Summary

Sleep and your Ayurveda constitution

Sleep requirement and stage of life

Quality of sleep, bed time and your daily routine

Massage to support better sleep

Q &A - Waking up early

Maharishi Ayurveda advice for insomnia

Sleep and your Ayurveda constitution

Sleep and your Ayurveda constitution

According to Ayurveda, the amount of sleep you need depends on your mind-body type. For example:

A Kapha-type constitution needs most sleep, about eight or nine hours, in order to feel rested

Pitta-predominant types need seven to eight hours

Vata-types can manage with six to seven hours

 

See our questionnaire to check your mind/body type

Sleep requirement and stage of life

Babies can sleep 15 or 16 hours out of every 24, children frequently sleep 10 hours or more and  elderly people rarely enjoy a sound, unbroken sleep of more than four or five hours.

Quality of sleep, bed time and your daily routine

Sleep is part of the body’s natural 24 hour cycle, and Ayurveda advises that the best time to retire for sleep is before 10 pm (or even by 9 pm, if you can manage it). A sign of good sleep is that you feel refreshed when you wake in the morning. With a good routine you shouldn’t need an alarm to wake you.

 

Ayurveda also recommends not eating late in the evening, and also not eating a heavy meal at that time of day. Light foods, like soups or rice pudding are easier to digest. Try to eat before 7 pm to allow 3 hours for digestion before bed time (incomplete digestion produces toxins, which Ayurveda calls ama).

 

The evening time of the day, from 6 pm to 10 pm, is also a time for peaceful, relaxing activities. Too much thinking or working in the evening, and the mind and body may not calm down at bed time.

 

Things you can do to prepare for a good night’s sleep include a nice walk, a warm bath, listening to some Gandharva Veda suitable for the evening, or some Ayurveda aroma oil diffused in the bedroom.

 

Regular Ayurveda oil massage (Abhyanga) in the morning is also held to produce balance in the physiology and to be helpful for sleep.

 

If you regularly experience difficulty in getting to sleep, or if the quality of your sleep is not satisfactory, it is advisable to consult an Ayurvedic physician.

 

Other measures you may wish to try are Vata Tea in warm milk, which has a calming effect, or Slumber Time Tea, which is best drunk just before you retire.

 

Both the Blissful Sleep range of herbal supplements and the Peace of Mind herbal supplement are also recommended because they nourish Prana Vata which regulates mental activity.

Massage to support better sleep:

Sleep imbalances, according to Ayurveda, occur when one or more of the three Ayurvedic principles of Vata, Pitta or Kapha is out of balance. Massage is one of the techniques recommended to restore balance and aid the process of getting an adequate amount of rejuvenating rest. This massage is performed on the peripheries to improve circulation and relax the mind and body. Massage oils for this purpose combine herbs and essential oils with a base oil. The Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Men or Women is ideal for this massage.

 

How it's done -- Apply the massage oil to the lower arms, hands, lower legs and feet a few minutes before bed and gently massage into the skin. Pay special attention to the soles of the feet and the base of the nails of the hands and feet. Pat off any excess oil with a clean cloth. The Rejuvenation Massage Oils is easily absorbed, and non-staining, so it can be left on all night.

Maharishi Ayurveda advice for restful sleep

 

The Maharishi Ayurveda approach to restful sleep includes:

1. removing the build up of toxins and impurities
2. proper nutrition
3. proper food preparation
4. Ayurveda herbs to support natural sleep
5. creating strong digestion
6. stress management
7. supporting the body’s natural healing and self-repair mechanisms
8. balancing nervous system activity
9. lifestyle and daily routine

If insomnia is a recurring health problem, again the first step is to consult an Ayurveda physician, who will provide precise and reliable advice for you to follow. Following the approaches listed above also supports good health generally.