Carrying on from my last blog, I thought it would be interesting to investigate and research what Ayurveda says about insomnia. If you are reading this and can relate to the struggle to get to sleep, you are not alone. 25 % of people in the UK have experienced periods of insomnia and other sleep disorders in their life.
There are three types of insomnia:
Transient Insomnia – this is when you may be sleeping in a strange bed or have had an upsetting day at work.
Temporary Insomnia – this is when you sleep patterns are disturbed for a couple of week and could be related to a specific life event.
Chronic Insomnia – This is an ongoing and long-term condition, where you may have to have medical interventions.
So, let's look at your ‘dominant’ dosha and see how your sleep pattern may be identified by your dominant dosha:
If you are Vata – You could be a light sleeper and any sound may wake you up. You are typically awake between 2am and 4 am, which is when your dosha is dominant. You can lie in bed and worry about things.
If you are Pitta – You can fall asleep quickly but can wake up between 12 and 2 am. You can feel frustrated and agitated when this happens, and you can end up being in a bad mood the next day. You can often be hot in bed and need a cold drink.
If you are Kapha – You fall asleep easily, but wake early in the morning, often because your sinuses are blocked. Your digestion is slow, and you can suffer from indigestion and feel heavy and sluggish the next day.
So, if you know your dosha, what measures can you put in place to get a good night's rest?
Vata, go to bed around 10pm, Pitta go to bed between 10pm and 11pm, Kapha between 11pm and midnight.
Other advice I have found: Turn off your computer at least an hour before bed, stop scrolling on your phone, turn your bedroom into a cosy and comfortable sanctuary, try not to have your TV on, put some lavender on your pillow (you can purchase essential oils from many places), have a good mattress, if not, you can buy a mattress topper with memory foam, which works well.
Ayurveda philosophy believes that the food you eat in the day can greatly affect your sleeping patterns. There is a term ‘ama’ this means ‘not completed’ and when your digestive system is still working through the night, this can cause you to stay awake.
For the different doshas, this is what I have found, which is recommended:
If you are Vata – meals need to be light, warm, and spiced with warming spices such as cumin, cloves cinnamon and ginger. You should not have your evening meal after 6pm.
If you are Pitta – Meals should not be spicy, herbs such as coriander and fennel are ideal to use in your foods. Your evening meals should be between 6pm and 7pm.
If you are Kapha – Your meals can be spicy and warm, try and add ginger, mustard seed, and garlic to your meals. Your evening meals should be between 7pm and 8pm.
I know it is hard when we have such busy lives and some of us work shift patterns, so again, it’s even harder to work out a fixed sleep pattern. All we can do is try our best and try not to get stressed or anxious about anything.
Thank you for reading, namaste,
Mandy
References: Hope-Murray, Angela, Ayurvedic Practitioner
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