।।त्रय उपष्टम्भः।।               

                                                        Traya upastambh

Three pillers of Swasthya– Ahara, Nidra and Brahmacharya.

Loss of sleep leads to squeezing pain in the body parts, heaviness of the head, too much yawning, lassitude, exhaustion (even without strain), giddiness, indigestion, stupor and disease of vata origin.

Hence the person should sleep at the proper time at nights daily as much as desirable and become habituated to it. If he has kept awake at night due to non-habituation not accustomed to, he should sleep for half that period, the next morning without taking any food.

       आहार शयना ब्रह्मचार्यैयुत्त्या प्रयओतः।
       शरीरं धार्यते नित्यमागारमिव कारणैः।।

Ahära, Sayana and Brahmacarya properly indulged, support the body constantly just like the house is supported by the pillars. According to Carak, when the mana including the indriya is exhausted and they dissociate themselves from their objects, then the individual sleeps. The disturbance in nidra might be related to the faulty life style, mental tension, changed food habits and stress which ultimately disturb the nidra. Carak has described nidra among the primary tripod of life with its merits and demerits, classification and management.

Happiness and unhappiness, nourishment (good physique) and emaciation, strength and debility, sexual powers and impotence, knowledge and ignorance, life and its absence (death) – all are dependent on sleep.

Carak affirmed that when the mind (as well as soul) gets exhausted or becomes inactive and the sensory and motor organs become inactive then the individual gets sleep.

Susruta described the sleep occurs when the hridaya the seat of Cetanä is covered by Tamas.