Evaluation of Taila Dhara on Nidranasha (Insomnia) by Polysomnography A Randomized Clinical Control Trial

Sleep is a vital part of our well- being, throughout our life. Sleep is a biological necessity, and insufficient sleep is detrimental to health. Its importance is highlighted by the fact that it is included in tri upsthambh. According to Acharya Charaka, sleep habits have a direct impact on various aspects of life, including happiness and unhappiness, healthy physical growth and emaciation, strength and weakness, virility and sterility, knowledge and ignorance, and individual’s life and death. Inadequate quantity or quality of sleep adversely, affects quality of life and increases risk for chronic disorders.[i]

The four types of Murdha Tail that Acharya Vagbhatta has described are Abhyanga, Parishek, Pichu, and Shirobasti. Each of these types is progressively more beneficial than the one before it. Among them is Shirodhara, also known as Shiroparishechan. Our ancient textbooks contained references to Shirodhara for a number of ailments, including Ardhavabhedaka, Suryavarta, Ardita, Pakshaghata, Hanugraha, Akshishula, Nidranasha, Shirogata Vata, and Shirahkampa. It is one of the  popular forms of Panchakarma therapy in use today.[ii]

 Qualitative analysis of sleep is not only as important as quantitative analysis, but it is even more so. A sleep poor in quality is insufficient, even if it is adequate in quantity. Polysomnography provides an important objective criteria to analyse not only quantity but also quality of sleep, which is scarce in works on this topic.

Sleep is not a constant phenomenon, it is a phasic process consisting of NREM, REM stages. NREM is further classified in N1,N2,N3 sleep stage.

Nidranasha causes not only loss of sleep but there may be disruption in the sleep pattern. Taildhara not only causes increase in quantity of sleep, but also normalizes this sleep pattern.

Unfortunaley, not much refrence are seen on the effect of tail dhara on these stages, and that is a must to understand and establish the effect oftail dhara on sleep. Hence, due to absence of such studies on this topic, qualitative analysis of effect of talidhara is need of the hour.