I ask every new client about sleep. Not as a formality — but because ten years of practice have taught me that nearly every physical complaint someone brings to me is somehow connected to sleep. Tense shoulders? These people mostly sleep too briefly or restlessly. Digestive problems? Often they go to bed far too late. Chronic exhaustion despite eight hours? Then the sleep is simply not deep enough.
The Ashtanga Hridaya — a classical Ayurvedic text from the 7th century — names Nidra, sleep, as one of the three pillars of health. Alongside Ahara (nutrition) and Brahmacharya (the right relationship with one's own energy), sleep is one of the most direct sources of Ojas — that vital force which sustains the immune system, mental clarity, and emotional equilibrium. When Ojas declines, the body begins to weaken — and the first sign is almost always: poor sleep.
The Body's Clock — and Why the Evening Matters
In Ayurveda, the day is divided into dosha phases. Between 10 PM and 2 AM, Pitta dominates — the fire force responsible for renewal, digestion, and repair. These hours are the body's biological working time. Someone still sitting on the sofa scrolling their phone at 11:30 PM is missing the best train. The body then begins its renewal process without the necessary depth — the result is waking after eight hours of sleep still tired.
I consistently recommend my clients be in bed before 10:30 PM. That sounds old-fashioned. But it works — and the change is often perceptible within three to four days. Not because one sleeps more, but because one sleeps at the right time.
The Evening Ritual: What Actually Helps
The nervous system needs a transition between daily life and sleep. Our modern lives do not give it that — we work, scroll, stream, and then expect the body to simply fall asleep immediately. That works for very few people. Ayurveda knows the concept of Ratricharya — the evening routine. It need not be an elaborate ceremony. But it requires intentionality.
What I myself practice and recommend to clients: no screen after 8 PM — or at least warm, dimmed light. A small foot massage with warm sesame oil, five minutes. A cup of warming spiced milk — ashwagandha, cardamom, nutmeg in warm almond milk. A brief journaling ritual: what went well today? What am I releasing? Then bed, window open a crack.
For Vata types the foot massage is especially important — Vata accumulates in the feet and pelvis, and warmth there has a powerfully calming effect on the entire nervous system. For Pitta types, switching off screens is even more critical — their eyes are more directly connected to the sympathetic nervous system, and blue light heats Pitta further. Kapha types often sleep well but struggle to wake — for them, morning activation matters more than evening routines.
If you feel that your sleep is not truly restoring you — that you wake tired even after sleeping long enough — that is a signal the body is giving you. At my practice in Cologne, I look closely at these patterns: which dosha is out of balance? What is happening in your evening? What treatment can help bring the nervous system back to its natural depth? Abhyanga, Shirodhara, or a simple consultation — sometimes the first step is smaller than you think.