Summer Heat and Insomnia According to Ayurveda

Summer Heat and Insomnia According to Ayurveda

Summer is hot and alive. The days are long and humid. The energetic nature of the summer is social, hot, light, bright, filled with excitement, and joy.

However, the summer heat can affect our sleep.

High-speed summer metabolism burns up your bodily reserves of energy. As you sweat throughout the day, and cumulatively over the summer months, your storehouse of fluids & electrolytes becomes depleted.

Sooner or later, summer leaves you exhausted from all the activity. You might feel as if the sun has baked you dry. Like soil in the desert. It is cracked, dry and light in color. In contrast to the dark rich soil of late spring and early summer, this late summer soil is thirsty for water.

Depleted

In this depleted state, you might find it difficult to fall asleep thus leading to insomnia. Your body, on a hot summer night, wide awake staring at the ceiling, may not have enough cool moisture or grounding minerals to allow you to relax.

Fiery Pitta burns calm Kapha in the summer, which can keep rest at bay. Your body lowers your body temperature at night so that it can fall asleep, but if it is hot outside at bedtime, you might find it hard to cool down enough to drift into sleep. Your mind may feel scattered, your nerves jittery, and your skin dry.

Rehydrate 

Since summer is Pitta season, what we need to do is to ease our Pitta dosha. Fortunately, you can easily rehydrate with cooling, grounding water and replenish your electrolytes by adding a pinch of salt and sugar to the mix.

When you are frustrated by the heat and not being able to fall into slumber, have a glass of cool water. A pinch of salt calms down a scattered mind and helps if you are easily dehydrated. In hot, tropical countries like India, salt cookies are as popular as sugar cookies to maintain equilibrium under the withering summer sun.

Magnesium 

Magnesium-rich foods may prove helpful to help your muscles relax after dinner. Magnesium is cool in nature, so it helps sleep but also cools you down systemically. Tropical fruits like bananas and coconut water may be supportive because of their cooling nature. You might also experiment with cooling fruits juices like pear juice, blueberry juice, and pomegranate juice.

Help Yourself 

Additionally, this list will also help you beat the summer heat and later on its effects to our body:

·         Meditate

·         Practice Yoga that is calming and soothing

·         Perform physical activities in the coolest part of the day

·         Rest or swim during the high heat of the day

·         Walk in the moonlight

·         Ensure that you take a vacation, preferably in a cooler climate with a relaxed schedule

·         Drink plenty of liquids

·         Consume your heaviest meal between 10 am and 2 pm (Pitta time)

·         Eat cooling foods, favoring those that are; Use cooling herbs and essential oils, such as; Mint,             Cilantro, Fennel, Rose, and Sandalwood, make a cooling tea.

·         Sweet: Melon, Cucumber, Pineapple, Coconut, Wheat

·         Bitter: Dandelion greens, Kale, Turmeric, Pumpkin Seed, Maple Syrup

·         Astringent: Pomegranate, Blueberry, Spinach, Sunflower Seed, Chickpea

·         Wear light, breathable clothing in shades between blue and cool green or white

·         Sleep on your right side, this facilitates cooling left nostril breathing

·         Allow for leisure time

·         Schedule time for pleasurable things

·         Practice moderation in all matters

·         Avoid heated confrontations, deadline pressures, artificial stimulants and alcohol, hot, spicy              and salty foods, and the mid-day sun.

Learn to say no to demands that force you to take shortcuts on the basic needs of your body and mind.