13 rituals for restful sleep

According to Ayurveda, sleep is just as important as diet, and the best time to sleep is from 10pm until 6am. These hours are the most rejuvenating and as our biorhythms are programmed to follow nature’s rhythms, ideally we should sleep when it’s dark and wake with sunrise. Of course, seasonal changes affect these times, but 10pm is also a good time to sleep because of the dominance of the kapha element [the dosha, or energy, responsible for the support of our physical body] at this hour, making it more conducive to fall asleep.

We live in a fast-paced world. Many of us feel exhausted during the day but can’t fall asleep at night, with constant thoughts, to-do lists and worries running through our minds. Naturally more of a night person, I often feel ‘wired’, with a sudden burst of energy,