Insomnia and Waking During the Night
If a client comes to you complaining about sleep, they may be sleeping too little, too much, or at the wrong times. If you have already worked with digestion and elimination, it may be time to focus your attention on this very important pillar of health. Pitta dosha may be at the root of the sleep disturbance, especially if your client is having trouble falling asleep because they have not yet let go of the work of the day or has difficulty staying asleep and waking with an active mind, ready to jump back into work. One clue as to the root cause of sleep disturbances may be found by assessing the relationship with the five Vayus and determining in what way they may be living out of harmony with these vital energy forces.
The state of Prana Vayu is determined by our sensory intake during the day and our relationship with the breath. Pitta dosha’s challenge here is in taking in too many heated sensory impressions (eg, light emanating from a device) or creating too much heat in the body and the mind with their intense lifestyle. When the mind is activated in this way, work and productivity are deemed more important than sleep and the mind will focus on these rather than on letting go and surrendering to sleep. This may show up as difficulty falling asleep or difficulty staying asleep – the difference between Vata and Pitta is seen in the focus of the mind during these periods of wakefulness. Vata may express worry or anxiety while Pitta is in problem solving, productive mode. To counter this cause of sleep disturbance, it is important that Pitta set work aside in the evening and engage in relaxing activities away from the computer or other screen. They will do well, too, to examine their sensory intake during the day and assure that they are cultivating a calm, cool, compassionate mind.
The state of Samana Vayu is affected by our respect for the natural rhythms of the day and the balance that we maintain around the three pillars, food, sleep, and use of energy. Committing to bedtimes that assure adequate hours of sleep is very important for Pitta. In addition, balance between activity and stillness, work and rest, while maintaining self-care, are vital for managing Pitta dosha. Pitta has a natural inclination to prioritize work over everything else, so their work/life balance is often heavily weighted on the work side. This impacts the function of all body systems – digestion is disturbed, sleep is disturbed, and their intensity drives them to burnout. The only way to slow this train is to put self-care at the start of the day and to repeat this in the afternoon and evening. I call these “islands of serenity” that serve to contain the Prana that is being consumed by the Pitta’s intensity and focus.
Vyana Vayu imbalance is seen when the flow of the day is erratic or haphazard – not typical Pitta qualities. Pitta has a tendency to run fast and hot and maintain that over time. They are hyper-focused on what they are doing and often delay or disregard the need for physical and/or mental rest. This results in a hyperactive Pitta mind that finds it difficult to shut down at night and may wake them up in the early morning hours. Assessing the state of mind when sleep is restless will give a clue as to the involvement of Vyana Vayu. The Pitta does not suffer wakefulness well and will get out of bed to return to productivity. The mind is active and engaged, not typically worried or anxious.
Udana Vayu is most pacified when our work is aligned with our values; when this occurs, we usually have a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day that leads to deep and restful sleep. Pitta’s perfectionism may drive them to overwork, and this can create a sleep disturbance. This perfectionism leaves them always needing to do more, be more, and excel in all areas and creates a level of exhaustion leaving the Pitta tired, but wired. Sleep may be restless and they may wake up agitated or irritable. If the first thought in the morning is the assessment of what needs to be done today or self-judgment about how little they had done yesterday, they may want to see how to better align their work with their values and include in those values self-care, compassion, and play.
The last of these subdoshas is Apana Vayu and while we don’t often think of Pitta dosha with an Apana Vayu imbalance, we must remember that Apana Vayu is responsible for holding as well as letting go. When Pitta dosha consumes heating foods or beverages they generate more heat than the body can hold and stools become loose. In its rush to purge out the heat, the body may release nutrients vital to maintaining a stable Pitta dosha. As in all things, Pittas food and drink should be cooling to the dosha so that it will support a lower agni and cooler liver. If sleep is disturbed with burning indigestion, the Pitta will do well to look at its food choices and meal times to assure that both will lead to a peaceful night’s rest.
While we often look at the five Vayus only as they impact Vata dosha, we can clearly see that they are imbalanced in the case of Pitta or Kapha dosha imbalance as well. When we look at the five Vayus, we consider the sensory intake, commitment to routines, conscious movement through the day, purposeful work, and stable mind and body – pertinent to every person, regardless of doshic type. Addressing these via lifestyle is the best way to assure that we will create healthful practices around food, sleep, and energy.