Is Pharmacology Difficult Podcast -SLEEP PHARMACOLOGY AND YOGA

Welcome all to IS PHARMACOLOGY DIFFICULT Podcast! I am Dr Radhika Vijay

In this episode, I will talk about  Sleep Pharmacology and Yoga.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello everyone, welcome back to Islamicology Difficult Podcast. Today we are with the new topic Yoga and Sleep. Now many a time you were exhausted. You tried to sleep but could not. You should understand one thing. Sleep is not laziness, it's a neurobiological maintenance. The ailment is not insomnia but a problem with the nervous system which has been untrained for the phenomena of how to rest. Can yoga help us sleep better? What is the science behind it? Let us first and foremost talk about sleep. It's not an inactive state of body. The body and brain are still working while we sleep. Many important functions are performed during sleep: hormone and neurotransmitter regulation, toxin clearance, memory and thought consolidation, tissue repair, and overall health maintenance. And the irony of the situation is many people don't get etiquette rest or sleep. Now, what are the factors that affect the sleep negatively? These are haphazard routines, schedules, poor lifestyle habits, anxiety, stress, more screen time. Now, next very importantly, we need to talk about neurochemistry of the sleep phenomenon. A kind of complicated neurotransmitters and hormones interplay affects our sleep-wake cycle. Our pale gland produces melatonin hormone which signals the body that it's the time to say goodnight. I mean time to sleep. Relaxation and alert states are there also influenced by a variety of neural pathways and many chemical messengers like GABA, serotonine, etc. A very different chemistry plays role during stress situation. Cortisol is a stress hormone, it increases during stress. Attention and concentration decline. Slowing of the reaction time occurs, mood swings occur, appetite is disturbed, there is increased craving for high sugary foods. Mental health is affected over a period of time. If you chase productivity by sacrificing sleep, be ready to pay the bills sent by the brain. Hence, it becomes a great challenge to fall asleep and sleep quality is also affected. Sleep deprivation affects the dopamine signals also. Condition is so grave that even after being physically tired, it becomes arduous for people to switch off mentally. Here the yoga comes into picture. Breathing excises, relaxation techniques, gentle stretch movements, mindfulness, all these practices reduce both mental and physical tension before the night's nap time. Recent research suggests that quality of sleep can improve a lot with different varieties of yoga practices, especially individuals suffering from stress, anxiety, and minor sleep problems. Yoga also boosts the parasympathetic nervous system of the body, the rest and the digest mode. With the stimulation of this system, heart rate slows down, muscle tension decreases, all in all, the body aligns with the restful state of sleep. So people undertake many different yoga activities like gentle stretching, slow breathing exercises, yognidra, meditation, etc. to enter a relaxation state before the bedtime. Well, being a pharmacologist, I should comment that goals of such relaxation yoga activities and meditations used to induce sleep overlap. Now this is quite an interesting finding, in fact, both the medicines and the yoga techniques they aid to transform the alert state of mind and body to the state of rest. Then what is the difference? Sleep-inducing drugs are given under medical supervision. They may be useful in certain situations and are always used with caution due to propensity of toxicity or abuse. On the other hand, yoga is a lifestyle practice which positively supports the natural sleep process over time. It is more of a part of a healthy sleep routine rather than being therapeutically employed for acute insomnia. I hope you understand the difference. Now a word about yognidra. We have understood that melatonine, GABA, adenosine they all participate in sleep regulation. Caffeine overload, irregular lifestyle, stress, and internet screen time all disrupt the sleep badly. Yog Nidra is a guided deep relaxation practice, also popularly known as yogic sleep. The main purpose is to promote the relaxation of mind and curb down the mental hyperstimulation and excess sympathetic overactivity. Here we should also learn the importance of nighttime routines and habits. Dim lights, reduced stimulation, breath awareness, consistent sleep time all allow the sleep naturally. It's not enforcing the sleep. So what do we conclude? Yoga definitely improves sleep cycles, taste, and quality. The physiological and psychological atmosphere thus created by yoga makes sleep occur very naturally without any enforcement. Always remember, good sleep is a luxury in today's era of hustle and bustle. So many are deprived of it. Always remember, good quality sleep is a true foundation of health. It is not a time wasted, it's a neurological recovery. Yoga does not put us to sleep. The job is to remind the brain how to do what it was designed to do naturally. That is rest and eventually flee. That's a wrap on my end today. With this note, I wrap up today's episode and hope it was really useful and informative to all the listeners. You can follow me on the different social media like Insta, X, and LinkedIn. All are with the same name is Pharmacology Typical. Stay tuned, always stay enlightened. Don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe and share. Stay happy, stay safe. Thank you, take care. Bye.