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 readInfographics
The Dinacharya day
- 16 amWake with daylight
- 21 pmMain meal
- 37 pmLight, early dinner
- 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.