supporting sound sleep

sleep as medicine

In today’s go-go society, we tend to put little attention towards making a true effort to achieve a good night’s sleep. I think most of us would agree, too, that a solid night of rest is the best medicine. Have you ever had such a good night’s sleep that upon waking you feel revitalized, refreshed, and ready to take on the day? Conversely, have you woken up after a long night of sleep wondering why you still feel tired? Āyurveda answers these questions, and provides us with the insight and the tools to best support our sleep.

the how and the when

Believe it or not, there is both science and wisdom to getting a good night’s rest. As elemental beings in this world, our bodies are equipped with a clock, a circadian rhythm. We are meant to be awake during the day, and asleep at night. This is attuning to our nature.

Āyurveda takes it one step further, and asks that we follow the Āyurvedic clock if we wish to get the most benefit from sleep. Often times, it’s now how much sleep we are getting, rather it’s when we are getting that sleep. And if we tune in to our bodies, we will see that the doshic time-of-day is perfectly aligned to support healthy sleep habits. Here’s how.

In the evening, between 6:00p-10:00p, is Kapha time. This is when we may feel slow, sluggish, and sleepy. It’s the perfect time to relax, avoid any strenuous activities, screen time, and begin to prepare our bodies for sleep.

It’s best to ride the wave of Kapha into bed, otherwise we enter Pitta time of night. You may be familiar with catching your second wind, or as we like to call it, second fire, around this time of night. It’s a time when you get a burst of energy, and suddenly cleaning the house, paying the bills, and doing all of the things seems like a great idea.

The reality is, we should be asleep at this point, letting Pitta do the internal work. Digestion and cellular repair take place during this time, and it is so important to be asleep during this time of 10:00p-2:00a. No other time of night provides the deep level of rest and rejuvenation. This is why, after an 8 hour night of sleep that began at midnight, you may still feel tired and groggy.

The final piece is wake time. Vata dosha, a dosha of lightness and mobility, extends from 2:00a - 6:00a. That means that it’s actually going to be easier to get out of bed by 6:00a, rather than later, as Kapha dosha picks back up again.

ways to support sound sleep

Āyurveda understands that everyone’s current doshic picture, level of stress, work schedule, and habits are unique. But whether suffering from insomnia, light sleep, difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, or trouble falling asleep, we’re here to help you in honoring this aspect of our nature.