Volume III · Part IV · Chapter 37
Nidra — Sleep
Lifestyle — Vihara
About 1 min read
Ayurveda names sleep one of the three pillars of life alongside food and regulated living. Good sleep nourishes the tissues, steadies the mind and supports ojas; poor sleep aggravates Vata and dulls agni. Many older adults sleep more lightly and wake more often; that is common, but adults over 65 still benefit from about 7–8 hours of sleep a night [4].
| Practice | Ayurvedic reason | How |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep by 10 pm | Before the Pitta hours of night; deeper sleep in Kapha time | Lights dim from 9 pm |
| Light, early dinner | Heavy late meals disturb sleep and cause ama | Dinner by 7:30 pm |
| Golden milk | Milk, nutmeg and ghee calm Vata | 150 ml at 9:30 pm |
| Foot massage | Grounds Vata; traditionally for sleep and eyes | Warm sesame oil or ghee, 3 min each foot |
| Screens off an hour before bed | Rajasic stimulation; light delays sleep | Read, pray, chant instead |
| Same time every day | Routine steadies Vata | Including weekends |
| Day sleep sparingly | Charaka allows it in summer, and for the elderly and weak | 20–30 min after lunch, not late afternoon |
| Comfortable room | Calm, dark, ventilated | Light quilt in winter; cotton in summer |
| Night-time safety | Elders get up at night | Night-light in bathroom path; bed at knee height; grab bars |