Calming Vata (& ADHD) to get a better sleep

And how cutting edge science is catching up with Ayurveda!

When vata is high, sleep is usually disturbed. We see that people with ADHD (or high vata) often wake up during the vata time of night, which is between 2 and 4 am. That is, of course, if they even get to sleep before 2! Sleep disturbances in ADHD are well documented and are often linked to addictions. Addictions cause insomnia, and then people tend to use their ‘drug’ of choice to help them sleep or get through the night. Yikes. That’s not a story that ends well.

Ayurveda can help!

Two of the most powerful practices in Ayurveda are having a light, early dinner and getting to sleep before 10 pm. And it’s cool that Western Medicine has recently discovered exciting new evidence to support what Yogis have known for a long time.

For thousands of years, the teachings of Ayurveda have encouraged people to sync their mealtimes to the rhythms of nature. This means eating when there is enough daylight to enjoy seeing what they eat and harnessing the sun's power to digest it completely. Our natural body clock is determined by the circadian rhythms or cycles of daylight. Eating an early healthy breakfast, a substantial lunch at noon, and a light, early evening meal is ideal.

There is plenty of evidence to show that when circadian rhythms are disrupted, people with ADHD are likely to experience an exacerbation of symptoms. People with ADHD need sleep, even if they say they don’t. And sleep is disrupted if you eat too close to bed.

If you are sleep deprived, you are at risk of insomnia, weight gain, impulsivity, swings in temperature, moods and eating. You are more likely to develop addictions, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and decreased motivation. And there’s a lot more, but I’ll spare you the details; otherwise, we’ll be here all day. But trust me when I say that both ADHD and vata are going to be out of control if you don’t have good sleeping practices.

I went for years existing on 4 hours of sleep, denying that it was an issue. There were many reasons for this, but my lifestyle didn’t help. Many vicious cycles happened, including poor eating too close to bedtime, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much sugar/carbs, not enough exercise and many impulsive and bad decisions. I would also work on the computer until right up until bedtime. That’s the abbreviated story… Of course, this all led to poor decision-making and low impulse control, perpetuating the patterns and exacerbating ADHD.

I learned how to correct those sleeping patterns and eradicate insomnia by following the teachings and practices of Ayurveda. Many tips and tricks are available to help you develop good sleeping habits, but eating an earlier and lighter evening meal and getting to bed before 10 are the first two places to start, in my opinion.

Finishing your last meal early in the evening allows the body to complete the digestive process before sleep. This means that pitta dosha, the dosha of transformation, can do its job while you sleep. It can digest and transform food and every other thought, impression, or anything you’ve consumed. Then, when pitta has finished transforming what we’ve consumed, vata can remove the waste and toxins from the body and mind. If we eat too close to sleep time, the body has to digest food overnight, meaning that a backlog of undigested stuff takes up residence in your body, showing up as chronic inflammation.

Frontiers in Science that supports Ayurveda

Scientists have recently discovered the gymphatic system, which is like the lymphatic system, only in the central nervous system (CNS) and the brain. Until very recently, it was thought that there were no lymphatics in the brain. However, it has been discovered that the brain has its very own waste-clearance system that works overnight- as long as you don’t eat too late at night! Who knew? This gives the body's other organs time to replenish and restore instead of using energy reserves to digest stuff you’ve chowed down on at your big dinner or midnight feast.

Changing these two habits- going to bed early and not eating too late - makes a big difference.

Doing these two things makes me clear-headed and helps me make better choices. Better choices help me sleep better, and the cycle becomes benevolent and restorative instead of vicious. Think of it as resetting your body and mind to factory defaults so they seek out healthier things.

Sweeten the deal with an evening meditation practice, and you’ll sleep like a baby and wake up ready to seize the day.