Ep 4: Ayurvedic Rituals for Restful Sleep

In this episode of Live Ayurvedic, we explore the profound connection between sleep and overall well-being from an Ayurvedic perspective. Dr. Ram Tamang and I delve into the root causes of common sleep challenges, offering insights into how your unique dosha and lifestyle may be influencing your rest.

We also discuss the power of aligning with natural rhythms and the small but impactful changes you can make to improve the quality of your sleep. Whether you're struggling with insomnia, restless nights, or simply want to deepen your understanding of Ayurvedic sleep wisdom, this episode provides inspiration to take the first step toward better rest and balance.

Tune in to learn how sleep can be transformed into a nurturing, healing practice for mind, body, and spirit.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Live Ayurvedic podcast. Today, we are talking about sleep. Sleep is one of the pillars of health and one that many of us tend to take for granted, one that we skimp on by getting as little as we can—or at least, we do that until we maybe hit our late 30s and 40s and start to notice that if we didn't get a good night's sleep, the next day people are going to look at you and be like, "Are you sick? What happened to you?" And you just say, "Oh, I didn’t sleep well last night." So that's how important sleep is, and Ayurveda has considered it one of the three pillars of health. Now, holistic medicine in general—and all the ancient systems, of course—have considered sleep important, but now modern medicine and functional medicine as well are giving sleep its due importance.

Whatever your health goal may be—whether you are trying to hit a fitness goal, lose weight, manage a chronic health condition like diabetes or blood sugar balance, or your hormones, or if you're recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery—whatever you are striving for in your life, if you are not giving sleep its due importance, you are not going to hit your goal as easily. You may be working out and eating really good meals and organic food, but if you're not paying attention to sleep, not getting good quality, deep sleep consistently, you may not see the results you're looking for.

Sleep really impacts every area of our life—whether it is how you perform at work or school, your memory, your moods, your ability to show up in your friendships and relationships, and of course your physical health as well. Right? From your hormones, metabolism, blood sugar balance—everything is immediately affected, and immunity, too. If you don’t get enough sleep, you're more susceptible to catching infections or falling sick.

I have Dr. Rah here with me again today, and we want to explore everything that Ayurveda offers about sleep. I hope that this episode is insightful and that you learn something or remember something to try to apply.

To kick off, I want to talk about the one thing that Ayurveda does differently from every other system of healing: the importance it places on the timing of when you go to sleep. We're not just saying get 8 hours of sleep, but we're saying very specifically—often—that you sleep at this time of the day, at this hour, and wake up at this time of the day, at this hour. Let’s explore that a little bit.

Yes, the concept of going to bed in the evening, around the Kapha hours, the predominant hours of the evening—most of us probably feel that little bit of yawning, that heaviness, and sleep around 8:30 or 9:30. That’s when you should switch off and call it a day and hit the bed for a quality sleep. If you don’t, and for many of us, depending on your body type, there’s difficulty falling asleep, or we go into emotional worries, anxieties, and many things, which basically impact your sleep. Going to bed during the Kapha hours helps you fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer, and gives you overall quality of sleep. It aligns with the biological clocks—the circadian rhythm—that your body follows and aligns with nature’s own rhythm. We emphasize this a lot because it really enhances and improves the overall quality of sleep.

The Kapha hours are from 6:00 p.m., peaking at 8:00 p.m., until 10:00 p.m., and then Pitta energy kicks in again from 1:00 a.m. onwards. This is a more energizing, alert energy. Personally, I've noticed that if I'm awake at 11:30 or close to midnight, I'm wide awake. Sometimes I’m hungry, so you catch that second wind, and you might feel like, "Oh, I can solve a complicated math problem right now," but really, you should be sleeping. That Pitta energy and alertness is meant to be doing something else in your body. A lot more happens during good quality deep sleep: healing, recovery, repair, detoxifying, like the glymphatic system, the lymphatic system, metabolism, digestion, processing—there's a lot more happening.

The healing of your nervous system, regulation of tissues, and every tissue is being repaired. We’re not just talking about the tissues of your nervous system, your muscles, and your digestive system—every system functions optimally in order to help you with all levels of metabolism, digestion, and processing.

So, if you're awake during those Pitta hours, you're taking away from different organs that should be digesting your emotions from the day. You're not supposed to be eating another meal at midnight. You're really supposed to be digesting the thoughts and emotions that came up during your day and everything you consumed through the senses.

Another thing related to this concept of timing is the timing of our meals. The quality of sleep will be impacted based on the time that you eat. There should be a gap of at least 2 to 3 hours minimum after your last meal before you hit the bed, because it will have an impact. The metabolism, your digestive system, has to work harder. What you eat, what you drink, and what you consume through your five senses will have a direct impact on your quality of sleep. That is why we say reduce anything that is going to aggravate or stimulate your internal system.

So, going to bed at a certain time and eating earlier—preferably, eat while the sun is up. Your digestion starts to diminish and slow down once the sun sets. Of course, in winter, the sun is setting by 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. and maybe even earlier depending on where you live, so it may not be feasible to eat that early. But again, thinking about that 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. window for dinner is ideal, so that by 9:30, you’re ready to unwind and go to bed. What is practical for you? Make it yours. What does that mean to you? How can you adjust? Three hours would be ideal, but if you can’t do 3 hours, do 2 hours. Based on your work and life, you might have little ones running around, or other things going on, just make it work for you.

What about the timing of waking up? If you are able to go to sleep at this 10:00 p.m. time, you're naturally waking up at dawn or right before sunrise. In Ayurveda, we call this the Brahma Muhurta. It’s a very precious time of the day.

The concept of Brahma Muhurta is rising when you have the purest, clearest mind—free from all these clutters and distractions. You’re focused, calm, and clear. It sets up your day. The morning sun has been shown to have a direct impact on your melatonin, which has a direct impact on your quality of sleep the next day. It also helps reduce cortisol and ignites that little fire we call Agni with the morning sun. It helps you be more alive for the day.

Brahma Muhurta is considered a very auspicious time. It's a time when your mind aligns with spiritual energy, making it a great time to meditate, journal, or be creative. I notice that sometimes if you wake up really early for a flight, you actually don’t feel tired. But if you sleep late and wake up in the Kapha time (around 8:30-9:30 a.m.), you may feel heavy, groggy, and lethargic—even if you’ve had eight hours of sleep. Waking up before sunrise brings clarity and lightness to your day.

There's this concept of sleep hygiene that we all hear about, or see on our Instagram feeds. Let's touch on a few important ones, along with a few Ayurvedic tips to improve the quality of your sleep. One of the things that disrupt our sleep is the exposure we have to bright lights, artificial lights, and screens. You can’t imagine being on your phone or stimulating your mind and then immediately going to bed expecting your mind to shut down.

Create a wind-down period, at least an hour before bed. If you're aiming to be asleep by 10:00, start winding down at 9:00. Start your bedtime rituals, reduce exposure to bright screens, and either turn off the TV or use a blue light blocker or adjust the filters on your devices. You can also incorporate bedtime rituals using all your five senses to help you wind down.

Ayurvedically, we recommend doing self-massage with oil. This is especially recommended for Vata and Pitta types, but even Kapha types can benefit. You can massage the soles of your feet or your scalp. This has a very calming and relaxing effect on the body and mind, which helps you sleep better.

Another practice is Nasya—gentle drops of customized or generic nasal oil, which you gently sniff or massage around the sinuses. This has a positive impact on sleep quality as well.

Simple things like a warm soothing drink, such as a cup of your favorite calming tea, can also help. Or golden milk, a trend that is actually traditional: whole milk with a pinch of turmeric, maybe black pepper, nutmeg, or saffron.

If dairy isn’t your thing, almond milk or other non-dairy milk is also a good option.

Regarding other senses, massage on the soles of your feet is very impactful, and I can vouch for it based on the results my clients have seen. Many clients monitor their sleep with devices, and when I recommend massaging the soles of their feet or doing gentle breathing,

they notice how it makes a direct difference. These small things really help.

There are also herbs in Ayurveda that support sleep quality. One of the most famous ones is Ashwagandha, known for its calming and restorative properties. It’s often used in Ayurveda to relieve stress, calm the mind, and promote restful sleep. You can take it as a supplement or in a tea form.

Another herb is Brahmi, or Gotu Kola. This herb is very helpful for calming the nervous system and enhancing mental clarity, which is especially good for those who suffer from racing thoughts.

So these are some of the ideas that Ayurveda has to offer for improving sleep quality. I hope you take some time to look at your sleep and notice where you can make a shift or adjustment. You’re in charge of your sleep, and you have everything you need to make those little changes.