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International Ayurvedic Medical Journal, (
MANAGING INSOMNIA WITH JATHIPHALA (MYRISTICA FRAGRANS)
POWDER - A PILOT STUDY
Prathibha C K1
, Anandaraman P V
Ph D Schoolar, GAM Puri.
Associate Professor, Amrita School of Ayurveda, Amrita University, India
Assistant Director and In charge
, Dr.
Nadu, India
Email: drprathibhack@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Insomnia affects an individual’s physical, psychological and social life. Large number of sedatives and
other treatments are in practice for managing the condition but they have
al was conducted on 10 subjects of
Nidranasha
Myristica fragrans) for
duration of 14 days. There was a reduction of
and was found statistically significant with increase in the number of sleeping hours.
Keywords: Insomnia, Jathiphala,
Regensburg insomnia scale,
INTRODUCTION
Insomnia is a sleep disorder where the person is
unable to fall
asleep or stay asleep. Insomnia is
one of the most ubiquitous forms of sleep diso
der and with it come a host of negative cons
quences. It occurs as a sign and also as sym
tom. It may be primary or may be as a result of
a somatic or psychic illness. Changi
work profile, eating habits, leisure activities and
different life stresses influence sleep of an ind
vidual and insomnia is an important emerging
health issue in a rapidly changing India. A
proximately 30% of adult samples across the
INTERNATIONAL
AYURVEDIC
MEDICAL JOURNAL
International Ayurvedic Medical Journal, (
ISSN: 2320 5091) Volume 6, Issue 1, January, 2018
MANAGING INSOMNIA WITH JATHIPHALA (MYRISTICA FRAGRANS)
, Anandaraman P V
2, Gopal G Nanda3
Associate Professor, Amrita School of Ayurveda, Amrita University, India
, Dr.
A L Research Centre for Ayurveda (
CCRAS
Insomnia affects an individual’s physical, psychological and social life. Large number of sedatives and
other treatments are in practice for managing the condition but they have
limitations. A pilot cl
Nidranasha
(Primary Insomnia) with
Jathiphala churna
duration of 14 days. There was a reduction of
Regensburg insomnia scale
and was found statistically significant with increase in the number of sleeping hours.
Regensburg insomnia scale,
Ayurveda, Nidranasha
Insomnia is a sleep disorder where the person is
asleep or stay asleep. Insomnia is
one of the most ubiquitous forms of sleep diso
r-
der and with it come a host of negative cons
e-
quences. It occurs as a sign and also as sym
p-
tom. It may be primary or may be as a result of
a somatic or psychic illness. Changi
ng lifestyle,
work profile, eating habits, leisure activities and
different life stresses influence sleep of an ind
i-
vidual and insomnia is an important emerging
health issue in a rapidly changing India. A
p-
proximately 30% of adult samples across the
world s
uffer from Insomnia
population from north India
south Indians suffer from different sleep diso
ders3.
Insomnia impairs cognitive and physical fun
tioning and is associated with a wide range of
impaired daytime functions acros
emotional, social, and physical domains. Co
pared with good sleepers, people with persistent
sleep disturbances are more prone to accidents,
have higher rates of work absenteeism, dimi
MANAGING INSOMNIA WITH JATHIPHALA (MYRISTICA FRAGRANS)
CCRAS
), Chennai, Tamil,
Insomnia affects an individual’s physical, psychological and social life. Large number of sedatives and
limitations. A pilot cl
inical tri-
Jathiphala churna
(powder of
Regensburg insomnia scale
score
and was found statistically significant with increase in the number of sleeping hours.
Ayurveda, Nidranasha
uffer from Insomnia
1. 28% of urban
population from north India
2 and 20-30 % of
south Indians suffer from different sleep diso
r-
Insomnia impairs cognitive and physical fun
c-
tioning and is associated with a wide range of
impaired daytime functions acros
s a number of
emotional, social, and physical domains. Co
m-
pared with good sleepers, people with persistent
sleep disturbances are more prone to accidents,
have higher rates of work absenteeism, dimi
n-
Prathibha C K Et Al: Managing Insomnia With Jathiphala (Myristica Fragrans) Powder - A Pilot Study
IAMJ: VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1, JANUARY, 2018 98
ished job performance, decreased quality of life,
and increased health care utilization4.
Nidra is one of the trayaopasthambha5, the es-
sential requirement for the sustenance of life in
this earth. Ayurveda comprehends insomnia un-
der Nidranasha and is one of the 80 Nanatmaja
Vikara of Vata11. Nidranasha is an independent
disease by itself6 and it has been explained as
symptom of many physical and psychiatric ill-
nesses. Chikitsa Manjari a later text quotes
Manda Nidra as a separate disease entity7. As a
treatment of Nidranasha many external thera-
pies and Pathya Sevana8 have been said by
Acharyas which need hospitalization.
Jathiphala (Myristica fragrans) a Madakari9
drug given orally may induce sleep.
Jathiphala is having Katu, Tikta, Kashaya rasa,
Katu Vipaka, ushna veerya and Laghu,
teekshna, Snigdha guna. It is Kaphavata
Shamaka, Deepana, Grahi, Krimighna,
Vatanulomana, Pachana, and Madakari. As the
drug is easily available and cost effective, a pi-
lot study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy
of Jathiphala churna in the management of
Nidranasha (Primary insomnia).
Methods
10 subjects fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of
insomnia were selected from Amrita Ayurveda
hospital Vallikkavu, Kollam, Kerala, between
40-60yrs and subjects with chronic systemic ill-
ness, and addiction were excluded from the
study. Assessment was based on the improve-
ment in the signs and symptoms of insomnia by
using Regensburg insomnia scale for measuring
qualitative and quantitative sleep parameter15.
All the participants underwent regular blood in-
vestigations to rule out the systemic illness.
Intervention
Participants were given 2gm of Jathiphala
Churna at 9pm daily after food for 14 days and
stopped. The assessments were done on 0th, 8th,
15th, 30th and 90th day. They were advised to
follow their routine activities and were not giv-
en any guidelines on diet or activities. The par-
ticipants were maintaining a sleep dairy which
was completed every day morning.
Observations and Results
Participants were from different economic
background and all had primary insomnia. 6
participants were employed either part-time or
full time. 2 participants gave the history of tak-
ing sleeping pills occasionally. All of them had
problems either with initiation or maintenance
of sleep.
Table 1: Showing Sleeping hours of 10 subjects of insomnia in 4 assessments
Subjects 0
th
day 8
th
day 15
th
day 30
th
day 90th
1 1 2 4 4 4
2 3 3 7 6 5
3 6 7 8 8 7
4 1 1 7 6 6
5 5 5 7 7 6
6 5 4 6 6 5
7 1 1 6 6 5
8 6 8 9 8 8
Prathibha C K Et Al: Managing Insomnia With Jathiphala (Myristica Fragrans) Powder - A Pilot Study
IAMJ: VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1, JANUARY, 2018 99
9 6 7 8 8 8
10 1 1 6 4 4
Sleeping hours of the participants were not
changed much in maximum no of subjects after
a week of treatment but was drastically im-
proved by 15th day assessment. The table also
shows that sleeping hours was maintained even
after the 3 months of follow up.
Table 2: Showing Regensburg insomnia scale score of 10 subjects of insomnia in 4 assessments
Subjects 0
th
day 8
th
day 15
th
day 30
th
day 90
th
1 23 20 11 11 12
2 18 18 7 10 10
3 17 15 5 6 7
4 21 21 5 5 7
5 16 16 5 7 8
6 17 18 7 7 10
7 24 25 6 7 15
8 18 15 5 5 5
9 14 12 5 6 8
10 20 20 6 10 10
Regensburg insomnia scale for measuring quali-
tative and quantitative sleep parameter up to 12
is seen in normal sleepers. That was found in all
the 10 subjects of insomnia by the end of 2
weeks of intake of Jathiphala choorna. The
sleep induction was maintained even after the
stoppage of the drug when assessed up to 3
months duration.
The pre test post test assessment of this pilot
study was done using paired T test.
Table 3: Showing the statistical analysis of Regensburg insomnia scale score of 10 subjects of insomnia
Paired Differences t df Sig.(2-tailed)
Mean
(BT-AT)
Std. De-
viation
Std. Error
Mean
95% Confidence Interval of
the Difference
Lower Upper
0
th
– 8
th
day .80000 1.54919 .48990 -.30823 1.90823 1.633 9 .137
0
th
- 15
th
day 12.60000 2.75681 .87178 10.62790 14.57210 14.453 9 .000
0
th
– 30
th
day 11.40000 3.13404 .99107 9.15804 13.64196 11.503 9 .000
0
th
-90
th
day 10.00000 2.74874 .86923 8.03367 11.96633 11.504 9 .000
The data of this clinical study when applied with
statistical analysis shows significance in 14th
day, 30th day and 90th day. The drug is not sig-
nificant on 7th day.
Discussion
The qualities of Jatiphala (Myristica fragrans)
are like, tiktha (bitter) in taste, Ushna (hot) in
potency, laghu, teekshna in guna (having light,
penetrating properties), it is rochana (increases
taste perception), svarya (promotes sound) grahi
(reducing intestinal motility by enhancing diges-
tion), and reduces vata (one of the body humour
responsible to cause loss of sleep) and reduces
kapha (body houmour) dosha. It cures distaste,
Prathibha C K Et Al: Managing Insomnia With Jathiphala (Myristica Fragrans) Powder - A Pilot Study
IAMJ: VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1, JANUARY, 2018 100
cough, vomiting, chest pain, rinorrhea, breath-
ing difficulty.
By analysing the properties and action of
Jathiphala, it is evident that this drug works at
the level of digestion and also the mental facul-
ty. CJ Sherry et. al (1982)17 established that lig-
roin extract of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
caused a significant increase in the duration of
light and deep sleep in the young chicken and
the presence of trimyristin tended to increase the
effect of the extract. The euginols extracts also
have muscle relaxant and anti convulsing activi-
ties.18
Since Jathiphala is a madakari (intoxicating)
drug a safe dose19 level as 2 gm was selected
considering the acute toxicity. Madakari drugs
at low doses may act as sedatives. Treatment
course was planned only for 14 days to prevent
the habitual intake of sedative drug.
All the subjects were of Primary insomnia so the
cause of insomnia was unknown. Even though
the drug could improve sleep for a few within a
week of administration but it was statistically
insignificant at the 8th day assessment. By the
end of the treatment in 15th day it was clinically
found effective by increasing the mean sleeping
hours from 3.5 to 6.8 hrs and statistically signif-
icant at p <0.001 and that was maintained.
Conclusion
Jathiphala churna is effective drug in managing
insomnia when administered for 2weeks. Long
term use is not recommended as it may become
habit forming and its chronic toxicity studies are
lacking. It’s better to avoid this drug in persons
suffering with gastric irritation as it may worse
their condition since it is ushna and teekshna.
Large scale controlled studies are necessary to
prove its efficacy.
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Source of Support: Nil
Conflict Of Interest: None Declared
How to cite this URL: Prathibha C K Et Al: Managing
Insomnia With Jathiphala (Myristica Fragrans) Powder - A
Pilot Study. International Ayurvedic Medical Journal
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