<p>In a dense unfrequented forest of Karnataka, the night could not have been darker. Ink black night with the moon coffined in the clouds. My charcoal-coloured car screeched in front of a barbed fence guarding a jagged dirt track.</p>.<p>“Switch off your phone. Stow away the torchlight,” Narasimha Bhatt, who owns two homestays in Karnataka’s Joida taluka gently instructed. “Now, close your eyes for a minute.” A minute later Bhatt urged, “Open your eyes. Start walking.” My feet fumbled in the darkness but a few more steps and gradually, the walk became easier, steadier.</p>.<p>That dirt track lies desolate by the Kali river where the world is so silent one could hear one’s own heartbeat. I stood there merely staring at the faint silhouette of the Kali river, soaking in the soul-pervading silence and darkness. No thoughts. Just quietude.</p>.<p>Bhatt is not a therapist but he has been walking in the dark frequently. He says it helps him sleep better and find peace in a chaotic world. In this world of gadgets, neon lights, noise and sleeplessness, dark therapy is a boon. India is a sleepless nation — it is the second most sleep-deprived country after Japan. According to an annual survey by an Indian home and sleep solutions company, nearly 87 per cent of Indians use their phones before bed, thereby contributing to the country’s abject sleep problem.</p>.Rising air pollution is fueling chronic sinusitis among young Indians.<p><strong>Benefits of dark therapy</strong></p>.<p>Dark therapy helps reset circadian rhythms and treat conditions like insomnia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Recent studies have found that individuals who sleep in darkness have better insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Dark therapy also regulates the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, resulting in restorative sleep. Because darkness stimulates the production of melatonin, the immune function is enhanced; darkness also leads to better balance of hormones like serotonin and dopamine, key for well-being.</p>.<p>According to ScienceDirect, dark therapy is used as a mood stabiliser in bipolar disorder, roughly the converse of light therapy for depression. Though dark therapy is being hailed as a boon, consult an expert first so that spending extensive periods of time in complete darkness does not negatively impact one’s sleep or mental state. </p>.<p><strong>Keep in mind</strong></p>.<p>- Do not use dark therapy during daytime.<br>- By 6 pm, put on blue light blocking glasses. If you cannot wear them this early, wear at least two hours before sleep. <br>- Sleep in a pitch dark room. Wear a sleep mask to cut all light.<br>- Invest in blackout curtains. Put a rolled towel in the door gap to plug all light.<br>- At least 30 minutes before getting into bed, stow away your electronic devices.<br>- Switch from bright overhead lights to dim lighting ahead of bedtime.<br>- Stick to a consistent sleep/wake up time.</p>
<p>In a dense unfrequented forest of Karnataka, the night could not have been darker. Ink black night with the moon coffined in the clouds. My charcoal-coloured car screeched in front of a barbed fence guarding a jagged dirt track.</p>.<p>“Switch off your phone. Stow away the torchlight,” Narasimha Bhatt, who owns two homestays in Karnataka’s Joida taluka gently instructed. “Now, close your eyes for a minute.” A minute later Bhatt urged, “Open your eyes. Start walking.” My feet fumbled in the darkness but a few more steps and gradually, the walk became easier, steadier.</p>.<p>That dirt track lies desolate by the Kali river where the world is so silent one could hear one’s own heartbeat. I stood there merely staring at the faint silhouette of the Kali river, soaking in the soul-pervading silence and darkness. No thoughts. Just quietude.</p>.<p>Bhatt is not a therapist but he has been walking in the dark frequently. He says it helps him sleep better and find peace in a chaotic world. In this world of gadgets, neon lights, noise and sleeplessness, dark therapy is a boon. India is a sleepless nation — it is the second most sleep-deprived country after Japan. According to an annual survey by an Indian home and sleep solutions company, nearly 87 per cent of Indians use their phones before bed, thereby contributing to the country’s abject sleep problem.</p>.Rising air pollution is fueling chronic sinusitis among young Indians.<p><strong>Benefits of dark therapy</strong></p>.<p>Dark therapy helps reset circadian rhythms and treat conditions like insomnia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Recent studies have found that individuals who sleep in darkness have better insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Dark therapy also regulates the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, resulting in restorative sleep. Because darkness stimulates the production of melatonin, the immune function is enhanced; darkness also leads to better balance of hormones like serotonin and dopamine, key for well-being.</p>.<p>According to ScienceDirect, dark therapy is used as a mood stabiliser in bipolar disorder, roughly the converse of light therapy for depression. Though dark therapy is being hailed as a boon, consult an expert first so that spending extensive periods of time in complete darkness does not negatively impact one’s sleep or mental state. </p>.<p><strong>Keep in mind</strong></p>.<p>- Do not use dark therapy during daytime.<br>- By 6 pm, put on blue light blocking glasses. If you cannot wear them this early, wear at least two hours before sleep. <br>- Sleep in a pitch dark room. Wear a sleep mask to cut all light.<br>- Invest in blackout curtains. Put a rolled towel in the door gap to plug all light.<br>- At least 30 minutes before getting into bed, stow away your electronic devices.<br>- Switch from bright overhead lights to dim lighting ahead of bedtime.<br>- Stick to a consistent sleep/wake up time.</p>