SLEEP (NIDRA) AND HEALTH (SVASTHA)
/The importance of sleep has always been understood as a crucial component that supports and sustains health or can contribute/create health conditions. What is also clear is that it isn’t only about just going to sleep but when we go to sleep and the quality of sleep, and how much we sleep. In Ayurveda, ‘Nidra and Svapna’ means to remain inactive and to sleep/be asleep.
Within Ayurveda, there is a principle known as Adharaniya Vegas that involves the 13 natural urges not to be suppressed and sleep is one of them. If we are beginning to feel sleepy and ignore or suppress this feeling, then we are slowly creating a health issue and one which compromises the area where this urge comes from, primarily the nervous system but the endocrine system to the degree which hormones such as melatonin, serotonin, tryptophan, and cortisol are involved.
The body and mind can express symptoms as a result of sleep disturbances; again, first sometimes subtle and then eventually overtly. It could look something like this: say you ignore going to sleep at the right time which your body has indicated for you was time. So you go to sleep later than your body wanted to. Then you either have to still wake up at a certain time due to certain duties, or you sleep in later. In both cases, this can cause you to crave sugars/sweets, or even caffeinated products to supplement the energy you lost from staying up late that you could have achieved naturally had you honored your sleep cycle. Likewise, sleeping in later than is appropriate can suppress hunger urges, or throw them off which can also perpetuate a cycle of being out of sync with the daily rhythms that govern hunger cues and food intake. In some other cases, sleep disturbances could continue to progress, and then anxiety may slowly start creeping in, depressive symptoms may also seem to surface, food cravings or aversions may happen, and digestion will become more offset, ranging from constipation, delayed bowel movements, looser stools, dry sky, skin issues, hypersensitivity to your environment, hyposensitivity (a dullness), so on and so forth. With regard to conditions such as anxiety and depression, the later one stays up, the less sleep one has, and the more the anxiety increases. When depression is present, sleep deprivation can also influence depression as sleeping in later than, say 6/7 am, enters into the Kapha (earth and water elements, including qualities such as heaviness, dullness, and slowness) time of day and the later one sleeps in, the more they increase Kapha tendencies which would increase depressive symptoms, producing an overall sense of lack of appetite, lack of interest in life, lack of efforts, and inertia/stagnation.
Sleep is essential for all living beings as the body resets itself, tissue repair is optimized, the mind can come inward, and the metabolism of the day occurs (mentally and physically, emotionally). Lack of sleep causes great harm. As the body is unable to repair itself properly this puts strain on the body and can increase the aging process through degeneration. Additionally, it is not just about getting to sleep at any time and waking up at any time. It is about lining ourselves up with the cycles of the day which are supporting and supported by the inherent circadian rhythm we all have. This is why, for example, when individuals retreat into nature, into the woods, for a period of time and free of technologies the body and mind reset. This is crucial to the nervous system, which is governed primarily by Vata (air and space elements, including qualities of being subtle, mobile, cold, dry, and light) dosha. Sleep pacifies Vata dosha and Pitta (elements of fire and water, including qualities such as heat, sharpness, lightness, some oiliness, penetrating, and intensity) dosha due to its cooling, parasympathetic nature.
Furthermore, when we have proper sleep (Nidra) and proper diet (Ahara), this is very supportive of ensuring the health and strength of the body for individuals who are going to the gym or engaging in any physical activities that promote such things. It is NOT the direct engagement of exercise (Vyayama) that builds or refines tissue but the proper diet and sleep that support this, fundamentally. Exercise is important and without proper sleep and a proper diet causes more harm than good. Here is an interesting article on Exercise and Ayurveda, when to do such things, and why. Exercising requires energy and exercising without adequate sleep and diet can cause the body to go into an auto-consumptive response where you’re forcing the body to engage in physically exertive activities but not getting the right fuel to activate the tissues engaged, properly. Acceptable exercise and proper diet contribute towards proper sleep, and when we get proper sleep then our exercise is optimized more so, and our tendencies to eat healthier naturally follows. It takes energy to fall asleep, both exercise and diet affect this process. However, without proper sleep and proper diet, exercise would cause more long-term harm to the body as it depends on sleep and diet for its integration and metabolization.
The length of time required per individual generally varies per dosha. Vata predominant types can benefit from 8-9 hours, Pitta can enjoy 7 hours, and Kapha would benefit from 6 hours. Saying you went to bed at 1 am and woke up at 8 am and had your 8 hours sleep doesn’t count or possess the same best quality of rest as if you went to bed at 10 and were up by 6. It is also important to mention briefly here that some individuals may think that they are “nocturnal” but this is not true or fact in the sense that by human design we are not meant to be nocturnal and there would be less of this were it not for the onset and development of electricity to help us stay awake much longer. Furthermore, going into nature and being freed from technologies for these individuals would encourage them to feel tired earlier.
Ayurveda speaks of this in Caraka Sutrasthana 21/50, where Carak states that staying awake at night causes dryness (ruksha) and unctuousness (snigdham). With these qualities increasing at night and depending on which constitution they are affecting, negative health issues can eventually ensue. Any physical or mental activity increases the force of movement throughout all the channels of the body which can result in higher pressure, having an immediate effect on Vata dosha causing it to increase. In Ayurveda, it is known that in general Vata causes 80% of diseases in the body. Ratri Jagarana, known as staying up late at night, is a circumstance that can cause or contribute to the previous conditions mentioned. Staying up late at night causes a depletion to occur, but also can cause an increase in inflammation and inflammatory processes especially if these are pre-existent. Staying up late affects metabolism for the next day on many levels. It affects thyroid functioning. It can affect mood and contribute to mental fluctuations. Regulation of weight and of glucose/insulin is also managed through sleep processes.
To correlate, it is also known that the liver becomes more activated during Pitta time of day, based on the Ayurveda clock, from 10:00 pm until 2:00 am. The liver has over 500 functions and “best cleans and reorganizes” the body as a whole through metabolic processes to prepare it for the next day. I remember Dr. Douillard telling a story about how important the liver is and that it is like the night janitor in an office building. He proceeded to explain that just like an office building where executive directors may stay in the office late doing work, the night janitor comes to clean but isn’t able to while the rooms are occupied and so the janitor either tries to come back later or doesn’t come back. Similarly, when we are awake during the time of liver activation, which is mainly apparent by when we have a second wind/second appetite, the liver isn’t able to metabolize properly the day’s intake of information and can overheat, but also not thoroughly filtrate the blood properly. Therefore, making sure we get to bed around 10:00 will optimize health in many ways and on many levels as it is all connected.
How do we define proper sleep? It is understood in Ayurveda that the ideal time to BE asleep, not just get into bed, is around 10:00. Though current times make it especially difficult to meet this mark, especially for those who are engaged in nighttime television, watching the news, have children, working duties/habits, exercising habits, and many other activities that cause an individual to stay awake past bedtime. It is important to note that there is, in most cases, a general cue, sometimes overt and sometimes obvious that occurs after dinner that indicates that it is time to wind down. In Ayurveda, the term for this is Svabhava, which is defined as a naturally occurring experience, and within the context of sleep, there is a natural svabhava that we start to wind down the day and feel a little lower energy, feel a little more tired. When we experience this cue it is important to follow it as this is the indication that the body is wanting to prepare for rest so it can process the day, at least. Many individuals just keep on pushing past this cue and sometimes miss the mark when it comes to sleep due to being overly active after dinner or exerting themselves because there are “things to do before bed.” But are these activities worth the sacrifice of sleep?
In general, as per Dr. Jessical Vellela*1, when an individual expresses proper sleep they are experiencing happiness, growth and adequate nourishment of the body, physical strength, virility, intelligence, life, and vitality. When they are experiencing improper sleep they will be unhappy, emaciated, or have reduced body mass/tissue, absence of adequate strength, impotency, absence of intelligence, and absence of life.
Please note the below general suggestions to consider. It is also essential to state that these are general recommendations and may not be applied in cases where there are individuals required to work night shifts. Ayurveda has specific suggestions for these individuals to support their health and wellness in the best possible way, though it may not be ideal or perfect.
Vitamin D intake and exposure
Infrared light exposure
Proper exercise and at proper times
Proper meals and at the proper times
Proper hydration and at proper times, with adequate quantities. Check this article HERE.
Routine. (going to bed around the same time most nights)
Reflect on what could be causing you to not go to sleep at an appropriate time, and make the changes.
Supplements such as melatonin, magnesium, skullcap, brahmi, ashwagandha, shankhapushpi, jatamamsi, chamomile, lavender, and poppy seed, nutmeg, whole cow’s milk, and even 5HTP can be supportive but this should be determined by an authority in the ideal case. Not all herbs, though they serve a purpose will work in each individual the same way, as per constitutional design.
Avoid caffeine. Or at least avoid caffeinated products past a certain time of day.
To start easing back into a normal sleep pattern, you can either go early to bed either 15 minutes each night or a half hour each night depending on what works best for you.
Begin waking up earlier than 7:00 am and that can eventually help you fall asleep earlier.
A glass of wine, if this is an option, can be taken before bed.
Be sure to stop any liquid intake at least an hour before bed.
Be sure to monitor how much you hydrate throughout the day. This can prevent having to wake up in the middle of the night to urinate.
Avoid sleeping during the day unless you fall into the category where it is indicated such as but not limited to being elderly, being an infant or child, ill, or pregnant.
Avoid arguing before bed.
Avoid technologies at least 1 hour before bed.
“ As they say, early to bed, and early to rise, make a person healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
RESOURCES:
ADHARANIYA VEGAS (URGES NOT TO BE SUPPRESSED)
1- Vellela, Jessica; Foundations of Ayurveda, Volume 2, page 368, 2017/2018 edition
DISCLAIMER: This information is meant for educational purposes only. Any changes in lifestyle should be reviewed with a qualified practitioner and primary care physician if you are currently under their care for specific conditions.