Ayurvedic sleeping

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Text 10804914 (308 lines)

Taruna (das) (Bhaktivedanta manor - UK)

11-Dec-05 11:52 +0000

Krsna-krpa (das) SDG (BI) (St. Augustine, FL - USA) [4990]

(received: 12-Dec-05 09:44 -0400)

For: Brahmacarya

Ayurvedic sleeping

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Hare Krishna prabhus ,PAMHO

You may find the following information interesting .It mabe helps to

resolve different opinions of different ayurvedic doctors about sleeping.

 

<long list of links and advertisements deleted - kkd>

 

Sleep According to Ayurveda

 

Sleep

The time to sleep is night. Sleep promotes proper growth. Sleep is bodily

inertia with mental relaxation.

 

Ten-minute naps are good for Vata types. Long naps are permitted in the hot

part of the summer, when days are long and nights are short. Sleeping during

the day increases Kapha. Only the very weak, very young, very old, those

exhausted by sex, diseased, overwork, one under the influence of intoxicants

and other emotional or physical trauma should sleep longer than 15 minutes

in the afternoon. Sometimes a nap before eating can help with acute

indigestion.

 

Sleeping during the day produces Ama, unless a person has been awake all

night.

 

Sleeping on the left side helps digestion. It promotes the functioning of

the right nostril and is good for a person. The right nostril heats and

activates the body and when it is working a person becomes more interested

in food and sleep.

 

Sleeping sitting up provides the most alert sleep and is the best. Yogis

often sleep sitting up.

 

Sleeping on the right side is relaxing, and it activates the left nostril,

which cools and relaxes the body making it easier to control (which is good

for Yoga).

 

Sleeping on the back disturbs Vata. It activates both nostrils at the same

time, which produces disease by (encouraging energy to leave the body).

Sleeping on the back harms the brain.

 

Sleeping on the stomach disturbs everything. It causes disease by

obstructing deep, healthy breathing.

 

It is best to sleep with the top of the head facing east and the feet facing

west (promotes meditative sleep). Facing south while sleeping draws energy

into body.

 

Sleeping facing north draws energy from the body, and disturbs the body,

mind and spirit. Sleeping with the head facing west causes disturbing

dreams.

 

Before going to sleep it is best to wash the hands, feet and face. Then it

is good to massage the feet with a little oil and meditate for a while to

allow the negative impacts of the day to dissipate. Then do some Pranayama

before sleeping.

 

To stop wet dreams a person can wash the feet and legs with cold water

before going to sleep, as this draws energy from the genitals which reduces

the chance of nocturnal emission.

 

It is best to go to bed only to sleep and not to read, write or think. It is

best to rise immediately after awakening.

 

Don’t sleep in the kitchen or where food is prepared as the subtle

vibrations will get your digestive tract working and disturb your sleep.

 

It is best to wear the least amount of cloths possible and one should

especially avoid socks.

 

Don’t cover the face while sleeping so you can not breathe properly,

otherwise a person breathes their own deoxidized air.

 

The bed should be at least 12 inches above the ground. Sleeping on a damp or

wet surface is very bad. The level of the head should be above that of the

feet.

 

Sleeping under the moon is very good and sleeping under the sun is very bad.

 

Sleeping while hungry is not good for health. Sleeping after lunch will

increase Kapha and body weights.

 

It is especially bad to sleep during the sunset hours, as it is said to

cause poverty, disturb the bodily systems and impairs digestion. Sex at this

time is also bad. Reading at this time hurts the eyes. During the sunset

hours there is an increased chance of having an accident during walking and

driving.

 

How to Get Good Sleep

1. People who do more physical labor need more sleep than people who sit

behind a desk all day.

2. People who are working need more sleep than a person who is retired,

3. A person over 21 should not sleep more than 8 hours. If a person does

they will have an excess of Tamas (Ignorance) in the system, which will

cause a person to feel tire and listless.

4. The amount of sleep needed varies according to age. The list below is for

extraordinary persons and is not for the average persons, but it gives an

idea of the amount of sleep one needs according to age.

a. First seven years one needs 10 to 12 hours sleep.

b. 8 to 10 years old needs 8 to 10 hours

c. In the third seven years of life a person needs 6 to 8 hours sleep.

d. In fourth seven years a person needs 5 to 6 hours.

e. In fifth seven years a person needs 4 to 5 years

f. In sixth seven years a person needs 3 to 4 hours

g. In seventh seven years a person needs little sleep

 

5. Persons in a service position need more sleep than a person in an

administrative position.

 

6. If a person feels refreshed and inspired after they wake up, than they

have slept a correct amount of time. If after waking up one feels tire and

drained they are not sleeping the correct amount of time (usually too much).

You can change sleeping time by 15 minute a day increments to see what is

the proper amount of sleep one needs.

 

7. Sleeping during the day disturbs gases, bile, lymph and blood flow. It

causes disturbances of breathing, heaviness in the head, chest regions

disorders and other problems.

 

8. It is alright to sleep during the day for a person who has done hard

physical labor, persons in pain, and for persons with nausea. Also for a

person with gastric disorders, alcoholic intoxication, and persons who are

fasting. In extremely hot weather it is alright to take a nap at the hottest

time of the day.

 

9. Best time to sleep is from three hours after sunset to 90 minutes before

dawn. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

 

10. Going to sleep with a full stomach diverts the body’s energy from

recharging the system and also causes bad dreams.

 

Bedtime

Vata persons should go to bed by 10 pm and sleep on their left side. Pitta

persons should go to sleep between 10 pm to 11 pm and sleep on their right

side. Kapha people should go to bed between 11 pm and 12 midnight and sleep

on their left side.

 

Kapha persons like to sleep 9 hours. Sleeping this long slows down their

metabolism and causes them to put on weight. Kapha persons should go to bed

between 11 pm and midnight and it is best for them to wake up between 4:30

am to 5 am and then take a walk. This amount of sleep will make the body

feel better and help them lose weight.

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