Sleep – energises and restores.

Sleep…Our body’s mechanism to heal and recover

Ayurveda identifies sleep/Nidra as one of the three pillars that support the human body. In the
Ayurvedic classics like Ashtanga Hrdaya, proper restful sleep at night is equated to health, happiness,
strength, vitality, memory, sexual prowess, and longevity of life. The lack of sleep will lead to the
opposite features. However, sleeping during the day will not be enough to compensate for the
wakefulness at night.

Sleep at night and stay active during the day. This is essential for your body, especially the digestive
system and nervous system, to function properly. The pineal gland in our brain is our biological clock,
and according to this clock, we are supposed to sleep at nighttime.

If you end up losing a night’s sleep, it will aggravate the vata dosa. This leads to dryness in the body,
aches, indigestion, exhaustion, and in the long run precipitates diseases of aggravated vata dosa.
Sleeping during the day is advised only in summer, and in any other season it aggravates pitta and
kapha dosa in the body. Day sleep is also recommended for children, old age, people who are sick
with diarrhea, after injury, physical exhaustion, and mental exhaustion (grief, fear, and anger).

Sleeping during the day is contraindicated for people with weak digestion and metabolism.
So, it goes without saying that when you are sick, you need to sleep more, allow your body to rest
and fight the antigens and restore health.

While we sleep, our breathing rate and heartbeat reduce. It allows our body to work on functions that
it does not get to do while we are awake. On the whole, 7 – 8 hours of sleep at night is required on
any given day for you to wake up fresh, calm, and energized. This improves your concentration and
efficacy at work while preventing aging and degeneration.

A glass of warm milk or meat soup at night helps in gaining peaceful sleep.

Application of oil, soft massage, and bathing are effective in inducing sleep. Therapies like Abhyanga
and Ela kizhi are found to calm the mind and relax the body, preparing it for restful sleep. For a deeper look at how Ayurveda addresses sleeplessness and stress together, read our guide on Ayurveda for insomnia and stress.