Primarily, sleep is most influenced by Kapha, which induces a feeling of heaviness and tiredness in the body.While natural sleep without external imbalance is healthy and should be responded to.
Possible Risks of Insufficient Sleep
Impaired judgment,Negatively affected moods and emotions,Increased risk of accidents,Impaired cognitive ability,Decreased libido,Increased incidence of feeling depressed (by five times that of the normal population),Accelerated aging in the skin,Difficulty losing weight, variability in blood sugar levels and blood pressure, skin dryness, increased inflammation and pain ect are some of the possible effects of insufficient sleep.
Ayurvedic Tips for Good Sleep
Ayurveda recommends a few useful tips for improving your sleep cycle. Here’s a list of a few such tips:
Have a Big Lunch
According to Ayurveda, lunch should be the biggest meal of the day. First, as the sun is at its peak during lunch hours, the body's digestive fire is supremely active to digest a heavy meal. Second, having a heavy lunch prepares our bodies to fall asleep a little early in the evening.
Having a cup of herbal tea or warm milk.
Chamomile, is one of the most popular traditional teas for promoting relaxation.Lavender, brahmi/gotu kola, and other supportive herbs are helpful for sleep. Boiled milk is another good option for bedtime. If you like, add a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, and some ghee to the milk.
Go To Bed on Time
One of the primary reasons many people suffer from sleep-related concerns is the disturbance in their sleep cycles. Having dinner at least two hours before bedtime and going to bed early can help improve your sleep cycle, give you restful sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety.
Practice Yoga and Meditation
Stress and anxiety are two primary reasons that can disturb your sleep cycle and may hinder your natural sleep urges. Managing stress and Anxiety is crucial to ensure a healthy sleep cycle.
A study conducted on 49 adults concluded that individuals practicing meditation and taking mindfulness lessons for six weeks experienced fewer insomnia symptoms and could enjoy deeper sleep.
To improve sleep quality, consider practicing Yoga Asanas.
Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Pose)
Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend).
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend)
Janu Sirsasana (Head-of-the-Knee Pose)
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Indulge in Physical Activity
When we indulge in enough physical activity, our body gets a little tired, and this can help induce sleep. A lethargic lifestyle may adversely affect your sleep cycle, as you may not feel tired enough to sleep at the right time.Staying up late each day can disturb your body’s sleep routine and natural cycle.
For this reason, it’s advisable to do physical exercise every day.You can go to the gym, take a long brisk walk, or simply do a home workout, but include some physical exercise in your daily routine.
Massaging your feet and scalp with warm oil.
This practice is grounding, supports downward moving energy, and helps to soothe the mind. If you massage your scalp, be sure use a towel or some other means of protecting your pillow from the oil.Sesame oil is best for vata, and sunflower oil for pitta.
Taking a bath
A bath relaxes the nervous system, releases tension, and helps to quiet the mind. Use hot water for vata, warm water for pitta.
Avoid screen time in the evening.
Screen time of any kind is incredibly disruptive to the biological rhythms that support sleep. If you are serious about improving sleep, it is best to limit or eliminate screen time from the hours immediately before you sleep—ideally from dinner onward.
Eliminate stimulants.
In much the same way, stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol tend to disrupt physiological cycles essential to sound sleep.When struggling with insufficient sleep, it is best to eliminate them entirely (or as much as possible) from your lifestyle.
Eat a wholesome dinner early in the evening.
A heavy dinner can interfere with our ability to sleep.The best evening meals are healthy, nourishing, easily digestible, and are eaten at least three hours prior to retiring to bed.