Insomnia and Variable Sleep Patterns
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. Vata dosha is often at the heart of difficulties with sleeping, especially if your client is struggling with sleeping too little due to insomnia or sleeping at the wrong times due to flagging energy levels during the day. One clue as to the root cause of sleep disturbances may be found in assessing their 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. Typically, clients who have difficulty falling asleep, even when they are tired, have disturbed Prana Vayu. They are usually overstimulated through one or more of the senses and are unable to dispel enough of this energy to drift off to sleep. To regain the ability to drift off to sleep, they will benefit from realigning with the natural world and circadian rhythm. We can support them to bring awareness and attention to the ways in which they engage with the world and reduce the amount of sensory stimulation they take in during the day to regain balance with Prana Vayu.
The state of Samana Vayu is affected by our respect for the natural rhythms of the day and supportive self-care routines. Typically, clients whose energy flags during the day, especially in the afternoon, and those who experience restless sleep without mental busy-ness are seeing first-hand the impact of Samana Vayu imbalance. Disregard of routine around waking/sleeping times, mealtimes, and activity/rest periods during the day skew this energy, so we begin to correct this imbalance by supporting the client to honor regularity around times for the three pillars of health: food, sleep, and energy while incorporating supportive self-care routines into the day.
Vyana Vayu imbalance is seen when the flow of the day is erratic or haphazard. When this occurs, the clients may express that they can fall asleep okay but will wake up fitful and anxious or have difficulty falling back to sleep because of racing thoughts. Stress is a huge factor in Vyana Vayu imbalance and these stresses are often self-generated due to the active Vata mind. People with this cause of sleep disturbance will often show Prana Vayu imbalance as well. While Prana Vayu takes in the energy, Vyana Vayu circulates the energy throughout the body/mind. If that energy remains after going to bed, it will have nowhere to go and end up waking the person up. The best approach for your clients in this case is to introduce the ‘prepare-do-recover’ concept to the workings of their day. Prepare for the activity, Do the activity, and then Recover from the activity. In the same way the balanced doshas Accumulate, Provoke, and Pacify as they go through their natural cycles, the body/mind maintains balance best when we do the same thing with our energy.
Udana Vayu is most pacified when our work is aligned with our values; when this occurs, we experience a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day that leads to deep and restful sleep. Overwork, misdirection of our energies, and a lack of meaningful work can all show up as sleep disturbances leaving one feeling less than fresh in the morning. When a client expresses that they wake feeling fatigue or apathy about the coming day without clear indicators of Prana Vayu or Vyana Vayu imbalance, they would do well to take a look at their lives and assess their actions in light of their perceived life’s purpose. Journaling can be beneficial in these cases to ferret out the state of the mind.
The last of these subdoshas, Apana Vayu, may impact us both mentally and physically. When one is physically constipated, there is a blocked flow in the movement of Prana in the body, leaving us with ever increasing levels of Prana resulting in sleep disturbances. As in most cases, when sleep is disturbed, assess and address the state of Apana Vayu first. Sometimes, clearing the colon is all that is needed to assure a restful sleep. On the mental side, Apana Vayu imbalance may result in a negative mindset. The client may experience a physical resistance to sleep or to other forms of self-care. When this occurs, addressing the “stinking thinking” is vital. Catch the mind in its negative spiral and actively replace those thoughts with mantra, affirmation, gratitude, or breathwork to get the mind on a more positive track.
The five Vayus are impacted by our diet and lifestyle and, when imbalanced, create disturbances in our body and/or mind resulting in sleep difficulties. Remembering that sleep imbalances may reflect poor lifestyle choices, supporting our clients to make these lifestyle changes will support them to a better night’s sleep every night of the year.