी , नशीली वस्तुओं का सेवन,तेज आवाज में बात करना, तीव्र प्रकाश, मोबाइल ,टेलीविजन ,कंप्यूटर का प्रयोग न करें।

Sir, at your age toxemia would have reached its high and hence the melatonin and sleep cycle will also be impacted. Diet plays a major role in helping you sleep better. Very rarely people change at this age, but since you have asked this question, I assume that you are open for changes too. 

Tips to sleep better 

1. Low fat whole food plant based lifestyle high with fruits , juices , veggies and greens till dinner and cooked oilfree gluten free millets for dinner. Quit dairy meat eggs fish sugar oil junk foods and focus on fresh live foods. Not dead and poisonous animal foods and dead cooked. These take us closer to diseases and faster aging.

My suggestion is to avoid the above and switch to fruits for breakfast stomach full. Any snacks will also be fruits. Your body will clean itself and make way for better sleep if you eat morefruits for every opportunity you get like a meal .

2. Simple Exercises to move the parts of the body 

3. 100% darkness in the bedroom 

4. Let there be 3-4 hrs gap between dinner and sleep when we have enough vitality to spend on repAir 

5. Don’t take your problems to bed. Bed time is for relaxing. Problems will be there daily. It will be there tomorrow also. Make a note of what’s bothers you and revisit it tomorrow 

6. Don’t exercise after 6pm as that keeps the cortisols high and can interfere with the winding up

7. Make yourself happy with fun or smiles before going to bed

8. Ideally we must wake up to a sunrise and not a blaring alarm clock. Don’t wake yourself like a jolt 

9. As your sleep time approaches, dim lights as this starts melatonin release and calms you to sleep. Don’t have bright lights or smartphones 

10.Adopt a holistic lifestyle and get off all medicines as this can interfere with repAir cycles when we sleep.

Point 1 is the key in these. If you follow that diligently you will sleep better. 

Be blessed

Smitha Hemadri (educator of natural healing practices)

हेलो राधा कृष्णनन जी,

सबसे पहले मैं आपको धन्यवाद देना चाहूँगी की आप इस उम्र में भी स्वस्थ रहने के लिए प्रयासरत हैं।

कारण - तनावपूर्ण घटनाओं का अनुभव से भी ऐसा हो सकता है।अन्य मानसिक स्वास्थ्य विकार जैसे चिंता, डिप्रेशन, मादक द्रव्यों का सेवन से ऐसा हो सकता है।

समाधान - प्रतिदिन आप ख़ुद को प्यार दें अपने बारे में 10 अच्छी बातें कोरे काग़ज़ पर लिख कर और प्रकृति को अपने होने का धन्यवाद दें।

मानसिक समस्या भी इसी शरीर की समस्या है सब कुछ इस बात पर निर्भर करता है कि हम किसी भी परिस्थिति में सकारात्मक सोंच रखते हैं या नकारात्मक।

प्राकृतिक जुड़ाव आपको सकारात्मक सोंच प्रदान करेंगी क्योंकि प्राकृतिक जीवन शैली अपने आप में पूर्ण भी है और जीवंत भी है। पाँच तत्व से प्रकृति चल रही है और उसी पाँच तत्व से हमारा शरीर चल रहा है।

जीवन शैली - 1 आकाश तत्व- एक खाने से दूसरे खाने के बीच में विराम दें। रोज़ाना 15 घंटे का उपवास करें जैसे रात का भोजन 7 बजे तक कर लिया और सुबह का नाश्ता 9 बजे लें। वाद्य यंत्र शास्त्री संगीत (instrumental classical music)सुनें।

2 वायु तत्व- लंबा गहरा स्वाँस अंदर भरें और रुकें फिर पूरे तरीक़े से स्वाँस को ख़ाली करें रुकें फिर स्वाँस अंदर भरें ये एक चक्र हुआ। ऐसे 10 चक्र एक टाइम पर करना है। ये दिन में चार बार करें।

अपने कमरे में ख़ुशबू दार फूलों को रखें।

3 अग्Iनि तत्व- सूर्य उदय के एक घंटे बाद या सूर्य अस्त के एक घंटे पहले का धूप शरीर को ज़रूर लगाएँ। सर और आँख को किसी सूती कपड़े से ढक कर। जब भी लेंटे अपना दायाँ भाग ऊपर करके लेटें ताकि आपकी सूर्य नाड़ी सक्रिय रहे।

4 जल तत्व- 4 पहर का स्नान करें। सुबह सूर्य उदय से पहले, दोपहर के खाने से पहले, शाम को सूर्यअस्त के बाद, और रात सोने से पहले स्नान करें। नहाने के पानी में ख़ुशबू वाले फूलों का रस मिलाएँ। नींबू या पुदीना का रस मिला सकते हैं।खाना खाने से एक घंटे पहले नाभि के ऊपर गीला सूती कपड़ा लपेट कर रखें या खाना के 2 घंटे बाद भी ऐसा कर सकते हैं।

मेरुदंड (स्पाइन) सीधा करके बैठें। हमेशा इस बात ध्यान रखें और हफ़्ते में 3 दिन मेरुदंड का स्नान करें। मेरुदंड स्नान के लिए अगर टब ना हो तो एक मोटा तौलिया गीला कर लें बिना निचोरे उसको बिछा लें और अपने मेरुदंड को उस स्थान पर रखें। 

सर पर सूती कपड़ा बाँध कर उसके ऊपर खीरा और मेहंदी या करी पत्ते का पेस्ट लगाएँ,नाभि पर खीरा का पेस्ट लगाएँ।पैरों को 20 मिनट के लिए सादे पानी से भरे किसी बाल्टी या टब में डूबो कर रखें।

5 पृथ्वी- सब्ज़ी, सलाद, फल, मेवे, आपका मुख्य आहार होगा। आप सुबह खीरे का जूस लें, खीरा 1/2 भाग +धनिया पत्ती (10 ग्राम) पीस लें, 100 ml पानी मिला कर पीएँ। 2 घंटे बाद फल नाश्ते में लेना है।

दोपहर में 12 बजे फिर से इसी जूस को लें। इसके एक घंटे बाद खाना खाएँ। शाम को नारियल पानी लें फिर 2 घंटे तक कुछ ना लें। रात के सलाद में हरे पत्तेदार सब्ज़ी को डालें, नारियल की गिरि मिलाएँ।

लाल, हरा, पीला शिमला मिर्च 1/4 हिस्सा हर एक का मिलाएँ।इसे बिना नमक के खाएँ, बहुत फ़ायदा होगा।सेंधा नमक केवल एक बार पके हुए खाने में लें। जानवरों से उपलब्ध होने वाले भोजन वर्जित हैं।

तेल, मसाला, और गेहूँ से परहेज़ करेंगे तो अच्छा होगा। चीनी के जगह गुड़ लें।

एक नियम हमेशा याद रखें ठोस(solid) खाने को चबा कर तरल (liquid) बना कर खाएँ। तरल  को मुँह में घूँट घूँट पीएँ। खाना ज़मीन पर बैठ कर खाएँ। खाते वक़्त ना तो बात करें और ना ही TV और mobile को देखें।ठोस  भोजन के तुरंत बाद या बीच बीच में जूस या पानी ना लें। भोजन हो जाने के एक घंटे बाद तरल पदार्थ  ले सकते हैं।

हफ़्ते में एक दिन उपवास करें। शाम तक केवल पानी लें, प्यास लगे तो ही पीएँ। शाम 5 बजे नारियल पानी और रात 8 बजे सलाद लें।

धन्यवाद।

रूबी, 

प्राकृतिक जीवनशैली प्रशिक्षिका व मार्गदर्शिका (Nature Cure Guide & Educator)