Here we highlight some more health tips especially those pertaining tosleep. Cleanliness of nightdress or the clothes worn while going to thebed is also emphasized in Ayurveda . One should preferably avoid wearingthe same clothes, which one has been wearing during the day. Theclothes on the body should be loose while sleeping. The bed should beneat and tidy; the sheets covering the body and the bed should also beclean. According to the adepts of Ayurveda , the mattresses andbed-sheets should be made up of cotton. Use of foam, sponge, nylon etcfor long is harmful.
As far as possible, one should develop the habitof sleeping on a thin mattress; only a mat with bed-sheet should beenough in the summer. Cots having straight wooden planks are preferredto maintain the natural vigor of the body (especially the spinal cord)as compared to those having the base made up of plastic fibers, jute ormetal etc. The Ayurvedic scriptures also advise not to use the bedsheets or body-covers used by others (including family members) unlessthese have been washed and dried properly. Beds and even the cotsshould not be shared; this is essential to restrain the spread ofinfections. Sleeping on separate mats put on the floor is best if onecan't afford separate cots for each family member.
The bedroom should have sufficient cross-ventilation. Windows andventilators should be kept open while sleeping (for airflow), witharrangements of mesh etc, to prevent mosquitoes and other insects)whil sleeping. This is not only necessary to avoid suffocation butalso to minimize the chances of infections of common cold, flue etc.The following shloka of Sushrut Samhita is of particular relevance intoday's circumstances when the world is threatened by varieties ofcontagious diseases
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