Sleep is one of the basic necessities of the body. Happiness, nourishment, strength, knowledge, life – all of these depend upon sleep. If sleep is disrupted long enough, it can lead to a lack of balance in the body, manifesting itself in several areas of one’s life, such as unhappiness, dietary misalignment, mental fog, and manifestation or aggravation of various physical ailments. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of sleep for total balance, but has different recommendations based on the dominant dosha. These recommendations are based on the dominant times of the dosha, which are listed below:
Each dosha is dominant twice a day.
2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. - Vata dominance
6:00 a.m. – 10 a.m. - Kapha dominance
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. - Pitta dominance
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. - Vata dominance
6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. - Kapha dominance
10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. - Pitta dominance
Vata and Kapha are the doshas most prone to under/over sleeping, so I’ve included some recommendations for the best night’s sleep, based in Ayurveda:
Kapha: Ayurveda recommends going to sleep by or around 10:00 p.m., during Kapha time. Kapha is slow, stable and dull. It also has that same kind of influence on our bodies and minds, which is ideal for falling asleep. Sleep is directly related to Kapha dosha , so you can consume sweet food items which would increase Kapha thus making you sleep . Avoid spicy , hot , pungent foods which would reduce Kapha dosha.
Vata: Vata body types need the most sleep, and Kapha types the least. To ensure that your six to eight hours are of good quality sleep, always try to go to bed by 10:00 p.m. and wake up by 6:00 a.m.
Loss of sleep leads to squeezing pain all over the body, heaviness in the head, too much yawning, lassitude, exhaustion, dizziness, indigestion, stupor, and can give way to diseases related to increase of Vata.
