Earlier this week, I found myself suddenly wide awake in the middle of the night and held captive by my runaway mind as it darted down various rabbit holes of rumination. It was my classic 2am brain that is pretty sure the end is nigh, and that if I just think harder, I will find a solution to the imminent crisis that is about to unfold.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years about my 2am brain’s assessments: 

1. The end is rarely nigh
2. Even if it were, my 2am brain is exceedingly ineffective, so it’s best to stop trying to solve anything at that hour
3. Falling back asleep IS possible if I get a grip and follow a few key steps

I remember learning in Ayurveda school why waking at 2am unable to fall back asleep is such a common phenomenon. It has everything to do with vata dosha.

Vata dosha is the expression of air and space elements within us, which govern our movements (physical and mental), our nervous system, and our sense of stability. When vata dosha is balanced, we feel grounded, focused and able to follow through. Our movements are coordinated, our digestion and elimination is effective, our sleep is consistent, and our nervous system is stable.

However, when life is unpredictable, chaotic, or stressful, it can cause vata dosha to elevate within us. Our heart rate can go up, elimination can get irregular, and the nervous system can get alarmed. We can end up feeling unsettled, anxious or outright panicked.

And when vata is elevated, its symptoms manifest particularly during the “vata hours” of the day, which is when vata is regularly high in the natural world around us. And do you know when the vata hours are? You guessed it: 2:00-6:00 in the morning. (Incidentally, it’s also 2:00-6:00 in the afternoon – anyone plagued by a spacey mid-afternoon feeling?)

So the next time you find yourself staring at the ceiling or about to crawl out of your skin and unable to fall back asleep, the first step to sanity (and sleep) is to simply recognize that your vata has gotten the better of you. Just being aware of why life feels so precarious at 2am (your vata is up) can help you realize it’s not necessarily the end of the universe. This can be medicine in itself.

The second step to sanity is not to resist waking up – in other words, don’t add insult to injury and get upset when you do. When vata is elevated, it is likely your sleep will be less predictable, so do not fret about it – just do your best to flow with it. Your attitude makes a huge difference. If you wake up, just focus on being peaceful and you will get many of the same benefits as full sleep. 

Here are 5 ways to comfort vata and set yourself up to drift back to dreamland. Any of these restful ideas will not only move you back towards sleep, they will ensure that the time you spend awake will also be providing you with the benefits of resting.

1. Ujjayi breath. This traditional yoga breath practice involves creating a bit of sound or texture in the breath by slightly constricting the back of the throat. This makes a soft whisper or breathy sound on both the inhale and exhale. Let the sound drown out the noise of your thoughts. I find it helpful to pair this with a visualization of ocean waves lapping on a calm beach, the exhale coinciding with the wave cresting and falling to the sand. Some like to make a slight humming sound on the exhale, which can also be soothing.
2. Mantra repetition. Put the mind to rest on a simple repetitive task, like mentally reciting a mantra in time with your breath. “So hum” is a sanskrit mantra my teacher Dr Lad offers to everyone, which means “I am that” referring to the concept that all things in nature are part of the same one creation. If you prefer an English mantra, you can try repeating, “I’m safe,” or some other short reassuring phrase. Dr. Lad’s method with “So hum“ is to repeat it silently, thinking “soooooo” on the inhale and “hummmmm” on the exhale. You can follow along with a guided So-hum meditation on my website.
3. Progressive relaxation. Name and relax each body part in turn, taking time to feel that limb or joint soften and release. Start with the fingers, one at a time, and move up the arms then down the torso. “My index finger is relaxed… my middle finger is relaxed… my ring finger… my pinky… My palm is relaxed… my wrist…” etc. Take time so that each part  can slowly relax. It can be helpful to listen to a guided audio or yoga nidra recording to help literally overpower your mind’s repetitive thinking.
4. The 4-7-8 breath. This method of regulated breathing has been shown to relax the mind and panic attacks, and can help some people get back to sleep. Inhale through the nose to a count of 4, hold for 7, then exhale through the mouth for a count of 8. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you go, but maintain the ratio of 4:7:8. I’ve heard it recommended to practice it twice a day (just 4-8 repetitions each time) which will help instill a parasympathetic nervous system response. Then when you need it in the middle of the night, it’s already a practiced response within you.
5. Calming Herbal Formulas. There are many herbal formulas designed to help us sleep through different approaches – reducing anxiety, relaxing physical tension, slowing or sedating brain function, or reducing stress. My personal favorite 2am herbs are passionflower and American skullcap in tincture form, which allows the medicine to enter the blood stream quickly rather than needing to be digested. Many people love ashwagandha and chamomile for helping their sleep. In Ayurveda, we typically use herbs as a short term support to help break an old pattern and move towards a new pattern, rather than becoming a necessary part of our daily routine. If you are taking any prescribed medicines, it’s important to check with your health care provider when taking herbs to ensure there are no known interactions that might impact the effectiveness of your prescribed medicines.

If sleep is a current challenge for you, make a plan now for which of these ideas you will try, so if you wake up at 2 am, you don’t have to wrack your brain to remember. Write it down on a sticky note by the bed, or cue up an audio recording in advance. Making a plan itself will help calm vata down, and it will make it easier to implement.

On top of having these ideas in our back pocket in case we do wake up, it also helps when we prepare for bedtime in a way that sets us up for restful, uninterrupted sleep. 

Here are some preventive measures to take:

1. Put the mind on a positive path before bed. Set the mind up to follow a restful, calming train of thought before bed. Do NOT watch the news or scroll through social media. Choose very intentionally what messages you plug into your nervous system, which is always highly receptive and subtle, but especially so when Vata is elevated. Try reading a sweet children’s story or spiritually uplifting book. Listen to music that sets a relaxing calm tone. If an intrusive stressful thought comes up, make a plan to come back to it tomorrow – write it down, or schedule a time to reflect on it – and enforce only calming thoughts before bed.
2. Get warm and swaddled. Make sure you feel warm in bed, and get an extra blanket if desired. Vata is naturally cold so warmth is beneficial, as is the extra weight of a heavy blanket, which lends a swaddling, soothing effect to Vata’s flighty ungrounded qualities. Weighted blankets have become popular to help anxious people and pets for good reason. Many modern sleep scientists recommend keeping the bedroom cool, which is fine, but here I’m referring to your body, and your bed – take a warm bath if your body is cold and enjoy wrapping yourself up. 
3. Massage the body. Give yourself a full body massage before bed. Try using a yummy calming oil which will impart its vata-pacifying qualities. If you don’t have the time or energy for the full body, try massaging just your hands and/or feet. You might trade massages with your partner. Oil is always vata-pacifying so applying oil topically before bed can help set you up for deeper sleep, and the loving touch is also reassuring to vata.
4. Get to bed early. Fall asleep by 10:00pm, which means get in bed by 9:30pm so you have enough time for the mind to unwind. The Vata hours are preceded by the pitta hours from 10-2. If we stay awake into the pitta hours, the increasing pitta energy encourages the mind to be active (which is why so many of us get a second wind at that time), which sets up the vata hours to be mentally active too. Instead, help the mind enter the pitta hours passively by winding down well before 10pm.
5. Create iron-clad technology boundaries. While most of us know we should be off screens before bed, it won’t happen automatically unless we create a firm boundary around technology use in the evening. Come up with a specific, non-negotiable limit that works for you or your family. You can try tying it to a specific event (“turn off all screens after supper”) or a specific hour (“Last social media scroll happens at 8pm). And get real with yourself. Most of us will “cheat” if the device is kept in the bedroom so the easiest solution is to keep the bedroom a technology free zone.

Whenever you’re having a stressful time in life, start taking vata-paifying measures in advance. Eat warm, cooked, moist, simple food – kitchari is the gold standard because of it’s easy digestibility, and its versatility – throw in any vegetable you have on hand, and you’ve got a satisfying, nutritious, vata-pacifying meal.

It will also help vata to regulate your routine – try fixing one mealtime at a set hour, or wake up at the same hour regardless of the pandemonium around you. Do an abhyanga, even if you think it’s too much trouble. Make sure you’re having a daily bowel movement, and if not, get some herbal support or an Ayurveda consult. 

All of these steps to pacify vata will end up setting the stage for better sleep. And when sleep starts settling back down, the healing cycle always spirals up from there.