[Blog](https://vittalkamath.com/blog) # Sleep 22 February 2026 Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, verse 17: *yuktāhāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu* — which is practical for today’s sleep-deprived world. ## Krishna’s formula — Gita 6.17 *Yuktāhāra-vihārasya* — for one who is moderate in eating, recreation, work, sleep and wakefulness, yoga destroys sorrow. ## Why sleep is yoga Sleep is anabolic: the brain clears toxins, tissues repair, memory consolidates, and the immune and endocrine systems reset. Chaotic sleep → chaotic mood → chaotic life. ## How sleep works — 90-minute cycles 1. **Non-REM:** light → deep → restorative. Deep sleep is physical repair and growth hormone. 2. **REM:** the brain is active and dreams. Essential for learning, mood and creativity. ## Seven rules for *yukta-nidra* 1. **Time:** the same sleep and wake time, even at weekends. 2. **Cave:** a cool (≈20 °C), dark, quiet, clean bedroom. 3. **Digital sunset:** screens off an hour before bed. Blue light blocks melatonin. 4. **Fuel:** not hungry, not stuffed. Cut caffeine after 2 pm; alcohol disrupts REM. 5. **Move:** be active in the daytime, but no intense exercise in the 3 hours before bed. 6. **Unwind:** a hot shower, journal your worries, set boundaries after 8 pm. 7. **Nap:** under 20 minutes, and only before 3 pm. ## Fall asleep in five minutes — the military method, plus the mind Relax the face → drop the shoulders → let the hands, chest and legs go heavy → clear the mind. If thoughts loop, say “don’t think”. Breathe slowly. ## Pressure points for sleep - **Heart 7:** on the inner wrist crease, below the little finger. Circle it for 2 minutes. - **Pericardium 6:** three finger-widths below the centre of the wrist. Calms anxiety. ## Food as medicine Magnesium glycinate before bed. Foods with melatonin: tart cherries, mango, pineapple. Warm milk with nutmeg — sattvik, and sleep-promoting. ## When to see a doctor Insomnia more than three times a week for three months, snoring with gasping (sleep apnoea), sleepwalking, teeth grinding, narcolepsy. Don’t self-treat chronic dyssomnias. ## Krishna’s moderation Destruction of sorrow comes from moderation, not from caves. *Yukta-nidra* is yoga. [All articles](https://vittalkamath.com/blog)