What Time is Best to go to Sleep?

"It’s three o’clock in the morning, and I can’t even close my eyes." - B.B. King. 

Perhaps the King of blues was unaware of the secret to getting a good night's sleep!

According to Ayurvedic science when we stay up past 10 pm our bodily functions switch over to a "Pitta" state where physical activity, appetite and getting things done can be stimulated if you are still awake. Have you ever noticed that even when you are tired and stay up past 10 pm you some how start to wake back up, start a project or get hungry all of the sudden? And you before you know it it's nearly 2 am? That might just have to do with the natural rhythms Ayurveda categorizes under Vata, Pitta or Kapha. 

By aligning yourself with these natural rhythms and therefore benefitting from deeper rest, repair and rejuvenation, you will find that during hours of wakefulness you experience greater mental clarity, energy and endurance. In order to reap the benefit of those optimal hours of rest it's best to be in bed by 10 pm and asleep shortly thereafter. Try going to bed for at least a week before 10 pm and see how you feel! 

If you are anything like me, you will need more than a week to readjust your habitual clock and and re-sync with nature. Setting your alarm to rise 30 minutes earlier helps to get bed to earlier but may take your body a few days to a week to really adjust. Check out my previous blog for further tips on how to create a healthy sleep time cycle. 

How about you? What time do you normally fall asleep? Are you well rested when you wake? Do you have any secret rituals to getting bed early? 

I would love to hear from you and find out what has or hasn't worked for you and how you would like to be supported! Please leave a comment below and join the conversation! 

Sweet Dreams!

Heather

"Ayurveda advocates living in tune with the cycles of nature in order to stay balanced. There is an optimum time of day for activities such as eating, exercising and sleeping that correspond to the body's internal rhythms. Diet and lifestyle choices are also adjusted with each season. The doshas are also attributed to certain times of the day, to the yearly seasons, as well as to cycles of life."



This diagram shows the Dinacharya (daily rhythm) cycles of Vata, Pitta and Kapha


http://www.swasthapanchakarma.com/p/ayurveda.html

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