Essential oils for sleepy time!

Many of us don’t get enough sleep and many of us are unable to get enough sleep. The worst case is insomnia.

You probably KNOW all of this but let’s review. Ryan Mikolash

When we are not getting at least 7 but preferably 8 hours of sleep, there are many negative effects. These include premature aging [ladies, hellooo!], short-term memory loss, brain fog, a lack of energy and so much more.

It also limits our ability to comprehend new things. When I [Ryan] was at university for my architecture degree, pulling all-nighters was an expected part of the program. This led to several poor performances when taking exams and defending my designs. These days, it is common for us to turn to stimulants such as energy drinks when we need a little boost. Keep in mind that we are not here to tell you how to live your life but we highly encourage that everyone out there avoid energy drinks. They are incredibly harmful in several ways but that is another topic for another time.

The extreme case is insomnia. Our hearts go out to anyone suffering from this. This scenario is dangerous and can lead one to literally go crazy or simply lose the will to continue. Rest in peace, Heath Ledger, you beautiful man.

Many people also turn to sleeping pills but almost all doctors agree that these should NOT be taken for extended periods of time. Some of them limit your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B. Eventually bad things can happen. Many over-the-counter sleeping pills simply use alcohol to induce sleepiness.

But it suppresses your R.E.M. sleep. This is our deepest of four sleep stages. This stage is thought to play a role in memory and learning consolidation.

Sleep is our body and mind time. A time for regeneration and repair. It is therefore VITAL to our health and happiness.

Many older people that are only able to sleep for 4-6 hours every night feel that this is just something that we have to accept but we don’t agree with this do you?

I [Cornelia] have had phases in my life when I only slept 3-4 hours per night. That was when we met and had these time differences. That was crazy. Of course you can train your body and push it...but it comes at a price.

There are many techniques that we would like to suggest, to help you get better sleep but we can’t cover them all today. Your mileage may vary so if you try something that we cover today and still have trouble sleeping, reach out to us and we will try something else.

Stress

So first, let’s talk about stress.

This is the BIGGEST contributor to our restlessness and that makes sense. There’s countless amounts of advice out there about how to deal with stress.

We all know that exercise is a KEY factor when it comes to our health and dealing with stress. But the time of day you exercise can actually affect your sleep as well.

Temperature

We used to go camping as often as we could and we always seemed to have a great night’s sleep. It turns out that there is a good reason for that. It would get really cold at night. This made it easier for our core body temperature to cool down. As a result, it’s not a GREAT idea to exercise within 6 hours of sleepy time. Your body-heat INcreases when exercising...and your body needs enough time for it’s core temperature to DEcrease... if you want to ACHIEVE proper sleep.

If your bedroom is steamy at bedtime, that will work against you. The optimal room temperature for sleep is 16-19 degrees Celsius [that’s 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit, for Americans]. So that’s REALLY cold, especially here in the tropics. It’s unreasonable to get our bedrooms at that temperature. Just keep in mind that the temperature of your bedroom matters.

Caffeine

Here’s a simple one, try not to consume any caffeine after 2pm. Caffeine is a stimulant and stimulants affect each of us for different lengths of time.

Screen Time

And now, let’s talk about screen time. Everywhere we turn in modern life, there is a screen of some kind.

Screen time...before sleepy time...may inhibit your sleep!

That is because cell phones, computer and TV monitors emit blue light, which fools our brains into thinking that the sun is still up.

Here are a few suggestions:

As the sun sets, our screens should also set. Modern smartphones and computer monitors have a night-time setting. That is when your monitor turns into that strange yellow. But your eyes will quickly adjust to the point where you don’t really notice.

Separately, try not to have your cell phone at your bedside. Many of us can’t resist checking our phone’s late-night notifications. If you use your phone as a waking alarm, at least turn off wifi and data. It works. I do that. Otherwise try something else...get creative. A rooster, perhaps.

And now for some sleepy-time essential oils and blends that work really well for us.:

Cedarwood essential oil

[Cornelia] This one is my man’s FAVORITE before sleepy time. IT’S WOODSY!...and has an herbaceous scent…...It works wonderfully on its own or in combination with lavender.

Lavender Essential Oil

It is my Go TO when I want to calm down and feel more balanced. I love to drink a cup of Moringa tea before bed time and I add one drop of Lavender vitality to it. I really like the taste and soon feel more relaxed. It’s very smooth and balancing...

Rutavala or Rutavala roll on

This is a blend. It has a strong and herbaceous scent. Its name comes from its 3 ingredients: Ruta graveolens, Valerian [perhaps you have heard about it], and Lavender. These are 3 calming, relaxing and very potent essential oils. This is a wonderful blend to assist in deep and restful sleep.

Valor or Valor roll on

is another blend…it has a curious dark-blue color. Try making THIS a part of your sleepy-time routine. It feels grounding and aligning. It’s very beneficial after a day of hard, physical work.

Stress Away or Stress Away roll on

Its name is self explanatory.

We have used it A LOT within the last year. Moving here was VERY exciting BUT this year has had some challenges. Use Stress Away when you’re stressed about situations or family and need a little help to switch off.

Peace & Calming or Peace & Calming roll on

Its name says it all. Its aroma is sweeter, a bit citrusy and apparently, kids LOVE it. I used to massage the feet of my nephew with it before bedtime. He wasn’t speaking but knew exactly what he wanted. He would show me his little feet while I was tucking him in. Adorable.

How does one use these oils?

Well...you can apply it...inhale it...or diffuse it.

When directly applying oils, rub them into soft areas like the inside of the wrists, on the temples, on the nape of the neck or even the bottom of your feet.

To inhale an oil…...just drop a drop into your palm…...rub…...and inhale……….

Lastly, oils can be diffused. Put an oil that was mentioned above, into a diffuser at your bedside before sleepy time and it will diffuse your bedroom while you sleep. Everybody in the bedroom will benefit ... also your dog or cat :)

Look into a Starter bundle HERE to have most of the above mentioned oils.
It comes with a diffuser so you can start diffusing right away!

CBD

You have likely heard about this. But the Young Living CBD is special. We could go on and on about that...and will in a different post but in short, it holds unmatched quality and immense benefits.

[Cornelia] - I have recently translated THE book...a definitive authority...about CBD into German … and I have learned a ton about its many qualities … and SLEEP assistance is just the beginning.

Ryan - Shifting gears a bit here. A special place in my heart goes out to any of my fellow veterans out there. If you are suffering from PTSD, you know how this condition negatively affects your daily life… and sleep issues are just one of them. Reach out to us when you are ready.

We hope that you ALL get a lot of deep and well deserved sleep.

Do you want to go deeper and know more about stress, sleep, and sadness?

We all know that are three words that do not pair well together. Too much stress usually equals too little sleep, which in turn leaves us more tired, more cranky, and more stressed. So how do we stop the vicious cycle? Learn how we can stay more calm and relaxed during the day and enjoy better sleep at night to live a happier life.