Sleep Like an Ayurvedic Baby During Summer. “Tune into Your Dosha” with These Special Songs

As the warmth of summer finally envelops us in its golden embrace, our bodies and minds undergo a natural transition. In the lens of Ayurveda, summer is a season marked by vitality and intensity, longer days and warmer degrees. This hot and windy season can dry us up and create the perfect environment for Vata and Pitha imbalances. Consequently, one key aspect that often gets disrupted during these sultry nights is our sleep patterns. This post is a short go-to for navigating summer’s sleep hurdles.

Vata: The Ethereal Dreamer

For Vata types, summer can be both exhilarating and challenging. The elements of air and space, dominant in Vata constitutions, can lead to restlessness and a wandering mind during these longer days. As restlessness and “the fear of missing out” are building up, sleep becomes elusive, like trying to catch the wind.

Tips to Balance Vata in Summer Sleep:

• Warm Milk with Spices: A soothing concoction of warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon can calm the erratic Vata energy before bedtime.

• Hydrate Mindfully: Sip on herbal teas throughout the day, like chamomile or licorice, to hydrate and relax your mind, they don’t have to be hot, room temp is gonna be even more beneficial.

• A Midday Nap or 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra will work its magic and rejuvenate the anxiousness of a Vata mind

• practice self-massage with warm medicated oil for Vata imbalances like this one

Sweet Serenade: "Moonlight Sonata" by Ludwig van Beethoven – A melodic lullaby to guide the ethereal dreamer into a state of tranquility as the night deepens.

Pitta: The Fiery Slumberer

Pitha individuals, driven by the fire element, may find their sleep disrupted during summer due to the excess heat challenging their natural balance. The intensity and proximity of the Sun mirrors the potential for fiery dreams and restless nights. Pitha individuals are light and heat sensitive, so they are also prone to experience sleep difficulties, especially if they don’t acknowledge their nature, they indulge in too many spicy, salty or acidic treats, and ignore or refuse to pacify their aggressivity and dominance( usually they are ones denying their anger).

Tips to Balance Pitta in Summer Sleep:

• Cooling Pranayama: Practice Sheetali breathing to cool the mind and body before retiring to bed, or take a walk under the moonlight- moon has a cooling energy (there is actually a name for this and it’s called “moonbathing” )

• Aromatic Sandalwood: Anoint your temples with cooling sandalwood essential oil or rose essential oil for a peaceful transition to sleep, you can even diffuse it in the room;

• Shiro Abhyanga: apply few drops of BRAHMI oil (traditional ayurvedic oil) on the head and gently massage until fully absorbed.

• practice self-massage with special medicated oil for Pitha imbalances like this one.

Harmonious Tune: "Weightless" by Marconi Union – This ambient masterpiece harmonizes with the gentle rhythm of the night, easing the fiery spirit of Pitta into a state of calm repose.

Kapha: The Loyal Sleeper

Kapha Dosha, rooted in earth and water, may find the summer season a call to oversleep and reluctance to rise with the early sunshine. However, the heaviness of Kapha can easily be balanced with waking up before 6 am ( the Kapha time of the day) and going to sleep before 10 pm. “Early to sleep, early to wake”, functions best for Kaphas. Otherwise, Kaphas are the ones thriving the most during summer, due to the dry, hot, sharp qualities of the season itself, which balance their moist, soft, cold, slow nature. They are, anyway, the ones to have the safest and soundest sleep of them all.

Tips to Balance Kapha in Summer Sleep:

• Morning Routine: Engage in invigorating practices like dry brushing and morning stretches to uplift the heavy Kapha morning energy

• Herbal Infusions: Brew teas with ginger or tulsi to awaken the senses and counter the sluggishness of Kapha. ( green tea with ginger and lemongrass is an absolute favourite )

• practice self-massage, not daily, because the nature of Kapha is already oily and hydrated, but once every 2-3 days would be highly recommended. Try having at hand a special medicated oil for Kapha type like this one

Soothing Melody: "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy – A timeless ode to the tranquil beauty of the night, guiding the loyal sleeper through a journey of restful dreams and gentle awakening.

In The End:

By aligning with the wisdom of Ayurveda and incorporating simple practices tailored to our Doshic nature, we can easier navigate any sleep challenges with grace and harmony. It’s the little changes of the little details in our daily habits that make the biggest differences. Sometimes, you can get major benefits just by adjusting the light in the room, installing a new app to minimise your time spent on the phone, a good book placed strategically on your night stand that will call you to read instead of scrolling before bed, a glass of warm Ashwagandha latte with a pinch of nutmeg, a warm bath with essential oils or 10-15 minutes of meditation.

These are all ways for you to check in with yourself and experience more awareness in your everyday life.

I wish you well and sweet dreams.

If you are new to the terms “VATA”, “PITHA”, “KAPHA”, I have prepared an interactive quiz with a couple of questions that will help you understand better these concepts and will establish your personal Dosha profile. You can access it here .

In case of any questions you might have regarding this, or any of the information i share here, i will be more than happy to receive them on my mail, or write them in the comments section below.

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