Points discussed in this episode:
This month our focus is on “Restful Nights,” a podcast series dedicated to improving your sleep using ancient wisdom and modern insights. Today we are exploring Ayurvedic principles that can help you achieve better sleep.
Understanding Your Dosha for Better Sleep
A quick introduction for those new to the podcast: Ayurveda originated in India over 5,000 years ago, it’s regarded by many scholars to be the oldest healing science.
Ayurveda encourages maintaining a peaceful and balanced life by understanding of our individual mind/body type, or dosha, and supporting our thoughts, diet and lifestyle in harmony with our nature.
The three doshas are vata, pitta and kapha. You can find out more about Ayurveda by taking our dosha quiz at anxietyslayer.com/discovery or by searching our website and podcast archives, we talk about Ayurveda a lot.
The doshas and their influence on sleep patterns
Ayurveda offers helpful insights into the both the nature of our sleep, and what we can do to help ourselves get good rest.
Some body types are more prone to sleep disturbances than others, and different body types have different types of sleep disturbances.
We’ll go through them here and you can see if you recognize your patterns and challenges with sleep.
The Vata type and sleep
Vata types are generally light sleepers and are more alert and wakeful, if they feel anxious their sleep is soon affected. The vata type can be wakeful in the night and feel challenged getting back to sleep with their busy minds, especially between 2 and 6am.
Vata types often need a dark room to sleep in, and may prefer earplugs to block out sound, sleep walking and talking is more common in vata types, especially if they’re out of balance.
What helps support sleep for the vata dosha?
A quiet, dark room.
Keeping away from social media, movies etc. Cut screen time early in the evening and wind down with a warm bath, and or gentle yoga stretches.
Consider cutting out coffee and caffeine.
Regular sleep and waking times help support good quality sleep, and being in bed by 9.30pm as much as possible is helpful.
Vata types benefit from warm, soft beds and may feel more grounded with a little extra weight in their bedding.
Getting to sleep by 10pm is good for our sleep and overall wellbeing and there is help at that time from the grounding energy of kapha being predominant.
The Pitta type and sleep
The Pitta type has an active, achieving and fiery mind. They may be inclined to work late and are the most likely body type to become night owls.
Pitta types can be wakeful due to feeling mentally stimulated, they might be problem solving, or going over the details of a project, and they can feel frustrated due to lack of sleep.
Pitta types might feel overheated at night and prefer lighter bedding, with cool colors.
What helps support sleep for the pitta dosha?
Setting a curfew for work time and allowing time to wind down away from screens. Taking a gentle evening walk, avoiding spicy foods in the evening, and limiting alcohol and coffee.
Keep work and phones out of the bedroom.
Having a cooler bedroom.
Try gentle stretching, a cool shower, and guided relaxations for help winding down the active pitta mind.
The KAPHA type and sleep
Kapha types are the least likely to struggle with getting to sleep, or staying asleep, they are more grounded by nature and tend to be heavy sleepers.
The kapha type tends to sleep more than they need to and may struggle to wake up and get going on the morning.
What helps support (after) sleep for the kapha dosha?
Balanced Kapha types tend to sleep well, if they’re not getting to sleep they may need more movement in the day and to avoid daytime naps.
Walking after a meal.
If they are falling into the kapha tendency for too much sleep and slow mornings, they benefit from a lighter diet cutting back on heavy foods like wheat and making their last meal of the day earlier in the evening, leaving a good gap before sleep.
Supportive Tips for all body types:
Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day as much as possible.
Keep screens out of the bedroom.
Make your sleep space calm and relaxing.
Try a guided relaxation or gentle breathing practice when you get into bed.
Herbal Teas
** We LOVE Pukka Tea **
Herbs and teas for vata sleep:
Licorice, fennel, and cardamom.
Pukka Relax Tea
Warm almond milk with a pinch of nutmeg and saffron
Herbs and teas for pitta sleep:
Chamomile, rose, mint, and licorice
Cooling and soothing teas are good for pitta types.
Pukka Love Tea
Herbs and teas for kapha: The teas that suit the kapha type are more invigorating and can help lift morning sluggishness.
Ginger, clove, turmeric, and cinnamon.
Pukka Revitalize Tea
