A Good Night's Sleep

The following is an excerpt from a great article found in Young Living's Essential Lifestyle magazine.


We have all felt the effects of sleep deprivation: that zombie-like feeling that consumes us the moment we roll out of bed. Our eyes are heavy, we can't think straight, everything is a blur. Like mechanical robots, we go about our day not fully comprehending what is going on around us.

The negative effects of sleep deprivation are quickly becoming an alarming issue. According to the National Sleep Foundation's 2002 Sleep in America Poll, 58 percent of adults in the US experience symptoms of insomnia several nights a week.

Sleep-deprived individuals find it hard to concentrate or feel productive during the day. Perhaps worst of all, more and more are driving drowsy. In fact, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 of reported crashes occur as a result of drowsiness.

Essential oils can promote good, restful sleep. Single essential oils such as Valerian, Spikenard, and Lavender are known for their ability to relax, calm, and emotionally ground a person. Peace and Calming and Gentle Baby are soothing essential oil blends that have similar effects. These oils can be diffused, inhaled, or massaged into the feet prior to retiring to help ease tension and settle the mind.

If you need a little help now and then getting a good night's rest, let pure essential oils do the work. Using the following tips, your nights will soon be spent the way they should be-- in peaceful slumber.

DURING THE DAY:

Tips provided by the National Sleep Foundation

• Consume less or no caffeine, particularly late in the day.
• Avoid alcohol or nicotine, especially close to bedtime.
• Exercise, but not within 3 hours before going to bed.
• Avoid naps especially late in the afternoon or evening.
• Establish a regular sleep schedule; don't try to make up for lost sleep.

BEFORE BEDTIME:

• Take a warm bath using Evening Peace Bath and Shower Gel to soothe away stress and tension before retiring at night.
• Rub a drop of an essential oil such as lavender on your palm and smooth over pillow to aid sleep.
• Apply Peace and Calming or other soothing oil to feet before bedtime to promote relaxation.

Another note.... I am a firm believer in "winding down" the day starting after supper. This is when soothing essential oils can be diffused throughout the house or car to start the relaxation process. It is my opinion that too many nights packed with sports and physical activities, especially for school age children, can be detrimental to getting the restful sleep needed for normal functioning and mental health. Sleep deprivation can contribute to attention difficulties, behavioral changes, anxiety, and depression. I wonder how many children and adults alike have been prescribed drugs for the above list when what their bodies needed was good, quality sleep!