नींद

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.

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).

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.

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