Do you suffer from irregular sleep? Trouble falling asleep? Wake up in the middle of night? Sleeping more than your cat? All these can be equally problematic.
Let’s be honest, imbalance in your sleep pattern is annoying, debilitating and even unhealthy. Troubleshooting your sleep pattern can seem just as annoying and impossible, BUT with the right guide and tools you can find and return balance to your sleep.
Ayurveda, the science of living, offers simple and practical tools to balancing sleep cycles. Here is my interpretation and take on the ayurvedic approach to sleeping well.
If you are reading this, you know that a balanced sleep cycle (i.e., ~8 hrs of sleep at night) plays a crucial role in your help and well-being. Even thought western science knows this very well, the benefits themselves may be subtle in nature and so difficult to assess. However, every science approach agrees on the 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.
Increased odds of developing a more serious health problem or death.
Now that I have your attention, per Ayurveda, each individual may have specific reason for an “imbalance” in her/his sleep and it is important to honor whatever works best for you. Ultimately, you need to feel comfortable in the steps you take to create a sleep environment for yourself. Regardless of your specific needs (your constitution in Ayurveda terms), consider adopting as many of these supportive habits as possible:
Eliminate screen time in the evening.
Screen time of any kind is incredibly disruptive to the biological rhythms that support sleep. If you’re serious about improving sleep, it is best to limit or eliminate screen time from the hours immediately before you sleep—ideally from dinner onward. I’ve opted to delete all distracting apps from my phone at night and if possible move the phone out of the bedroom!
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’s best to eliminate them as much as possible from your lifestyle, and in some cases a complete detox may be necessary.
Eat a wholesome dinner early in the evening.
A heavy dinner can interfere with our ability to sleep. I know this goes against current social habits, but this a BIG game changer. The best evening meals are healthy, nourishing, easily digestible, and are eaten at least three hours prior to retiring to bed. Think soup and/or salad.
I sincerely hope that I can continue to support you in finding your way to sound sleep and vibrant health. Just let me know how to support your wellness.
