Ratricharya

Ratricharya combines ratri (the night) and charya (conduct, routine): the “conduct of the night.” It is the evening mirror of dinacharya, the morning routine — and probably the more neglected of the two, even though Ayurveda regards sleep as one of the three pillars of health, alongside food and the management of vital energy.

The principle: prepare the descent. The classic ratricharya strings together an early, light dinner (ideally three hours before bed), an evening in soft light without excessive stimulation — screens being the obvious modern enemy —, possibly a soothing warm drink such as golden milk, a foot massage with oil (padabhyanga), and bedtime before 10:30 pm. That hour is not arbitrary: tradition places around 10 pm the shift into a nocturnal Pitta phase that reignites mental activity — the famous “second wind” of night owls, followed by a difficult morning.

A concrete example: someone who eats dinner at 9:30 pm in front of a screen and goes to bed at midnight stacks up unfinished digestion, an overstimulated mind and a missed deep-sleep window. Moving dinner earlier and switching off screens an hour before bed often transforms sleep within one to two weeks, without any supplement. For the complete evening protocol, read ratricharya: the evening routine for deep sleep and the single most effective ritual against restlessness, the padabhyanga foot massage.