Sleep is still considered a miracle, because what happens to our physiology when we are sleeping is still not entirely understood. Like much of the natural world, we can only guess its function, pupose and mechanisms.
But what we do know is that we spend a lot of time doing it, in fact we spend a third of our lives asleep. Those who can sleep well, do not know the struggle most of us have, falling asleep or staying asleep. Yet many of us treat sleep as optional, something to squeeze in after everything else is done. Ayurveda, the ancient health care science, takes a very different view. Sleep, is food for the soul and as souled beings we need to take care of our soul too: mind, body and soul. Did you know you can extend your life span simply by sleeping well and spending enoug time asleep?
In Ayurvedic thinking, everything we take in or expose ourselves to, either gives us strength or drains us: food, thoughts, emotions, experiences, nothing is left out. And so sleep and meditation is a daily reset that repairs not just the body, but the mind, the emotions too and feeds the soul. When it works, we wake up clear, steady and resilient. When it doesn’t, life slowly becomes harder than it needs to be and the body will look drained and aged faster.
To be entirely truthful, modern life can make good sleep fairly difficult. Is it therefore surprising that around 1/3 of adults struggle with insomnia, and many who do sleep still wake up tired. The result is chronic stress, what doctors now call “allostatic load”, the wear and tear that builds up when the body never fully recovers. Over time, this affects immunity, mood, digestion, focus and emotional balance and in the long run weakend immunity and digestive disturbances are factors that can contribute to disease formation.
Allostatic load is the cumulative strain on the body caused by repeated or chronic stress when recovery is incomplete.
Ayurveda doesn’t treat insomnia or sleep problems as a stand-alone problem, in fact nothing is a stand-alone problem looking through a holistic lense. Holistically, and as per ayurveda, we need to consider the whole person. Digestion, daily routine, stress levels, emotional wellbeing and even timing all influence how deeply we rest. When one system is out of balance, sleep is often one of the first symptoms to indicate this.
The biological clock matters too, sleep is much better at night than it is during the day. The evening naturally supports sleep from a natural rythm point of view, its a biological time for us. The window between 6pm and 10pm is when the body wants to slow down and it is useful to start your winding town routine then. If you mis sit, the mind often gets a second wind. After 10pm, the body switches into repair mode. Staying awake during this phase can lead to restless, shallow sleep. Early mornings, on the other hand, support clarity and lightness, which is why people often feel better when they wake earlier after a good night’s rest.
This doesn’t mean rigid rules for everyone, because individual circumstances can occasionally differ, dertermined by iIllness, age, children and real life, all this requires flexibility. The advise is to review your routine and your sleep hygience regularily, does it still benefit you? In addition, different body types benefit from various sleep habits. Where the steady kapha types can handle less sleep (but nevertheless enjoy their sleep) and the busy vata types should make sure they get enough sleep (but find it a challenge).
Sleep itself moves through cycles, from deep rest to dreaming. Both are important, much has been recheared. Deep sleep restores the body and the dreaming processes emotions and mental patterns. Persistent exhaustion, recurring dreams or dreamless heaviness can all be signs that something is out of balance, physically or emotionally. Dream analysis is a fascinating subject indeed but we are not yet able to scientifically understand the mind fully.
We can however, rely on ancient practices like Yoga Nidra (a guided form of deep relaxation) and mindful dream reflection, or a dream journal can enhance the restorative power of sleep and at the same time give clues about the state of your inner being. A very strong simple foundation is a lifestyle routine that allows the nervous system to settle in the evening.
Small changes matter. Eating earlier, reducing evening stimulation, creating a calming pre-bed routine, and respecting the body’s natural rhythms all help. Ayurveda encourages people to experiment, keep what feels manageable, and let go of guilt around what doesn’t. Scrolling until we fall asleep or falling asleep in front of the TV has happened to all of us but what we routinely do matters. Do you want to clutter your mind, emotions, dream state with the stark reality of politics or do you want to enter a world where peace and wellbeing can return to you. That is the choice you are making when chosing a natural evening routine.
The payoff is significant. When sleep does what it’s meant to do, when we truly “sleep like a baby”, we don’t just feel better. We think more clearly, cope better, digest better and live with more ease. Quality sleep supports physical health, emotional balance and a quieter mind.
Sleep is an investment in wellbeing, more than we are able to proof with science, and it is an active repair of mind and body. In a world that never switches off, learning how to rest properly may be one of the most powerful health decisions we can make. The benefit of a lifestyle reset with natural principles will also mean, a real chance for better sleep and better health and wellbeing as a result.
The operative question to ask is, are you happy with your evening routine as is at the moment or would you like to make changes for the future. And if so, which changes can you realistically make? As life circumstances change, it is suitable to ask this question once in a while and adjust your evening routine to the most biologically beneficial version it can be.
