Abstract

A CONCEPTUAL REVIEW OF NIDRA AS A MECHANISM OF SROTOSHODHANA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO METABOLIC WASTE CLEARANCE

Dr. Saurabh Damke*, Dr. Sampada Karape, Dr. Uttam Bande

Abstract

Nidra, one among the Trayopastambha in Ayurveda, plays a vital role in maintaining physical, mental, and physiological wellbeing. Classical Ayurvedic texts describe Nidra as essential for Dhatu Samyata, Bala, Puṣṭi, and proper functioning of Sarira and Manasa. The concept of Srotoshodhana refers to purification and unobstructed functioning of bodily channels necessary for metabolism and homeostasis. Recent neuroscientific research has identified the glymphatic system as a sleep-dependent metabolic waste clearance pathway that removes neurotoxic substances such as beta-amyloid, tau proteins, and inflammatory metabolites from the central nervous system. Impaired sleep disrupts this clearance mechanism and is associated with neurodegeneration, cognitive decline, metabolic dysfunction, and systemic inflammation. The present conceptual review analyzes Nidra as a physiological mechanism of Srotoshodhana with special reference to metabolic waste clearance. Classical Ayurvedic literature and modern scientific evidence were reviewed to explore correlations between Srotoshodhana and glymphatic clearance mechanisms. The study suggests that Nidra is not merely a passive state of rest but an active restorative and cleansing process essential for systemic and neurological homeostasis.

Keywords: Srotoshodhana, Glymphatic System, Metabolic Waste Clearance, Sleep Physiology, Detoxification.