Ayurveda identifies three major aspects of life that are essential for a healthy and happy existence. These three pillars of Ayurveda are: nutrition—including detoxification, sleep, and mindfulness.
This highlights the profound importance Ayurveda places on sleep for an individual’s well-being. In the Achara Rasayanas—Ayurvedic behavioral guidelines that promise a healthy life well into old age—one of the key principles is to avoid exhaustion.
Another fundamental Ayurvedic rule states that suppressing natural urges disrupts the body’s balance. Sleep, too, is considered a natural urge! Neglecting such needs can lead to Vata blockages in the body and mind, impeding the flow of energy. This stagnation becomes a significant contributor to the development of physical and mental illnesses.
The root cause of the imbalance of the doshas lies in a life that is not in harmony with the laws of nature … the cause of this is the mistake of the intellect.
Charaka, Vimanasthan, III, 20
Ayurveda, therefore, emphasizes the balance between rest and activity as a cornerstone of good and lasting health.
Quality sleep is obviously essential for well-being.
Unfortunately, the amount and depth of sleep have been rapidly decreasing in recent decades.
In 2019, a major German health insurance company surveyed 9,300 students from six different federal states in grades 5 to 10 on this topic. The sad result: nearly one in three adolescents experienced sleep disturbances. Ninth and tenth graders, on average, only slept 7 hours per night—2 hours less than recommended—due to the increasingly prevalent screen time. Half of the students reported feeling exhausted during the day and complained of fatigue.
The situation is not much better for adults, as sleep researchers have found that people in Western countries sleep, on average, about one hour less than they did 20 years ago. They also discovered that those who sleep too little are less productive during the day—often without even realizing it. This is because one can get accustomed to insufficient sleep. However, according to numerous scientific studies, sleep deprivation has serious consequences.
For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that “drowsy driving”—driving while sleep-deprived and fatigued—causes over 100,000 car accidents and more than 1,500 related deaths annually in the United States
Sleep in Modern Medicine
The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Our biological clock is located in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), which contains 20,000 neurons (nerve cells). It is shaped like a pine cone and roughly the size of a grain of rice. This small, complex biological system automatically responds to the changes between day and night.
When light hits the eyes, photons (light particles) are converted into electrical impulses that travel along the optic nerve to the SCN. The SCN then stimulates various brain regions, including the pineal gland, which regulates the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Simultaneously, the SCN controls body temperature, hormone secretion, urine production, blood pressure, and, through the spinal cord, all organ functions.
As darkness falls, the SCN ensures that melatonin levels rise, making us feel sleepy.
Brain Waves and Muscle Movements
Modern medicine distinguishes between different sleep stages of increasing depth based on various biological functions: Stage 1, Stage 2, deep sleep, and REM sleep—the stage characterized by rapid eye movements and dream activity. These sleep stages are identified through various electrical activities in the body, including the electroencephalogram (EEG = measurement of brain waves), electromyogram (EMG = measurement of muscle activity), and electrooculogram (EOG = measurement of eye movements).
By analyzing these data, researchers discovered that humans experience different sleep phases, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. REM sleep phases, associated with dreams, alternate with dreamless phases. If one follows the Ayurvedic recommendation of starting nighttime sleep by 10:00 p.m., or at the latest by 10:30 p.m., the body progresses from Stage 1 and 2 into deep sleep—the stage of greatest physical relaxation and regeneration, which offers the highest recovery potential.
Interestingly, between 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., predominantly non-REM sleep occurs—deep sleep without dream phases. This depth of sleep is never again reached after 3:00 a.m. From 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., REM sleep alternates only with lighter sleep stages without dream activity, regardless of when one goes to bed!
Thus, the Ayurvedic recommendation for an ideal bedtime has a biological basis: If you truly want to feel rested and rejuvenated the next morning, please go to bed early!
Sleep Duration – Scientifically Speaking
With 7-8 hours of sleep, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced. At the same time, the growth hormone somatotropin is released, which is our most powerful stress-balancing hormone. This hormone accelerates cell regeneration and promotes the renewal of our skin.
Several weeks without sufficient deep sleep result in thinner skin and the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.
When sleep is inadequate, cortisol is produced in higher amounts, leading to increased stress during the day, along with anxiety and irritability. Simultaneously, the structural protein collagen breaks down, weakening the connective tissue. The skin produces more oil, leading to clogged pores and subsequent skin inflammation.
The Consequences of Late or Insufficient Sleep
Late or insufficient sleep leads to:
- Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality)
- Anxiety
- Reduced brain regeneration
- Changes in gene activity
- Decreased work efficiency, productivity, increased errors, accidents, and impaired driving ability (with less than 7 hours of sleep)
- Weakened immune system (increased inflammatory markers, leading to body-wide pain, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases with less than 6 hours of sleep)
- Tripled risk of heart attacks and strokes (with less than 5 hours of sleep)
- Increased occurrence of breast cancer (with 6 hours of sleep compared to 7 hours)
- Overweight correlated with insufficient sleep (hormonal increase in appetite)
Sleep Deprivation and Dosha Imbalances
When it comes to the dosha imbalances caused by sleep deprivation, Ayurveda offers a more detailed view of these effects:
VATA Imbalances
- Fatigue
- Feelings of exhaustion
- Weakness
- Restlessness, nervousness
- Worries, sorrow, racing thoughts
- Decreased performance and concentration
- Constant coldness
- Increased sensitivity to pain
- Depressive moods
PITTA Imbalances
- Impatience
- Irritability
- Aggression
KAPHA Imbalances
- Dullness
- Heaviness
- Lethargy
Look forward to our next newsletter featuring Ayurvedic recommendations for a good, deep, and restorative sleep, Part II.
© Maharishi Ayurveda Privatklinik Bad Ems
