Ayurveda recommends people to be active in the day time from early morning 4 am to evening 6.00 pm. Our body needs continuous rest for 8 hours at the night. Our body clock is adjusted to this rhythm. Anything which alters this poses risk to health.
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Ayurvedic Remedies, Medicines and Tips for Good Sleep
Circadian rhythm in Ayurveda
Our body functions, like hormone release, body temperature, sleep-wake cycles, etc are caused due to Circadian rhythm which intern controlled by our biological clock. Circadian rhythms are responses of living beings to their surrounding environment, primarily to light and darkness. This rhythm follows a roughly 24 hours cycle and causes physical, mental, and behavioral changes.
The biological clock of our body is situated in the hypothalamus of the brain. This clock is a group of nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. The SCN controls the secretion of the hormone melatonin which makes us sleepy. When there is less light, the SCN sends signals to the brain to secrete more melatonin. Thus the sleep and wake cycle are in rhythm with night and day.
Hence Ayurveda recommends following ayurvedic daily routine or “dinacharya” and ayurvedic seasonal routine “rutucharya”, which coexist with Circadian rhythm. Texts of Ayurveda explain various remedies to reduce the harmful effects of disturbing this body clock, which is prevalent in shift workers.
Health Risks in Shift Workers
Employees who work in shifts, especially at night experience sleep disturbances due to disruption in the biological clock and disturbance in Circadian rhythm. When these disturbances become chronic, the health of employees gets affected.
Effect on sleep
Employees who work in rotating shifts or exclusive night shifts experience “shift work disorder”. Shift work disorder can lead to Insomnia (lack of good sleep) or excessive sleepiness. This eventually leads to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Psychiatric problems like stress, anxiety, and depression may be triggered due to sleep disturbances.
Effect on the digestive system
Due to the Circadian rhythm, the digestive system is active during the day and sluggish at night. Awaking at night impairs digestion. Inadequate sleep and caffeinated drinks took during the night shift, aggravate the problems of the digestive system. Indigestion, Acidity, and ulcers are very common in employees, who work night shifts.
According to the principles of Ayurveda a good and timely sleep nourishes all tissues or dhatu (dhatu poshana) and balances three doshas (Vata dosha, pitta dosha, and kapha dosha ). This keeps our bodies healthy. Proper digestion and nourishment of body tissues boost body energy and help to develop immunity to diseases. An altered sleep pattern vitiates Vayu, which in turn causes degeneration of tissues and imbalance of doshas.
Vayu which gets aggravated due to disturbed sleep dries up the tissues. “ratrau jaagaranam rooksham”. The vitiated Vayu causes the following condition.
Either Insomnia or increased sleepiness.
Reduced memory and concentration in work.
Improper digestion or disturbances in digestion.
Premature aging leads to dry skin, wrinkles, grey hair, hair loss, etc.
Low sperm count and sperm motility.
Erectile dysfunction
Premature ejaculation
Low libido.
Reduction in quality and quantity of semen.
Lowered immunity.
Depression.
Irregular menstrual cycle in women.
Ayurvedic Tips to reduce health hazards due to shift work:
Adjust your shift in a definite pattern like – day shift- evening shift- night shift. This slow transition in sleep patterns helps the biological clock to adjust itself for changing shifts.
Keep away from bad habits
Avoid consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine. Tobacco smoking may lead to erectile dysfunction. This helps to retard the aging process and keeps the digestive system healthy. Read Ayurvedic tips to look young
Keep your workplace brightly lit during night shifts.
Ayurvedic Diet for shift workers
Ayurveda recommends light foods which are easy to digest and also nutritious. Here is the list of foods that you can consume before going to night shift work.
Consume light food before leaving for the night shift. Light foods like
- Khichdi,
- yavagu (gruel porridge),
- Hot rice, dal, and a teaspoon of ghee
- Hot turmeric milk
- Don’t eat curd or yogurt or other fermented food when you work night shifts.
Avoid junk foods and aerated drinks when you work.
What to do before going to bed after a night shift
Take a warm shower before going to bed.
Drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed helps to replenish nutrients and nourish tissues that have dried due to Vayu. Ashwagandha milk or ashwagandha ksheerapaka works very well in this.
Use blackout blinds or heavy dark-colored curtains to block sunlight when you sleep during the day.
Switch off your mobile phones when you sleep during the day. Ask your family members not to disturb you.
Weekend ayurvedic routine for shift workers
A complete body massage or abhyanga once in a week with vata balancing herbal oils like ksheerabala oil helps to reduce fatigue and prevents early aging symptoms like wrinkles, dry skin, etc.
Use Vetiver (Khus or Ushira Or Ramacham) Oil for massage. Vetiver helps in ayurvedic management of stress and anxiety, calms the mind, and induces good sleep. It also helps to increase libido.
Massaging your head with herbal oil helps to reduce hair loss and premature graying.
Try to spend around 30 minutes daily, for a brisk walk or light workout in the gym.
Drink plenty of water to maintain water balance. This increases body moisture level and reduces the effects of vitiated vata.
Avoid refrigerated foods and beverages.
Author : Dr.Savitha Suri Consultant Ayurvedic Physician
Reference : https://oem.bmj.com/content/58/1/68.short
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