Insomnia, Causes and Remedies in Ayurvedic perspective (Insomnia1)

Setareh Kiumarsi

Do you have an insomnia problem?

When you fall into sleep your mind stops talking and gets silent; it stops constantly moving around and stays still!
Did you know that Vata imbalance plays an important role in insomnia?!
When Vata increases in your head, too much movement occurs in your mind and you will develop an overactive mind!
You start thinking about all the unnecessary things in your life! As a result, falling into sleep becomes hard,
or the sleep becomes too light, and even the smallest sound will wake you up!

What can you do to cure insomnia?!

Massage the soles of your feet, your scalp and inside your nostrils with a mixture of coconut oil and sweet almond oil! Oiling lubricates your body, brings Vata back to balance, calms down your overactive mind and makes it easy to fall asleep!

Inhale from a warm mist humidifier for 10 minutes before sleep. Add a few drops of lavender or chamomile or rose essential oil to the water! Also applying a few drops of rose water to your pillow will calm down your mind and help you sleep better!

Take a hot shower or warm bath half an hour before sleep! Both heat and moisture calm down Vata in your body and your mind!

The right time for going to bed and sleeping is around 9-10PM, and the right time for starting your day is around 5-6 AM.

Have you heard people saying that I am a night person?…

They say in between 11 to 12 PM I become alert; my mind becomes fresh and creative, and I can finally delve into my work?!
This is because in between 10 PM to 2 AM the fire element increases in your body in order to burn the toxins and undigested mucus that have accumulated in your digestive tube and body, during the day!
During this time your body should be horizontal so that this process takes place effectively. When you are awake during this time, the increased fire element is consumed by your physical and mental activities and cannot fulfill its real duty (detoxification)!
On the other hand, since your mind has become full of fire, it gets overactive and falling asleep becomes too hard and even sometimes impossible!

So…

Always try to go to bed around 10 PM!
Even if you can’t sleep, simply lay down in Savasana form; let your body and mind rest, and let your digestive fire detoxify your digestive tube!

Which foods cause insomnia?

• Do not eat Vata provoking foods in your dinner (such as beans and legumes, potato, cold salads that contain raw, cold and dry vegetables such as lettuce, kale, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli, raw apple, raw pear and etc.). The coldness and dryness of these foods increase Vata and create too much movement in your head! They will make you ungrounded and make your sleep light (you can find the complete list of Vata provoking foods in previous posts on our website)
•  Avoid eating hot and spicy foods in your dinner! They will make you alert (i.e. a cup of coffee)
• void eating heavy and indigestible meals in your dinner! Also do not eat too late! The presence of undigested food in your digestive tract will clog your body channels and increase the chance of having nightmares!
• Do not consume any type of caffeine (coffee, Nescafé, black tea, green tea, white tea, cocoa, and chocolate) and alcohol after 3-4 PM! The consumption of these substances will create chronic Vata and Pitta imbalance in nerves and disturb your sleep!

So what should we eat for dinner in order to have a deep and sound sleep?! Stay tuned for the second part of this subject.