Sleep Therapy in Naturopathy is a vital element in one"s mental as well as physical life, since the loss of sleep exerts seriously detrimental effects upon the nervous system. This involves a periodic rest of the body, which is absolutely essential for its efficient functioning.

Abstaining from sleep for longer periods may cause intense psychological changes such as loss of memory, irritability, hallucination and even schizophrenic manifestations. Sleep is the indispensable condition to the healing of energy. Sleeping pills are no remedy for sleeplessness. They are habit-forming and become less effective when taken continuously.

Requirement of Sleep in Sleep Therapy
The average amount of sleep needed to feel well rested is seven-and-a-half hours, though it varies from 6 to 9 hours. Women sleep from 45 minutes to 1 hour more than men. The amount of sleep required varies at different ages such as for new born it is 18 to 20 hours, for growing children it is 10 to 12 hours, for adults it is 6 to 9 hours and for aged persons it is 5 to 7 hours. Throughout the sleep, the depth of ordinary restful sleep fluctuates. In most adults, sleep deepens through the first hour, after which it lightens rather sharply and then more gradually until morning or until the usual time of wakening. However in growing children sleep deepens a second time for a little while. 2 hours before and 2 hours after midnight are the most valuable for sleep of all the 24 hours of the day and in at this time, the mental and physical vigour are at their lowest ebb and sleep is soundest and most natural.

Sleeping Positions in Sleep Therapy
There are many theories about good and bad sleeping positions. Practically everyone changes positions several times during sleep. For proper sleep, however, one should not sleep on one"s back but on the side with one or both legs brought well up and the head and the shoulder slightly forward.

Other Requirements for Sleep Therapy
Sleeping well is an art. It needs an ideal blend of healthy habits and control of mind. A clean body and mind, relaxed mood, physical exercises and perfect dietary control are some of the basic sleep-inducing methods. Some of them are as follows:


•The sleeping place should be well ventilated, with balanced temperature and free from noises.
•The bed should be neither too hard nor too soft, but comfortable.
•The pillow should not be too hard or too high.
•The bedclothes should be loose-fitting and light coloured.
•Another important rule is not to eat heavy food shortly before bedtime.

Health Benefits of Sleep Therapy
Sleep Therapy provides an opportunity to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that may be contributing to sleep problems. Sleep Therapy can be used to support those suffering from sleep problems and other mental health conditions that may have negative consequences on sleep. The health issues that can be cured from the Sleep Therapy are as follows:


•Addictions
•Anxiety
•Bereavement
•Depression
•Dual Diagnosis