Pitta and Insomnia: 5 Ayurvedic Tools for Overthinking and Restless Nights
- Belinda Baer
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
In this post:
I Used to Think I Was a Night Owl
It was 1:00 a.m., again.
I was on my second wind and on a roll, trying to fix my entire life in the middle of the night, again.
My teachers in my Ayurveda classes had been teaching about the doshas and their effects on sleep.
That was the night I realized this wasn’t just a sleep issue.
It was a Pitta mind issue—an overheated, overstimulated, overly driven mind that couldn’t let go.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Many of the women I work with—especially in midlife—describe the same thing: the body says “sleep,” but the mind says “not yet, let me do one more thing.”
This post is for you.
If you’re navigating the quiet fire of Pitta and insomnia, and you long for mental rest, Ayurveda offers tools that don’t just quiet the mind—they cool it.
Why Overthinking at Night Is a Pitta Issue
In Ayurveda, Pitta dosha governs heat, transformation, and intellect.
When balanced, Pitta gives us focus, courage, and clarity.
But when it builds up—especially in the mental and emotional layers—it shows up as sharp thoughts, fiery emotions, and relentless drive.
This is especially common for women over 40.
The fire that once fueled multitasking, caretaking, and career-building can turn inward at night and become mental over-control.
You may notice:
Your daily tasks, which you haven't been able to complete, won't let you sleep
Racing thoughts creep in just as you’re trying to wind down
Waking up between 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. with mental loops
Irritability or restlessness as you lie in bed
Difficulty letting go of tasks, feelings, or plans
This isn’t just “too much stress.” It’s excess mental heat—and Ayurveda shows us how to cool it.
Tips for Reducing Pitta and Insomnia
1. Brahmi: A Cooling Ally for the Racing Mind
One of the most cherished herbs for cooling the mind Ayurveda offers is Brahmi—known for calming the nervous system and supporting restful mental states without sedation.
Why I love Brahmi:
It feels like a soft wash over the brain—cooling, not numbing
It supports memory and clarity during the day, without overactivation
It’s especially helpful in moments of nighttime overthinking
I like to take Brahmi as a tea in the evening.
Athreya Herbs has a lovely organic Brahmi Powder that I use:
Work with a practitioner if you’re new to herbs to find the right dose.
You can also use Brahmi-infused oil for a head or foot massage.
During the summer, I enjoy using Brahmi Ghee on my feet to help draw the heat down and out of my body.
Try this Brahmi oil or Brahmi Ghee (Gritham) from Athreya Herbs:
2. Journaling for Release, Not Resolution
When Pitta and insomnia show up, it’s often because the mind wants closure.
It seeks solutions, perfection, and control.
But journaling can become an evening practice that offers a different outcome: release.
Try these prompts to gently let go:
What am I trying to control that I can release tonight?
What am I mentally gripping that’s asking to be softened?
What would it feel like to trust that rest is enough?
You don’t need to write paragraphs. Even one sentence, honestly written, can cool the mental fire.
3. Moon Gazing: A Cooling Practice for the Eyes and Mind
I often recommend moon gazing to clients who feel overstimulated in the evenings.
It’s one of the most beautiful, ancient Ayurvedic tips for a racing mind—and it’s completely free.
How to practice:
Sit near a window or outdoors under the moon (the waxing moon is more auspicious than the waning moon)
Soften your gaze and let the light meet your eyes
Inhale slowly through the nose, and exhale even slower
Imagine the moonlight soothing your forehead, heart, and thoughts
Even five minutes can offer deep mental rest for women over 40, especially during hormonal transition when heat and intensity are naturally rising.
4. Breathwork to Cool the Pitta Mind
When the mind is spinning, breath becomes short and shallow.
That’s why cooling the mind Ayurveda practices often begin with breath.
Here are my favorite calming breath techniques:
1. Chandra Bhedana (Left Nostril Breathing)
Gently close the right nostril with your thumb
Inhale through the left
Cover the left nostril with the ring finger, and exhale through the right
Continue for 5–10 rounds to invite lunar calm
2. Sheetali (Cooling Tongue Breath)
Curl your tongue into a tube ( if you can’t curl your tongue, open the lips and teeth and breathe over the tongue)
Inhale through the curled tongue, exhale through the nose
8–10 rounds help reduce heat and anxiety
3. Slow Belly Breathing with Visualization
One hand on belly, one on heart
Slowly breathe into the lower belly
On a slow exhale, imagine your thoughts floating like clouds
These are especially supportive if practiced just before bed—or when you wake up in the early morning hours.
5. Cooling Mantras to Soothe a Racing Mind
In Ayurveda, sound is medicine.
And mantra—the repetition of sacred sound or words—can be especially effective in calming an overstimulated Pitta mind.
When your thoughts feel sharp, fast, or tangled, chanting or repeating a mantra helps bring your awareness to a softer rhythm.
These cooling mantras support mental rest for women over 40, especially those who carry emotional and cognitive fire late into the evening.
Gentle Cooling Mantras to Try:
“Sham” (pronounced "shum") – A cooling, peace-promoting bija (seed) mantra
“I am safe to rest.” – A simple English affirmation with powerful energetic softness
“I release this now.” – Supports emotional and mental letting go
✨Try whispering a mantra slowly with your exhale. You can pair it with breathwork or repeat it silently as you lie in bed.
Even a few minutes can shift the inner temperature of your thoughts.
When the Fire Is Emotional, Not Just Mental
Sometimes, the fire that keeps us up at night isn’t a to-do list or decision loop—it’s something unspoken.
Resentment.
Guilt.
A conversation that never happened.
A truth we’re afraid to feel.
Ayurvedic tips for a racing mind include acknowledging that emotional digestion is just as important as physical digestion.
Yes, you heard me correctly, emotional digestion.
If our inner fire is constantly chewing on past experiences, it overheats the mind.
One small practice to use when emotional heat is rising at night:
The Cooling Confession:
Write one sentence that starts with “The truth I don’t want to admit is…”
Let it be raw. Private. Imperfect.
Then breathe into your belly and say to yourself: “Even this can soften. Even this can rest.”
This form of radical honesty is deeply cooling—because it releases pressure.
My Cooling Mind Ritual (10 Minutes or Less)
This is my go-to evening flow on nights when I feel mentally overstimulated.
I don't do it perfectly, and some nights I still catch my Pitta dosha running out of control when I'm trying to complete a project.
Turn off screens by 8:00 PM
Sip Brahmi + rose tea
Rub ghee or Brahmi oil into my feet—slowly, with gratitude
Do 10 rounds of Sheetali (this is my favorite Yogic breathing practice because it cools down both my body and mind)
It’s not fancy.
It doesn’t require discipline.
But it works when I give myself permission to let it be enough.
Choose From These Possibilities: A Cooling Mind Ayurveda Checklist
Here’s a short, no-pressure checklist to gently support cooling the mind before bed.
Even one or two practices can begin to shift your sleep pattern, so don't make this another to-do list that weighs on your mind.
Cooling the Mind Ayurveda: Evening Checklist
☐ Brahmi tea
☐ Left-nostril or Sheetali breath
☐ 3-minute moon gazing or candle gazing
☐ Cooling mantra repetition (e.g. “Sham” or “I release this now”)
☐ 1–2 journaling prompts for release
☐ Foot massage with Brahmi or coconut oil
☐ One sentence of emotional honesty
☐ Lie down and whisper: “My mind is allowed to rest.”
You don’t need a perfect bedtime routine—just one soft shift at a time.
A Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Fix Everything Tonight
In my late 20s, I was in a therapy appointment, and the therapist kept throwing soft balls at me, telling me that I needed to catch each one.
Obviously, it was impossible to catch all of them.
This is when I first became aware of my tendency to try to do it all and the realization that I don't need to hold it all together.
So many of the women I support carry an invisible weight—the belief that if they don’t solve it, hold it, manage it all… things will fall apart.
But Ayurveda teaches that rest is not the absence of doing; it is the beginning of presence and awareness.
You don’t need to earn your rest.
You don’t need to finish the mental list.
You don’t need to be perfect before you can sleep.
You only need a little coolness, a little space, and the permission to let go—for tonight.
🌿 “You are allowed to stop thinking. You are allowed to rest.” 🌿
Save These Ayurvedic Tips for a Racing Mind
If you’re navigating Pitta and insomnia, I invite you to try one small thing from this post tonight—whether it’s Brahmi, breathwork, or simply sitting under the moon.
Let it be enough.
Let it bring rest.
Let your mind feel cool again.
If you know someone who would benefit from this post, please share it with them.
