Is It Really That Important to Be an Early Riser, and Who Deemed It So?

 

 

“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” — Benjamin Franklin

We all know that getting to bed at a decent hour is good for us. Our body can repair itself during the nighttime hours while we're asleep and we'll be well rested for the day ahead. That's a no-brainer.

But what about the other half of the equation? Should we really rise with the sun?

Ayurveda, the five-thousand-year-old system of healing known as the “Knowledge of Life” would say a resounding “YES!”

Ayurveda divides the 24-hour daily cycle into six segments of four hours each, based on the three functional energies, or forces (called doshas), in nature: Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (water and earth).

• 2:00 am – 6:00 am – Vata time
• 6:00 am – 10:00 am – Kapha time
• 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Pitta time
• 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Vata time
• 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Kapha time
• 10:00 pm – 2:00 am – Pitta time

Today I mostly want to talk about Kapha time, because the energy of this dosha greatly influences our sleep habits.

Kapha dosha, by nature, is a slow, heavy dull energy. Just think of its elements water and earth. Combined together they can = mud.

You know how sleepy you start to feel around 8:00 pm? That's because it's Kapha time and our bodies are experiencing the slowness of the dosha. According to our natural body clock, this is when we should be winding down to go to bed.

Well, during the morning Kapha block of time (6:00 am – 10:00 am), if we're not up and active already, that same slow, heavy, dull energy will tempt us back under the covers. Unfortunately, it will not give us a restorative sleep. It's a lethargic kind of sleep that will linger with us throughout the day if we sleep too late. This is especially true for people who have a lot of Kapha dosha in their constitution. (To determine yours, click here.)

Our brain becomes very active during Vata time (2-6 a.m.) and our central nervous system is revving up, not winding down. Our bodies are also preparing for elimination, which is designed to happen during Kapha time, ideally within an hour of waking.

Certainly, there are times in our lives when we need more sleep – in times of sickness or during infancy and the teen years. But it's important to remember that the most restorative and reparative hours of sleep are from 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. (Pitta time), not during Kapha hours.

And, of course, the sun doesn't always rise exactly at 6:00 am. So, these are general guidelines. But for the most part, our bodies are pretty darn remarkable at knowing what time all of our bodily functions should happen. We just need to let it do its job.

Shift workers are incredibly challenged in this respect. Working when the body should be asleep greatly taxes the nervous system and keeps the body from doing necessary nighttime repair work. Something to consider if you work a night shift is the Ayurvedic adaptogenic herb Ashwagandha. It's one of the best herbs out there for helping the body cope with stress.

Most cultures know that rising with the sun is living in harmony with Nature. Some of us like to think that we're night owls, but the fact is we are not designed to function like owls and other night creatures.

Sleep is a touchy subject. Some of us want to linger under the covers and some of us just can't make it to bed until the wee hours of the morning. I'm just the messenger here, and I struggle with keeping a regular sleeping/waking routine like everyone else.