Insomnia - Can essential oils help?

by Penny Keay

There are several essential oils used to help you sleep or to help you fall asleep.

Can't Sleep?? Boy, don't you just hate it?

You try to sleep, you feel so tired, but you can't shut your brain off. You just about doze off and 'click' something in your brain starts in again.

Sleeping isn't normally the problem - it's getting there in the first place. Insomnia unfortunately can become habit forming, YIKES!

So first off we need to break the cycle and start a new habit!

Start a new set of bedtime rituals and soon it might be the one that will make everyone a 'happy camper'.

What can you do to help you fall asleep more easily? Lets start with the following for help falling asleep.

Avoiding stimulating foods, such as coffee and even some teas after 6:00 in the evening. This is a starting point.

Avoid caffeine laden soda beverages - any of the colas are culprits. We have found that the cola drinks are more apt to keep us up than drinking a cup of strong coffee.

Avoid stimulating movies and television including not watching the late news or late night talk shows. For some folks watching the news is upsetting and sometimes the controvesy will start your head whirling.

Instead take a relaxing warm bath about 30 minutes prior to retiring. Adding a few of the relaxing essential oils or a premixed blend to the bath water, can help to relax you further.

Adding Epsom Salts or a Sea Salt blend to the water can also help to relax. Both of these salts have a high concentration of Magnesium. Magnesium is a relaxing mineral.

Something that works for me that really helps me to fall asleep is reading an absolutely boring book. Find a subject that you know bores you and try to read that.

I mean really try to concentrate on the subject, before long you'll be fast asleep. (If not, well you will have learned something you have never thought you would before!!! )

Okay, I almost forgot, there are several essential oils to try that might help for insomnia. Several of them have been known to be just as effective as other over the counter sleep aids. And these are much more pleasant.

Essential oils known to help relaxation include:

Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Marjoram, Ylang Ylang, Basil, Neroli, Bergamot, Clary Sage. German Chamomile and Sandalwood.

If you are really having a hard time falling asleep you may need to use Valerian.

It is one of the most highly recognized herbs and essential oils for folks with insomnia or sleep problems.

Valerian is very strong smelling, so you might want to try other essential oils before using valerian.

How to Start

Simply begin by adding a drop or two of a couple of the above listed oils to your bath water. Sit, soak and enjoy.

Also place a drop of Lavender oil on your pillow. Place a drop on each end of the pillow, that way, no matter which way you toss or turn, you will always be able to get a whiff of the Lavender.

Or you can add a drop or two to a cotton ball and slip inside your pillow case.

Another handy suggestion is to put the drops of essential oil on a Terra Cotta Disc. It is placed near your side of the bed on your nightstand. And should it become to overpowering you can easily remove the disc to another room.

Remember only use a few drops, over use of any oil can sometimes produce the opposite effect and can stimulate certain areas of the brain and we don't want that to happen!

Any of the above oils can be diffused in the evening hours too.

Hopefully one of these suggestions will help you fall asleep so insomnia can be a thing of the past in your life!

Essential oils are some of the safest alternatives to sleep aids you might be buying over the counter.

Sweet Slumber Sleepy time Blend

1 Tablespoon Jojoba
6 drops Sandalwood
2 drops Neroli
2 drops Ylang Ylang
1 drop Coriander
1 drop Vetiver

Blend these oils together and apply to your pulse points prior to your bedtime. (Pulse Points include the inside of your wrists, behind your ears and behind your knees.)

You can also omit the Jojoba in the above blend and once the essential oils are blened, place a few drops on a Terra Cotta disc and place beside you on your nightstand.

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© 2005, 2013, 2015, 2017 Penny Keay All rights reserved Worldwide.
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