The Ayurveda Guide To Sleeping Well
Forget kids waking in the night, the main causes of insomnia are actually down to poor diet and stress.
Considered to be one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems, Ayurveda, seeks to balance the mind, body and spirit with a natural therapeutic approach that gets to the core of our personality, behaviour and lifestyle.
In Ayurveda, sleep disorders are called ‘Alpa nidra’ and Insomnia is known as ‘Anidra’. According to the Ayurveda, the doshas (biological energies found in the body and mind that govern all physical and mental processes) responsible for this disease are Tarpak Kapha, Sadhak Pitta or Prana Vata.
By being more mindful of our body and its messages, and balancing our doshas it is possible to cure the effects of insomnia in a way that is totally intrinsic and natural through the use of Ayurveda practise.
Proving so effect on our health and welling, the NHS has even revealed it will be trialling Ayurvedic medicine to help reduce our reliance on antibiotics!
So if drifting off to sleep has become more problematic than your kids night time regime, it might be time to take action with our Ayurveda Guide To Sleeping Well.
Healing Insomnia Caused By Poor Diet
A sub-dosha of Kapha (Water), Tarpak Kapha, nourishes the brain cells and facilitates a good night’s sleep. Imbalance of this dosha causes poor nourishment of brain cells, leading to Insomnia. This happens to those who are deprived by food faddism.
Top Tips:
Take carbohydrate and fat rich food at night before 8:00 PM
Drink fat rich milk with nutmeg and jaggery or sugar before bed time
Healing Insomnia Caused By Overworking
Sadhak Pitta is a sub-dosha of Pitta (Fire) and is located in the heart. It controls emotions, desires, decisiveness, and spirituality. Its imbalance makes a person exhibit workaholic tendencies, thereby leading to situations that may cause a lack of sleep.
Top Tips:
Drink ash gourd or sugar cane juice, after dinner
Take 5 soaked almonds at bed time
Drink 100 ml lukewarm almond milk at bed time
Healing Insomnia Caused By Stress
A sub-dosha of Vata (Air), Prana Vata is linked to insomnia, worry, anxiety, and problems like depression. Prana Vata makes the nervous system sensitive; this sensitive nervous system coupled with an aggravated Prana Vata leads to insomnia.
Top Tips:
Wash your legs with warm water and massage your feet with butter
Make a paste of milk and butter and apply that paste over your bregma (Crown of Head) and feet
Tips by Dr.Poornima Sreelal and Dr.Sreelal who are experts in Ayurveda at CGH Earth's Kalari Rasayana in India cghearthayurveda.com
