The Science of Sleep - 1

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Source : www.awgp.org www.awgpsouth.org

Author : Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

Dear ALL,

 

Sleep is a biological need of man. It is essential for the smooth running of

life. Like hunger and thirst, it too comes at fixed cyclic intervals. It

energizes the body and freshens the mind. Lapsing into sound sleep is an

art; it is not something haphazard. Those who are skilled in this art are

able to put it to optimum advantage.

 

Ayurveda gives very deep analysis of sleep. It classifies sleep into six

kinds: (i) sleep generated by physical exhaustion, (ii) caused by mental

fatigue, (iii) post-ailment sleep, (iv) sleep induced by some bodily hurt,

(v) that brought about by increase in cough, and (vi) tamoguni sleep. This

last kind fills the body and mind with 'tamas' or darkness instead of

freshness and vigor. Death is known as the mahatamoguni sleep. The physical

death of yogis, however, is called 'divine sleep'.

 

Modern psychology divides sleep into three phase-types: light sleep, deep

sleep and the dreaming phase. These phases come in succession. In the deep

sleep state, a person becomes completely oblivious of his surroundings and

remains totally unaffected by them. Scientists believe that it is this phase

which is the real sleep time. It takes away all mental and physical

tiredness and fills a person with energy and vitality.

 

In the third phase of dreaming, the conscious mind takes a back seat and the

unconscious mind becomes active. It is this mind, which 'sees' dreams. The

psychologists are still not able to fully grasp the mechanism and meaning of

dreams. But the yogi understands this phenomenon in its totality. Through

various yogic techniques he refines and purifies his unconscious mind to the

extent where it becomes non-existent. The yogi acquires full control over

sleep. He does not dream; rather he illumines this dream phase with the

bright rainbow-like lights of a Deepawali.

 

An ordinary person requires sleep because his unconscious has a vast

ocean-like expanse. But how much sleep is really needed? Psychologists opine

that the required quantum of sleep varies from person to person. It depends

on many factors – physical and psychological state of a person as well as on

his social and material environs. A child who sleeps for 15 hours can hardly

manage a sleep of even 4-5 hours in old age. The thumb rule is that only

that much sleep is required as fulfills the requirements of the body and

mind. Napoleon slept for only 3 hours while Einstein for 10. On an average,

a person sleeps for 5 – 7 hours.