How Sleep Can Transform Menstrual Health
Ayurveda, the science of life mentions sleep as the cornerstone of our mental and physical health. Sleep is one of the three basic pillars of life along with ahar (food) and bramhacharya (self-control). Sleep is the time when the body repairs itself to restore the balance of bioenergies- vata, pitta and kapha. According to Ayurvedic texts, these three primary doshas or biological energies govern various functions of our body, including sleep.
Understanding bioenergies and sleep
Vata: This bioenergy governs movement and nervous system functions, imbalances in Vata can lead to restlessness, difficulty falling asleep, or fragmented sleep patterns.
Pitta: Responsible for metabolic processes and hormone production, imbalance in Pitta can manifest a sleep loss, or intense dreams, disrupting sleep quality.
Kapha: Associated with stability, structure and nourishment, Kapha imbalance may cause excessive sleepiness, sluggishness upon waking, or difficulty rousing from sleep. Any disruption in the sleep wake cycle negatively impacts the entire body, disrupting the tridoshas and hormones too.
Connection between poor sleep and menstrual health
Modern research highlights that poor sleep quality is linked to menstrual issues. When sleep is compromised, it can lead to dysregulation of key hormones involved in menstruation, resulting in various menstrual irregularities and discomfort.
Here is how sleep affects menstrual health:
· Sleep deprivation disturbs the secretion of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, necessary for a healthy menstrual cycle. Disrupted hormone levels can lead to irregular periods, skipped periods, or lack of ovulation affecting reproductive health.
· Poor sleep triggers the release of stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels disrupt hormone production, including those related to menstruation leading to premenstrual syndrome of painful periods.
· Disrupted sleep wake cycle affects metabolism leading to insulin resistance and obesity, all of which contribute to poor menstrual health. It also affects hunger hormones which lead to binge eating and cause obesity and eater retention.
Reset your sleep with Ayurveda:
· Follow a proper daily routine, wake up early and sleep on time. Eat well, but only when hungry, hydrate yourself well, walk after every meal. Following a consistent daily routine aligns with the natural rhythms of the body, promoting regular sleep-wake cycles and hormone production
· Manage stress: it's necessary to reduce stress by practicing yoga, listening to music and spending quality time with the people you like. Pranayam or breathwork works wonders in reducing stress. Learn it and practice daily. Abhyang or oil massages are helpful too. Must indulge in a massage weekly.
· Sleep hygiene: Ayurveda recommends sleeping on comfortable beds, rooms should be well ventilated and dimly lit. You may read or listen to music before falling asleep but stay away from EMF emitting devices like mobile, laptop as they disrupt melatonin production, which is a sleep hormone.
· Herbs to help: Food and herbs are both equally important in regulating sleep. Buffalo milk is recommended for sleep and herbs like ashwagandha, bramhi, tagar and jaiphala are also well researched to help improve sleep quality and duration and are also non habit forming, since they help reset the sleep cycle.
With a holistic approach, maintaining hormonal balance and achieving restful sleep for optimal health is easy and recommended.
