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