The Truth About Sleep, according to Yoga & Āyurveda

So much of our world today is caught up in doing, being busy and not having enough time in the day...even for sleep. Many people have even de-prioritized sleep to the point that they view it as unnecessary and a waste of their valuable time when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

The intensities and complexities of our modern world have disconnected us so far from our true selves that we have come to believe that sleepless nights and waking up tired and irritable are realities of our daily lives. That struggling to quiet our minds, relying on our devices to fall asleep, waking up multiple times a night and dragging ourselves through the day are inconveniences that we simply need to live with.

But the idea that we need to accept poor sleep hygiene is dangerous; it’s damaging our health and impacting our quality of life. When we are sleep deprived our physical, mental, emotional and energetic bodies give off signals that are telling us important information about our underlying health that we need to be listening to. Lack of energy, poor concentration, anxiety and mood swings are not realities of our modern times but rather symptoms of imbalances in our body which, if left unchecked, could lead to more serious disease such as high blood pressure, obesity and depression.

So, the plain truth about sleep is that it's a vital part of our overall health and wellbeing. We are supposed to spend one-third of our day getting good quality sleep because it is the time when our mind and body are performing functions that are critical to maintaining and optimizing our whole health. While our modern world has led us to believe that sleep is a luxury we can do without, we are here to remind you that sleep is a fundamental building block of our lives.

According to Yoga & Āyurveda, sleep is a keey pillar in preventative health, but also plays an important role in the healing process. To start, make sure your sleep routine is consistent. Go to bed and wake at the same time, daily (yes... that also means the weekends!). Start to unwind at least 30min before you fall asleep and return your nervous system back to a place of regulation, calm and ease. Some of our favorite practices includes:

• a warm bath with lavender

• sipping on chamomile tea

• Yoga Nidra practice

• no technology

Take back your right to a good night’s sleep. Connect with Karen for a FREE Clarity Call, and see how her services in Yoga Therapy & Āyurveda can help re-balance not only your sleep, but your overall health and well-being.