Three meals plus bedtime make four sure blessings each day. The importance of a goodnight sleep is indispensable. Seven to eight hours of sleep not only helps maintain your immune system, but also reduces the risk of facing complex heart conditions. Furthermore, when you sleep well, you retain your memory better. But an undeniably large segment of people has problems sleeping; the most common reasons being insomnia, which is a sleep disorder that restrains a person from falling asleep with ease, or high consumption of caffeine.

A relatively unknown sleeping disorder is REM. Rapid Eye Movement sleep is experienced when your brain is almost as active as it is when you are awake. It is often associated with neurotic conditions in which an individual act out his/her dream and makes vivid noises that may or may not be accompanied by unconscious body movements while sleeping. It also includes laughing, speaking or yelling while you’re asleep. Most of us may not have taken this as alarming or severe but the disorder can worsen overtime if one does not seek treatment.

Dharana at Shillim, a holistic retreat centre offers some extremely effective cures to such sleeping disorders through its wellness programmes, expert nutritionists and dieticians. The Dharana life also includes Exercise physiology which helps you identify your unique biological makeup. Dharana is a place where you can find tranquillity and peace of mind which is of absolute importance for a sound sleep and thereafter, a healthy body.

The REM sleep disorder consists of rapid movements of the eyeballs (as the name suggests) and can also lead to irregular breathing patterns making you prone to heart attacks or paralysis. The disorder not only causes major discomfort, but also results in fatigue and multiple system atrophy. People who suffer from narcolepsy or have had head injuries in the past are more likely to fall prey to the REM sleep disorder. Often, individuals who are habitual to the consumption of drugs, alcohol or certain antidepressants may face rapid eye movements while they sleep due to a sudden withdrawal from the substances that they are addicted to.

REM is greatly referred to as a “Modern Epidemic” as it is unquestionably the by-product of our unhealthy and blistering lifestyle. This disorder can also cause unexpected increase in blood pressure. It can also deeply trigger the mental health of a person. One feels more distracted and finds it difficult to focus. Drastic fall or rise of weight and appetite is also another of REM’s hazardous effects on human health. Consulting a doctor immediately after any symptom is noticed is highly advisable. A healthy sleep schedule is necessary for an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing.