Ask the Ayurveda Expert

Sleep    Waking Up Early

Question

I have no trouble falling asleep, but I wake up every morning around 3:00 a.m. and can't fall back asleep. I'm too tired to begin the day so early. I've already tried a number of ayurvedic tips including going to bed by 10 p.m., hot milk, oil massage, gandharva music and aromatherapy. What do you advise?

Answer

Waking up a 3:00 to 4:00 a.m. is a typical symptom of emotional stress. The person can't fall back to sleep until after sunrise, when the heavier Kapha time of day begins.

This type of insomnia is usually related to a Pitta imbalance rather than Vata. Try making the following adjustments in your routine:

• Instead of hot milk before bed, take warm milk and blend it with a few dates and some banana. This will increase your Kapha before bed and help you stay asleep.
• Take Worry Free herbal tablets morning and evening and take a Blissful Joy tablet around 6:00 p.m.
• Your oil massage should be in the morning. Doing an oil massage before bed could increase Pitta.

Please note: This ayurvedic information is education. It does not replace medical advice or treatments.