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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 4
| Issue : 1 | Page : 38-39 |
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Self-induced sound therapy for sound sleep
V Venugopal1, Deenadayalan Boopalan2, R Poornima3, K Maheshkumar4
1 Department of Yoga, Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Naturopathy, Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
3 Yoga and Naturopathy, Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
4 Department of Physiology, Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 02-Sep-2022 |
| Date of Decision | 15-Oct-2022 |
| Date of Acceptance | 23-Oct-2022 |
| Date of Web Publication | 04-Jan-2023 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. K Maheshkumar
Department of Physiology, Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai - 600 106, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/jopcs.jopcs_30_22
How to cite this article:
Venugopal V, Boopalan D, Poornima R, Maheshkumar K. Self-induced sound therapy for sound sleep. J Prim Care Spec 2023;4:38-9 |
We read the Verma et al. article "Yoga and Naturopathy treatment for insomnia: A case report" with great interest. The authors described the management of insomnia with holistic yoga and naturopathy approach.[1] Around 10% of the general population has insomnia condition accompanied by significant distress and impairment in day-to-day activities which also affects the quality of life.[2] The World Health Organization emphasized the global epidemic of sleeplessness, as roughly two-thirds of the adult population sleeps <8 h a day.[3] Research proclaims that insomnia causes allostatic overload, affects the neuroplasticity of the brain and gives rise to various mental disorders, and also lowers immunity.[4] Hence, we are in the need of an hour to bring awareness about the importance of sleep and how it influences health. Yoga is an emerging traditional, complementary, and integrative system of medicine and it is gaining momentum by proving its beneficial effects in various noncommunicable diseases.[5] Yoga is a way of life, which promotes physical, spiritual, and mental well-being. It involves practices of postural activities (asanas), breath control (pranayama), mudra (gestures), bandha (lock), kriya (cleansing technique), and meditation.[6] After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, created great recognition of pranayama practices among people.[7] The yogic way of breathing involves certain modifications in the breathing pattern such as rapid diaphragmatic breathing, slow deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing, breath holding, and retention practices.[6] We would like to highlight the importance and effect of Bhramari pranayama (the "humming bee" or "honey bee" breath) in patients with insomnia. Sitting with the back and neck erect, after a full inhalation, closing the ears using the index fingers, one should exhale making a soft humming sound similar to that of a honey bee.[6] Bhramari pranayama practice balances the autonomic nervous system through enhanced activation of the parasympathetic system which leads to mental relaxation and reduction of stress in daily life.[8] Regular practice of Bhramari pranayama increases the production of nitric oxide (NO) and has several key health benefits. During the exhalation phase, Bhramari pranayama increases the endogenous production of NO levels by 15 folds as compared to normal exhalation.[8] Bhramari pranayama practice shifts the sympathovagal balance to "parasympathetic dominance," thus causing a reduction in stress levels and a calm state of mind, thereby improving the quality of sleep.[9] In future, many studies are yet to validate the abovementioned effects of Bhramari pranayama on sleep quality and sleep disorders.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Verma A, Shete S, Prasad R, Badave A, Pathak S. Yoga and naturopathy treatment for insomnia: A case report. J Prim Care Spec 2022;3:13.  [Full text] |
| 2. | Krystal AD, Prather AA, Ashbrook LH. The assessment and management of insomnia: An update. World Psychiatry 2019;18:337-52. |
| 3. | Lyon L. Is an epidemic of sleeplessness increasing the incidence of Alzheimer's disease? Brain 2019;142:e30. |
| 4. | Palagini L, Hertenstein E, Riemann D, Nissen C. Sleep, insomnia and mental health. J Sleep Res 2022;31:e13628. |
| 5. | Maheshkumar K, Venugopal V, Poonguzhali S, Mangaiarkarasi N, Venkateswaran S, Manavalan N. Trends in the use of yoga and naturopathy based lifestyle clinics for the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Tamilnadu, South India. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health 2020;8:647-51. |
| 6. | Saoji AA, Raghavendra BR, Manjunath NK. Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2019;10:50-8. |
| 7. | Taneja MK. Modified Bhramari pranayama in Covid 19 infection. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020;72:395-7. |
| 8. | Kuppusamy M, Kamaldeen D, Pitani R, Amaldas J, Shanmugam P. Effects of Bhramari pranayama on health – A systematic review. J Tradit Complement Med 2018;8:11-6. |
| 9. | Fort K. Effect of short-term practice of Bhramari pranayama on sleep quality and perceived stress in school students. Int J Physiol 2021;9:1. |
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