MANAGEMENT OF STRESS-INDUCED INSOMNIA (ANIDRA) WITH BALA ASHWAGANDHADI TAILA SHIRODHARA AND CLASSICAL AYURVEDIC MEDICATIONS: A CASE REPORT

Insomnia (Anidra) is a common sleep disorder associated with psychological stress, prolonged screen exposure, and an irregular lifestyle. Ayurveda attributes Anidra primarily to the aggravation of Vata and Pitta Dosha with involvement of Manovaha Srotas, and recommends Panchakarma along with Medhya Rasayana for its management. This case report describes a 37-year-old male computer operator who presented with stress-induced insomnia of three months' duration, accompanied by difficulty initiating sleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, headache, eye strain, fatigue, constipation, irritability, and poor concentration due to prolonged desk work (10–12 hours/day). The patient was unwilling to use hypnotic medications because of concerns about dependence. He was treated with Bala Ashwagandhadi Taila Shirodhara for 40 minutes daily for 14 days, along with Brahmi Vati (250 mg twice daily), Tagar Vati (500 mg at bedtime), and Ashwagandharishta (20 mL twice daily) for 30 days, in addition to lifestyle modification and sleep hygiene measures. Marked improvement was observed in sleep quality, sleep duration, headache, fatigue, constipation, irritability, and work performance. The Athens Insomnia Scale score improved from 21 to 1, with no adverse drug reactions or procedure-related complications. This case suggests that Bala Ashwagandhadi Taila Shirodhara combined with classical Ayurvedic medications may provide a safe, effective, and non-habit-forming therapeutic approach for the management of stress-induced insomnia, warranting further evaluation through larger clinical studies.