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Sleep

Why so many of us sleep badly, what a night of good sleep does for the body, and how to reset it.

The main read

Why good sleep feels out of reachMost of us know we need more sleep. Here is what a full night does for your body, what keeps you awake, and a ten-step reset.8 min read

Infographics

The Dinacharya day

  1. 16 amWake with daylight
  2. 21 pmMain meal
  3. 37 pmLight, early dinner
  4. 410 pmSleep
Kapha
6–10, twice a day
Pitta
10–2, twice a day
Vata
2–6, twice a day

Source: Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana 2

Text version

Ayurveda divides the day into dosha periods. Kapha: 6 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. Pitta: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Vata: 2 to 6 p.m. and 2 to 6 a.m. Suggested routine: wake around 6 a.m. with daylight, eat the main meal around 1 p.m. when digestion is strongest, a light early dinner around 7 p.m., and sleep by 10 p.m.

The 10-step sleep reset

Build these habits

  • 1.Wake at the same time every day
  • 2.Get 10–20 minutes of morning daylight
  • 3.Move your body during the day
  • 4.Eat dinner 2–3 hours before bed
  • 5.Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet

Drop these

  • 6.Drink tea or coffee after 2 p.m.
  • 7.Use screens in the last hour before bed
  • 8.Use alcohol as a sleep aid
  • 9.Nap longer than 20–30 minutes
  • 10.Lie awake in bed for more than 20 minutes

Sources: AASM/SRS 2015; ACP 2016

Text version

Do: wake at the same time every day; get 10 to 20 minutes of morning daylight; move your body during the day; eat dinner 2 to 3 hours before bed; keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet. Don't: drink tea or coffee after 2 p.m.; use screens in the last hour before bed; use alcohol as a sleep aid; nap longer than 20 to 30 minutes; lie awake in bed for more than 20 minutes (get up and do something calm, then return).

Three types of poor sleep

Poor sleep

Vata वात

movement

  • Hard to fall asleep
  • Light, broken sleep
  • Racing mind at night

Pitta पित्त

transformation

  • Wakes between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
  • Feels hot or restless
  • Irritable, vivid dreams

Kapha कफ

structure

  • Sleeps long but wakes heavy
  • Hard to get up
  • Groggy mornings

Source: Charaka Samhita (traditional framework)

Text version

Ayurveda describes three patterns of poor sleep. Vata: hard to fall asleep, light and broken sleep, a racing mind at night. Pitta: waking between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., feeling hot or restless, irritability and vivid dreams. Kapha: sleeping long but waking heavy, hard to get up, groggy mornings. This is a traditional framework, not a medical diagnosis.

How much India sleeps

Key fact

59%

of Indians get under six hours of uninterrupted sleep

Source: LocalCircles survey, 2024

Text version

59% of Indians get under six hours of uninterrupted sleep, according to a 2024 LocalCircles survey.

Herbs in the Ayurvedic view

Questions people ask

How much sleep do adults need?

Seven hours or more a night on a regular basis, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Regular timing matters almost as much as the total.

Are sleeping pills a good long-term answer?

Usually not. For long-term insomnia, doctors recommend cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) first. Talk to your doctor before starting or stopping any sleep medicine.

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