Realigning your life with nature’s clock through Ayurveda

“Hey Anubhav, you look exhausted. What happened?”asked Kavya.“Slept at 4 a.m., so I’m running on almost no sleep,”he replied.“What kept you up so late?” she pressed.“Just binge-watching my favourite series,”" he admitted. Conversations like this have become so commonplace that they barely surprise us. Yet, behind this casual admission lies a startling reality: billions of dollars are being invested globally to make exactly this behaviour the new normal.

In a 2017 interview, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, casually identified his company’s biggest competitor. It wasn’t Amazon, HBO, or cable television. "When you watch a show from Netflix and you get addicted to it, you stay up late at night," Hastings said. "We’re competing with sleep." Yes, you read it right! They are actively competing with sleep - and they are winning.

The Commodification of Wakefulness This blunt admission underscores a modern crisis: sleep, a biological necessity, is now treated as a market obstacle. In an economy driven by digital engagement, natural rest is losing the battle to productivity and pixels.

Rapid technological growth has reshaped our daily routines. Smartphones, 24/7 notifications, and late-night online activity disrupt natural sleep cycles. Research indicates that shift work, irregular eating patterns, and sedentary lifestyles significantly contribute to widespread sleep disturbances. Furthermore, stimulants like caffeine, combined with exposure to artificial blue light, suppress melatonin - the hormone essential for initiating sleep.

For many, the day ends not with natural fatigue but with one last scroll or one last auto-played episode. What was once instinctive has become a luxury. The consequences are severe.

According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep disorders affect approximately 14.71 per cent of the U.S. population, and the prevalence is likely comparable for India as well. The impact goes beyond feeling tired, as research shows that inadequate sleep impairs physical health and degrades higher-order functions such as moral judgment, which is our ability to make ethical decisions and control impulses.

Bridging the Gap: A Consciousness-Centred View

To fight a modern problem created by algorithms, perhaps we need to look at an "operating system" that existed long before computers: the internal biological rhythm.

While modern science offers treatments ranging from medication to behavioural therapies, India’s knowledge systems offer a consciousness-centred perspective that have shown results for millennia and remain relevant even today. Charaka, one of the pioneers of the Indian medical tradition, identifies food, sleep, and brahmacharya (sensory discipline and higher awareness) as the three pillars of life. Both Yoga and Ayurveda define sleep not merely as the body shutting down, but as a specific state of the mind.

The Yoga Darshana (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 1.10) defines sleep as: Abhava pratyayalambana vrttirnidra, translating to "that modification of the mind which is based on the absence of any content." In simple terms, deep sleep is a state where the mind is devoid of thoughts, images, or sensory distractions stark contrast to the content-heavy state of watching TV, which is popularly termed as "rest".

Ayurveda, in alignment with modern research, emphasises sleep as a vital energy source. The Caraka Samhita (Sutrasthanam 21.11) notes: Nidrayattam sukham duhkham pustih karayam balabalam | vrsata klibata jnnnamajnanam jivitam na ca || Through this statement, Charaka explains that sleep is the foundation for opposite states of being: “Joy and sorrow, nourishment and malnutrition, strength and weakness, potency and sterility, knowledge and ignorance.” Signifying that the quality of your sleep dictates the quality of your awake life.

The Biology of Balance: The Three Doshas

To understand how to sleep better, one must understand the Ayurvedic concept of Do?as-the three vital bio-energies that govern the body. Vata (Air and Space) is responsible for movement (breathing, circulation, racing thoughts). When balanced, it brings creativity; when imbalanced, it leads to anxiety and insomnia. Pitta (Fire and Water) governs metabolism and intellect. Balanced Pitta promotes clarity; imbalance leads to irritability, burnout, and sleep disturbance through excess dreams. Kapha (Earth and Water) provides structure and stability.

Balanced Kapha creates calmness; imbalance leads to sluggishness and heaviness that makes it difficult to wake up or maintain a wakeful state. Every individual has a unique combination of these, which shapes one’s prakrti, influencing physiological tendencies, psychological patterns, and natural sleep behaviours.

The Ayurvedic Clock: Syncing with Nature

Ayurveda describes a daily circadian rhythm where each do?a dominates specific intervals of the 24-hour cycle. Aligning your habits with this rhythm is the secret to restorative sleep.

The Ayurvedic day is governed by a rhythmic cycle of three bio-energies, beginning with the Kapha period from 6:00 am to 10:00 am. This window is characterised by a stabilising heaviness and natural sluggishness; to counter this, experts recommend engaging in physical activity and consuming a light breakfast to awaken the system. As the sun climbs higher, the Pitta period takes over from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, marking the peak of metabolic and cognitive efficiency. This is the optimal time for both your most demanding professional tasks and your heaviest meal of the day, as the body’s "digestive fire" is at its strongest.

As the day transitions into the Vata period between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, the energy shifts toward communication and creative flow.

This is also a critical digestive threshold; consuming your final meal during this window ensures a smoother transition into the night. When evening arrives, the Kapha cycle returns from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, naturally inviting the body to slow down. This period should be dedicated to reducing sensory stimulation and dimming the lights to prepare the mind for rest.

The most vital phase, however, occurs during the night Pitta window from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am, which serves as the body’s internal "repair mode. “Reserved for physiological detoxification and cellular healing, being asleep during these hours is considered non-negotiable for true rejuvenation. If you remain awake past 10:00 pm, the "fire" of Pitta is diverted from physical repair and instead fuels a "second wind" of mental alertness. This false sense of productivity not only makes it harder to fall asleep later but actively disrupts the body’s essential healing processes.

When this natural cycle is ignored, the body pays a physical price. Many who stay awake or have interrupted sleep during the late-night Pitta window report a distinct burning sensation in the chest. This occurs because the Pitta dosha-the energy of fire and transformation-becomes exaggerated when the essential processes of digestion and detoxification are stalled by wakefulness, leading to acute symptoms like heartburn and acidity.

The cycle concludes with the early morning Vata period from 2:00 am to 6:00 am, a time defined by stillness and a unique psychological lightness. These hours are highly conducive to introspection and mental clarity. It is no coincidence that ancient spiritual traditions across India identify this window as the Brahma Muhurta-the most potent and sacred time for meditation, as the mind is naturally free from the heavy "content" of the day.

Returning to Rhythm

Individuals who sleep in accordance with these natural rhythms - typically sleeping around 9-10 p.m. and waking between 3 - 5 AM — report greater vitality and stable moods.  Conversely, those who ignore this clock often face chronic fatigue and irritability. This alignment is not merely an ancient recommendation but is also reflected in the universally accepted principle captured in the adage: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Thus, the path back to restorative sleep does not require drastic change but consistent practice. It begins with honouring the rhythm our bodies already know. Sleeping earlier, eating in tune with the day, and stepping away from screens at night are small actions that can dramatically transform energy, mood, sleep, and health. In a world competing for our attention, choosing to sleep well may be the most powerful decision we can make.

Dr. Vinayak Rajat Bhat is Senior Subject Matter expert-IKS, Vyoma Linguistics Labs, Bengaluru and Lead Guide, Bharat ki Soch; Swati Semwal is independent Researcher; views are personal