Trouble Sleeping? Try These 6 Simple Life Hacks from Ayurveda
Good sleep is one of the most important indicators for good health and yet often it can be frustratingly elusive. In fact, a 2017 study suggested one-third of UK adults reported insomnia, and more recent data suggests this has worsened during the pandemic. When you don't get enough sleep, you can experience poor memory, affected decision making, mood changes, reduced attention span and constant low energy.
Sleep is considered to be one of the four pillars of health by yoga’s holistic sister science Ayurveda, alongside diet, meditation and exercise. Getting good quality sleep (meaning that you pass through delta brain waves and REM sleep) at the right time (overnight) ensures that your body has the opportunity to regulate hormone cycles and regenerate energy, while your mind can recover from the day and filter out non-essential information. All of this sets your whole physiology on track for optimal productivity and creativity tomorrow.
Sleep is governed by an internal clock that’s been coined the Circadian Rhythm by scientists and even if you’re not typically prone to insomnia, this “clock” can get thrown off when you travel, are under stress, expose yourself to too much artificial light, or when the clocks change. Even one night of disrupted sleep can leave you feeling annoyingly irritable and foggy, which is the last thing any of us needs right now. Try these tips from Ayurveda to support you in better sleep to help you get back on track:
Maintain a “Night vigil”
As the saying goes, well begun is half done. Most of us are probably guilty of being on our screens until the moment we close our eyes, or using the late evening hours after the kids have gone to bed to catch up on chores, none of which sets you up for a good night’s sleep. Instead, turn devices off two hours before bed, use lamps instead of overhead lights, and enjoy settling activities like reading or a warm bath.
Aim for lights out by 10pm
This one is certainly the most difficult, but it can really be worth getting to bed a bit earlier. Your Circadian Rhythm dictates the release of the sleep hormone melatonin around 9pm, so shortly after that is the best time to capitalize on it and enjoy deep sleep. If 10pm feels too early, aim for 11pm - the most important thing is to set a bedtime as well as a waking time.
Set your alarm a little earlier
When you’re not getting enough sleep, the tendency is to hit snooze until the last possible moment, but exposure to sunlight and regular exercise are actually factors for better sleep. Try to get up a little before sunrise and watch the sun come up to tell your physiology it’s time to awaken.
Start the day with exercise
Regular exercise has been shown to help with good sleep and Ayurveda suggests that first thing is the best time. Ideally, get outside in the morning light for a brisk walk or jog instead of hopping right onto your computer and you’ll likely feel more motivated for the day ahead as well as sleeping better tonight.
Meditate
It’s no secret that stress affects your sleep and therefore no surprise that practicing stress reduction techniques like meditation can help. Regularly training your nervous system to relax and cycling through Alpha brain wave states associated with deep relaxation can harness a kind of “state fluency” in relaxation and help you nod off faster.
Avoid eating a heavy meal in the evening
Culturally, dinner tends to be our main meal in the west, but combined with mealtimes getting later as the work day gets longer, this is perhaps one of the biggest obstacles to good sleep. If you eat a big meal late then lie down soon after, you’re not likely to experience good sleep or good digestion, and this can contribute to feeling sluggish tomorrow. Instead, make lunch a more substantial meal and enjoy smaller portions of easily digestible foods like soups at dinner, and aim to eat by 7:30pm.
