| Ayurvedic Sleep Aids and Why You are Not Sleeping | | | | As with most remedies in Ayurvedic medicine, there |
| in the First Place. | | | | is a combination of mind-body relaxation which could |
| If you go to a doctor and say "I can't sleep", they | | | | include different yoga poses and meditation, as well |
| will hand you a prescription for a sleeping pill and send | | | | as breathing exercises and other suggestions to help |
| you off on your way. Some of them may take the | | | | you fall asleep, stay asleep or fall back to sleep if |
| time to discuss the reason with you, at least briefly, | | | | nighttime wakefulness is your main issue. |
| and they may even suggest some relaxation | | | | Vata sleep imbalances: The vata is derived of air and |
| techniques to help with the problem, but in the end | | | | ether and this type of sleep imbalance is sadly the |
| the suggestion that they make will include a pill. | | | | most common. Characterized by early waking and |
| Why sleeping pills are not the answer? | | | | then trouble or impossibility of falling back to sleep, |
| There are millions of reasons why you should not | | | | vata sleep imbalances are frustrating because the |
| take sleeping pills including: they can be addicting. | | | | night starts off with so much actual hope. |
| They can actually lead to even more serious sleep | | | | A warm soak with fennel and orange, followed by |
| disorders. They disrupt the body's natural sleep cycle. | | | | warmed almond milk with coconut and honey added |
| And the worst part of a sleeping pill is this: they do | | | | are suggested, as well as several breathing |
| not address the underlying causes of your | | | | techniques followed by one minute cycles of |
| sleeplessness, only the symptom itself. In short, they | | | | mediation. |
| do not help much at all. | | | | If you do have nighttime wakefulness, do not simply |
| Once you get started on a sleeping pill, you may find | | | | lie in bed, which will give your brain time to kick on |
| that you cannot sleep at all without taking it. Sadly | | | | and start listing chores and problems for you. Instead |
| though, the sleeping pill will become less and less | | | | get up and have a cup of chamomile tea. Resist the |
| effective as the body develops a tolerance to the | | | | urge to turn on the television, the computer or check |
| medication, meaning that you will have to take higher | | | | your cell phone because they are all very disruptive |
| doses of this medication or graduate to a stronger | | | | to the sleep cycle. |
| pill. Eventually, you will run out of safe dosages or | | | | Pitta sleep imbalances: This type may not be able to |
| stronger pills and you will be faced with the need to | | | | sleep at all, or will have the same problem as the |
| take a medication that does not work at all and | | | | Vata; falling asleep and then waking in the middle of |
| sleeplessness to boot. You need to look within | | | | the night. Again, the recommendation for natural |
| yourself to find a way to sleep, without it coming | | | | sleep remedies are mediation and breathing |
| down to putting dangerous chemicals into your | | | | techniques done in cycles, which lengthen in time |
| system. | | | | from start to finish and warm baths with herbs, |
| In Ayurvedic medicine, each person is thought to | | | | However, the herbs recommended here are |
| belong to one of three groups, however some | | | | sandalwood, marjoram or benzoin resin oil. |
| people are a blend or combination of one or more. | | | | Kapha sleep imbalances: For the kapha, insomnia is |
| When dealing with sleep deprivation and trouble falling | | | | rare, but the same basic principle of natural sleep |
| sleeping, there will be discussion of these three types | | | | remedies are in place - use warm baths to relax your |
| and what works for each of them. Those three | | | | body and then breathing and meditation to chase |
| types are vata, pitta and kapha and they are | | | | away any lingering mental stress. Aromatherapy is |
| thought to give clues to personality, temperament as | | | | also helpful and can be used for all three types of |
| well as body type. | | | | sleep disorders. |