Nidra Yoga and Ayurveda and other diseases

  Introduction Globally, the total number of people with depression was estimated to exceed 300 million in 2015, equivalent to 4.3% of the world’s population. In India, the National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 revealed that nearly 15% Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. It is estimated that in 2012, India had over 258 000 suicides, with the age-group of 15-49 years being most affected. Depression is ranked as the single largest contributor to global disability (7.5% of all years lived with disability in 2015). At its worst, depression can lead to suicide; over 800 000 people die due to suicide every year. It is the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds. Government of India’s commitment is reflected in the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), which encompasses life-skills training and counseling in educational institutions, workplace stress management and suicide prevention services

Cytokines are proteins produced by leukocytes and other cells functioning as intracerebral mediators that may play an important role in immune and sleep regulation1 . Several cytokines (e.g., interleukin or IL, interferon alpha or IF-α and tumour necrosis factor or TNF) have been shown to promote sleep. There are however, other sleep-promoting substances called sleep factors which increase in concentration during prolonged wakefulness or during infection and enhancing sleep. These factors include delta sleep inducing peptides, muramyl peptides, cholecystokinin, arginine vasotocin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), somatostatin, prostaglandin D2 , and adenosine. There is evidence that cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in a variety of sleep disorders and in sleep deprivation. Increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) have been noted during sleep deprivation causing exc