Insomnia and related disorders from the perspective of Persian medicine

Natural sleep increases the strength of the body. Sleep is caused by increased moisture in the brain and the moisture in the nerves prevents the movement of the soul and thus the person goes to sleep. High costs, complications of treatment, and lack of appropriate response to common treatments have increased the interest in using complementary therapies. The present study examined the factors associated with insomnia and sleep of high quality from the perspective of Persian medicine and modern medicine. This study was a library research based on searching ancient medical books and databases. Finally, sleep and related disorders in Persian medicine were compared with allopathic medicine. The causes of insomnia are divided into internal and external categories in which factors such as dryness of the brain are internal causes and factors like sadness are external causes. The proper sleep is related to the temperament of the seasons and its moisture content, mild exercise, good digestion of food, the proper disposal of pesticides and waste materials, as well as proper control of mental movement and response. Proper moisture in the brain, avoiding unhealthy foods and increasing dryness of the brain and feet massage are good treatments for insomnia. Both modern and old medical schools emphasize on proper timing of sleep to avoid daytime sleep. Also, lifestyle modification is the first line of treatment for sleep-related disorders in both medical disciplines.