sleep

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is what oils will help promote a better night's rest? There are a number of options available to choose from for your preferred protocol. Let's talk about a few of my favorites.

One of the great ways you can prepare your body (or your kids') for a restful night's sleep is by enjoying a warm, relaxing Epsom salt bath. This is my favorite DIY bath salt recipe.

2 cups Epsom Salts

½ cup baking soda

8 – 10 drops YLEOs of choice

Kit Oil Suggestions: Lavender, Stress Away, Citrus Fresh, Copaiba, Raven, PanAway

Mix the Epsom salt & baking soda in a non-plastic bowl.  Add the YLEOs and mix well. 

To use, pour into warm bath as you're filling the tub. Use 1/2 cup for large garden tub, 1/4 cup for standard tub. 

FOR BEDTIME: from the above suggestions use Lavender, Stress Away, Copaiba, or Peace & Calming.

There are lots of wonderful diffuser blends that help promote a good night's rest. Here are a few favorites:

What's my personal, bedtime protocol? Easy peasy!

I rub 2 drops of Lavender between my palms, then I rub my palms over my pillow and rub any extra over my face, neck and chest. Instant aromatic and topical benefits! I find that Lavender helps quiet my thoughts and as I relax, I drift off to sleep. 

I also apply a bit of Cedarwood to the bottoms of my big toes (one of the places that you can apply and oils will cross the blood-brain barrier the fastest). I find that Cedarwood promotes a restful night's sleep for me throughout the night. 

Lately, I've also enjoyed adding the blend Dream Catcher to my sleep routine. I apply Dream Catcher to the bottom of my big toes and the center of my forehead when I crawl into bed and it's a GOOD night, sleep tight kinda night! I've had some pretty amazing dreams, too... Our youngest son (age 15) used it and slept restfully for 14 hours!  

Roman Chamomile - when this oil comes back in stock, RUN and get as many bottles as you can! Wonderfully relaxing, this is definitely a favorite!!!

Valerian - this oil may not be your favorite smell, but if you're needing extra support, apply it to the bottoms of your feet, wear socks and sleep tight! 

A member favorite supplement that many people add to their ER orders monthly because of the way it promotes restful sleep for them is SleepEssence.

While kids certainly benefit from using oils such as Lavender, Peace & Calming and Gentle Baby, Young Living developed a nighttime oil just for younger oilers called SleepyIze. (But we won't tell if you decide to use it for yourself! Adults love it, too!)

Last, but not least, you can also make a special bedtime pillow spray for your kiddos using Lavender and Peace & Calming (Angela Price, The Mix).

In a spray bottle combine:
1 c. Distilled Water
5 drops Peace & Calming
5 drops Lavender
Shake before spritzing pillows 

My friend, I bid you and your family GOOD night!

An article in News In Health (NIH) states, "When you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to sleep on it. That’s because sleeping helps strengthen memories you’ve formed throughout the day. It also helps to link new memories to earlier ones...'We’ve learned that sleep before learning helps prepare your brain for initial formation of memories,' says Dr. Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. 'And then, sleep after learning is essential to help save and cement that new information into the architecture of the brain, meaning that you’re less likely to forget it.'” 

It's safe to say, then, that sleep is crucial for students to be able to learn optimally.  Here are some oily suggestions that may help kids (and adults) have a more restful night's sleep.

What are the best ways to use these oils? With the exception of RutaVaLa roll-on, they can each be diffused at bedtime. Try different combinations to see which works best with your child's chemical make up.  SleepyIze has been specially formulated for younger children and is pre-diluted for their use. As much as littles love it, so do adults, so don't be afraid to try it yourself!

They can also be applied to the feet, bottoms of the big toes, on shoulders, chest and / or neck, and even on the crown of the head or center of the forehead. You may have heard me say that I like to apply Cedarwood to the bottoms of my big toes and rub a drop or two of Lavender between my palms, then over my pillowcase, as my preferred bedtime protocol. Lots of people love to apply RutaVaLa to their feet before bed.

Try adding 10-15 drops of your preferred oil(s) to 1/2 - 1 cup of Epsom salts for a relaxing bath before bed. Sweet dreams indeed!

Sometimes, sleep can be disrupted because of normal stressors or occasional anxiety. That was certainly true with our daughter, who throughout the years has had to implement learning strategies related to dyslexia. I've held her in my arms before bedtime as she's gasped for air through tears streaming down her face, thinking about a test that would greet her the next day. She's found tremendous comfort and peace using Tranquil roll-on  (applying it as she would perfume) and always carried it in her backpack. Its combination of Lavender, Cedarwood, and Roman Chamomile  (another seasonally available, bedtime favorite) are great for supporting emotional balance.

Oils like Stress Away, Peace & Calming, and Lavender can also be helpful in supporting healthy emotions and bringing a sense of calm and relaxation. If you find that your child is restless at night, try using any of these at bedtime.

The NIH article also offered this advice.