Hare Krishna! Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I'm not really desperate for an answer to this and actually kind of scared about what answers I might get so whoever reads this please don't feel obliged to respond. (I actually don't know why I'm posting this except it seemed like a good idea at first and I started and now that I've typed all this it seems like even more of a waste of time NOT to go ahead and post it!) So for what it's worth:
I have been trying for some time to get up earlier in the morning to chant and to get to bed earlier in the evening and have had occasional success with it. But for the most part I find it very hard to maintain consistently. I have had a lot of digestive problems, vata imbalance and a very high metabolism and need to eat a lot to maintain my body weight. so the main problem I am having is that whenever I try to go to bed early I am either too hungry or too full to sleep. I have to get up and move around or eat something. Then when I finally do get to bed I sleep fine but I wake up feeling very heavy and exhausted.
So I would be curious to know from other devotees if there are certain factors that you find help you to get to bed earlier? Do you have a bedtime routine for example, or find it better NOT to have a bedtime routine? Are there certain Ayurvedic tips that you've learned that are helpful for regulating sleep and eating?
Again, I know it's probably a waste of time for me to be doing this. I'm sure if I just pray to Krishna more or something it will resolve itself.....? lol
Thanks so much.
Blessings,
D.
Replies
Hare Krishna respected devotees!
Thank you so much for the replies so far. I do really appreciate the practical suggestions.
Haribol!
Hare Krsna Prabhu,
Up until recently I have been in a situation exactly like yours. My sleep was completely disorderly I would wake up in the middle of the night, I had indigestion, high metabolism and hunger and even though I fell asleep later, I would always wake up exhausted. But somehow by Nityananda Prabhu's mercy I overcame this problem by making some changes.
1) Sadhana - Don't skip your chanting even for one day. Chanting keeps the mind fresh and active and out of Tamo guna so that you can rise enthusiastically every day. Even if we skip for one day we can feel a certain heaviness within the mind and body.
2) Diet - Try your best to follow Rashmi Mataji's prescription. If you plan to eat a heavy dinner then time it such that it is 4-5 hours before bedtime, if you plan a light dinner it can be had 2-3 hours before bedtime. This is important because, if you have unprocessed food in your stomach when going to sleep, then your stomach is churning throughout the night and you cant get enough rest.
3) Exercise - I don't mean going to the gym, but taking a walk every day for 45 mins to 1 hour. If you do this after your meals it will also aid in digestion, it also helps you get enough Vitamin D(which I heard is essential for sleep and good health). This is something I missed for long and really felt the good effects immediately after I started doing it.
4) Ambiance - This is a very subtle aspect, but if you sleep in a room that is dusty or unclean or has some dirty laundry in the corner, then it pushes you into Tamo guna, and makes it all the more difficult to rise early. So make sure you clean your room every day. Also it helps to have constant ventilation in flow and outflow of air, so that you don't breathe the air you exhaled.
5) Time - Sleep as early as possible and rise 90 mins before sunrise. Ensure you don't sleep more than 6-7 hours, if you do then again Tamo guna will take over. Also try to make this a habit and be consistent so that your body will naturally start adapting to this time and it will become easier as you go ahead.
Also, please watch the below video for other great tips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t04Cv9PgmkQ
HariBol!
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
What you have mentioned is a very practical situation which I am sure other devotees also face.
What you have to do is eat a kings breakfast, a normal lunch and light dinner. You should ideally eat 2 hours before you sleep so taht the heavy feeling is not there. No chickpeas, rajma at night, it is more difficult to digest. If you are feeling hungry while going to bed, eat a light snack like cornflakes, sit up for half an hour and then go to sleep. That way, there will be no gastric problem.
I am sorry, I dont know ayurveda. Giving you practical solutions whihc I know work.
If you feel hungry, then you should eat early after waking up - meaning eat immediately after mangalarati some fruits. Then maybe you could make a breakfast for yourself and eat around 8.00 - 9.00 am. Then around 1.00 pm, lunch. You should have one meal of uncooked food - fruits and salads. That will be nice.
I hope this works.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi