Better sleep: habits, aromatherapy and supplements.

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It has been said that sleep is the Swiss Army Knife of health in its ability to benefit many aspects of our general well-being. Sufficient sleep promotes healthy blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, strong immune system, healthy weight, mental health, cognitive health, and longevity.

Creating bedtime routines, and rituals can be immensely important as they cue our bodies that it is time to rest. Routines are mindless and automatic: having a set nightly bedtime, turning off screens 30 minutes before the desired bedtime, brushing your teeth, washing your face, carrying out your skincare routine, filling your essential oil diffuser, taking magnesium glycinate, and turning down the temperature in the room are all helpful. Routines make us calm and regulated.

Rituals are more mindful activities. Some good bedtime rituals are: lighting a candle, a stick of palo santo or sage, meditating, reading, writing, praying, mindful breathing with essential oil can also promote a feeling of serenity and readiness for sleep.

Here is what I do and recommend to sleep better. First, create your baseline, nightly routines, and rituals including diffusing essential oils. Add to the routine as you feel necessary but always come back to your baseline routine. One of the ways essential oils work is through the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system supports emotion, behavior, memory, and olfaction. When you establish a sleep routine with your oils the brain forms neural connections between the memory of the scent and the experience of sleeping well. For times you experience difficulty winding down, add to your baseline routine. Take a bath, sauna, or rest in an infrared sauna blanket. I also recommend taking supplements to promote relaxation. Remember, after you establish a consistent pattern of sleeping well, return to your baseline routines and rituals including diffusing oils.

In choosing oils and supplements, first identify how you are feeling: anxious, sad, alert or excited? Then, choose oils and supplements based on those feelings using this as a rough guide:


Essential Oil Recommendations If You Are Feeling:

  • Sad: Bergamot, Wild Orange, Petitgrain (citrus)

  • Anxious or Alert: Balance blend, Vetiver, Frankincense (roots and trees)

  • Nervous, Restless: Serenity blend, Lavender, Roman Chamomile (florals)


Supplements:

  • Serenity Restful Complex Soft Gels:
    Lavender, Chamomile, Passion Flower, and Lemon Balm as well as L-theanine, an amino acid known as nature’s Xanax, to promote relaxation, sleep, and calming of the nervous system.

  • Adaptiv Calming Blend Capsules:
    Lavender, Coriander, Wild Orange, and Fennel along with Sceletium, Ahiflower and GABA, a quieting neurotransmitter, help promote relaxation. GABA has a natural comforting effect and helps reduce feelings of apprehension and fear by decreasing neuronal excitability. It balances healthy levels of mood-stabilizing hormones and improves cognitive function while combating occasional nervousness. If you are having difficulty sleeping due to anxious feelings, give this a try.

  • Magnesium Glycinate:
    This form of Magnesium is easily absorbed and can promote relaxation of the nervous system and muscle tissue. I recommend this be taken every evening.


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AROMATHERAPYlizz smith