The ancient science of Ayurveda is not only about eating well. It is about feeling your best. Part of that is getting restful sleep. In Ayurveda, our Earth energy, or Kapha dosha is responsible for good sleep, and Vata dosha, or air energy, is responsible for insomnia. Knowing how the doshas affect sleep, it is possible to improve sleep naturally.
To improve sleep, the main goal is to keep Vata dosha balanced. “Air” loves to move, so that is why high Vata dosha is the opposite of a stationary, restful sleep and quiet mind. There are several ways we can balance Vata dosha. Here are some of my favorites (some of these may surprise you!):
1. Increase the time between your last meal and bedtime.
Vata doshas have vishama agni, or a very weak digestion. As the sun goes down, our digestive enzymes also decrease, because the purpose of food is to give us energy for our daily activities. At night, our activities wind down, and energy from food is not as necessary. In fact, before modern electricity, all activities would naturally stop at sundown. We have forgotten this natural rhythm and often eat at 7pm, 8pm, or later. This is very demanding on our digestive system, especially for Vata body types. In the autumn season, when Vata dosha is higher for everyone, food in the late afternoon and evening is especially difficult to digest. By eliminating nighttime eating and shifting our meals closer to daylight hours, this makes sure that our digestive system has a chance to rest and doesn’t need to keep you awake in order to finish digesting your food. If you make this simple change, I promise you will see results!
2. Limit screen time 30 minutes before bed.
Artifical light before bed disturbs melatonin production, the hormone needed for restful sleep. To improve sleep, this simple change will ensure keep your melantonin high before bed, which will make you feel incredibly rested. Replace that time with some stretching in darkness or by candlelight. Limit all overhead artificial lights as well.
3. Eat a veggie-focused, plantbased dinner.
Veggies move through the digestive tract faster than meats, fish, grains, and proteins. By eating a plantbased dinner, we reduce the burden on the digestive system. With less work, the digestive system will be able to rest, and so will you! Check out my Vata Recipes for more inspiration!
4. Warm spicy teas throughout the day
When I think of warm, spicy teas, I think about the autumn season, which happens to be the season where Vata dosha is the highest for everyone! The environment around us has an undeniable effect on our health (why our skin gets dry in the Vata autumn season and we feel lazy during the Kapha winter season!). So in the fall, we especially have to do a bit extra to balance Vata dosha, cue the spicy teas! Teas like cinnamon, orange, fennel, clove, and nutmeg are perfect for Vata. Lemon ginger and chai are both staple teas in my home during the fall, and as a Vata body type, I have them all year long too! If you are having trouble sleeping, make sure to incorporate spicy teas throughout the day and take your last sip at least 3 hours before bedtime (even drinks must be digested!)
4. Eliminate cold drinks and foods.
This one may come as a surprise. But vishama agni, or slow Vata digestion, is made worse when we drink and eat cold things. Yes, that includes smoothies and even ice water! Our digestion is like a fire. Heat is what helps to break food down. If you drink and eat cold items, your body has to work extra hard to bring those ingredients up to body temperature. This plummets your energy, meaning you cannot use it elsewhere. This drains us and makes our sleep patterns go haywire. To improve sleep, avoid cold drinks and foods.
5. Exercise!
How do we naturally improve metabolism and vishama agni? We exercise! Sweating also releases ama, or body toxins in Ayurveda. When we clear ama, the entire body runs smoother, and agni improves. We can give our agni a boost with daily or every-other-day exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes. By improving our agni, food will be digested better, and your body won’t need to stay “awake” taking care of it all night – which means you can rest well!
6. Eat lots of FRUIT!
Vata dosha, or Air energy, is naturally dry. We make it worse by not being hydrated throughout the day. The best way to hydrate the body is to eat lots of fruit. Having a breakfast or dinner of purely fruit gives your digestion a BIG break, because fruits are the easiest food to digest. They are also PACKED with water, so you can hydrate while enjoying something delicious. Be sure to not combine fruit with any other food as this disturbs and challenges the digestion. Vata dosha loves nectarines, plums, peaches, tangerines, clementines, pineapple, papaya, grapes, berries, mangoes, amla, and other sweet or sour fruits!
What are your favorite sleep tips? Follow @blissfud_ayurveda on Instagram for more healthy living Ayurveda tips!
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