Last Updated on March 26, 2025 by Tejaswini

We humans have our life divided into three phases, Awake, Dreaming and in Deep Sleep. Entire philosophical works in Sanatan Dharma have these three states of existence as their central topic. Sleep is a mysterious phenomenon connected to the consciousness and the play of energy. Sleep, sleeping patterns and the rest that one gets in this state can be analysed using the principles of Vedang Jyotish aka Astrology. Sleep is the precious time when we rest and rejuvenate ourselves, our minds, bodies and the souls. For some of us, sleep is like a second nature but for some, sleep is a rare luxury.

In this post I will list out a few combinations which determine the nature of sleep. We can determine the quality of sleep that one can expect in life using astrology. And then for the insomniacs, there are a few easy and doable remedies for real rest while sleeping every night.

First, open your birth horoscope.

Note the 4th house and the 12th house from the ascendant in your horoscope. These are the primary determinants of rest. The 4th house signifies the “security” of our lives. When you were a baby this safety was linked to your mother. And then as as you grew up, the residence, vehicles, lands and property, the homeland and even the familiar customs of your people also came to be labelled as “security”. These “security” keywords go as a group. If you had a good mother who made you feel safe then the other keywords of the 4th house also must have worked well in your life.

I once had a rather typical client who would always be on hyper alert, it was like he was always on guard duty. While he was awake, he would feel like he had these extra senses which made him aware of every person it the room. And when he slept, he would instantly wake up at the slightest rustle. And with the feel that he had to be prepared. It became so bad that I had him do a guided meditation to find out what was going on. So we found out that he had been a high ranking Mongol warrior in his past life and always battle ready. Once he knew the reason, he was willing and able to work on it and eventually learned to relax.

If you want to sleep restfully, you need to feel secure, safe and protected. Only then will you be able to genuinely close your eyes and sleep.

Next is the 12th house. The house of the sub-conscious, the unconscious, the dreams and the unknowns. This house is the path or the bridge between the different states of existence and also connected the various dimensions. Thus the energies of this house also deeply impact ‘sleep’ and the energy workings related to sleep.

Any malefic influences on the 4th house or the 12th houses can deny rest. So check the planets placed and aspecting these houses. If the chart specific malefics or cruel planets are influencing these rather sensitive houses. Also check if the owner of this house is under stress, associated with malefics and cruel planets. This will deny rest, relaxation and genuine sleep. But if they are well placed then you will be able to sleep in the real sense.

Then you should check see the positions of Cancer and Pisces signs in the horoscope and their occupant planets and the aspects on them. These two are the natural 4th and 12th signs of the zodiac thus their function corresponds to that of the 4th and 12th houses.

For determining the emotional response to sleep and the comfort level of the sleep experience check out the 4th and 12th houses from your birth moon sign, their signs occupants and aspects.

Benefic planets like Jupiter influencing these above will guarantee you a deep restful sleep but presence of malefics like the Rahu and Ketu the lunar nodes will make the situation worse and affect your rest.

On the physical level I have always noticed that people who suffer from sleeplessness due to astrological reasons always have badly cracked feet soles. The 12th house and Pisces sign also indicate ‘feet’. So a fun remedy could be going for regular pedicures and foot massages. And on a serious note, these persons often have ‘leaky’ feet chakras and auras ‘leak’ at the feet. I cannot describe it better than ‘leaky’. Energy drains out from the feet. So the energy remedy is to take care of the energy of the feet.

Here are some astrological remedies for you. These will work for you if you are an insomniac for astrological reasons. First is to check out your chart and determine if your sleeplessness really has an astrological basis. And then choose one of the following.

1. Light a lamp – Use sesame oil with a cotton wick in small copper lamp. Light it on a monday morning or evening depending on your time schedule. Think of the Moon. And recite the beej mantra for the Moon, “Om shraang shreeng shroung sah chandraya namah Om”, either once, thrice or 108 times. Request him to grant you genuine rest and protect you as you sleep in the night.
2. You can channelise energy naturally, do read this post on how to do this. And I have written on making and using the chi energy in this post here. Make a chi ball or at with your hands in the namaskar position think of your favourite deity/god and ask him to power your intention of being able to sleep. Lock in this intention and power at the soles of your feet and the back of your neck as above.
3. You can try Bach flower remedies and these work really well. They are not by definition medicines but they somehow work wonderfully with your subconscious. Mix 2 drops of the white chestnut in a glass of water and drink this before bedtime.
4. Do cleanse yourself with lemons, peacock feathers, sea salt etc and ground yourself regularly. Try to walk bare-footed on a grass lawn or beach sea sand or park or moist ground at least for 1 hour at least once a week. If you do not have access to such locations then try to wear shoes which have a genuine leather sole. This will help you remain grounded at all times.

Sleep is extremely important and it needs to be natural in order to be effective. Sleep induced by sleeping tablets is not sleep. There are some reports that these actually harm the body’s natural rejuvenation cycle in the long run.

Do use these astrological remedies and channel the energy around you to be able to sleep, rest and rejuvenate.