Sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy life. If you don’t sleep well, your body can’t take care of itself, you won’t be as productive at work or at home and you will probably be a general grump. People have a hard time sleeping for a variety of reasons. Worrying, mind going in circles, CHILDREN, physical discomforts, too hot, too cold, CHILDREN, snoring spouse, too much caffeine, CHILDREN and many other reasons. So, what do you do? Here are 6 steps to sleep well. These aren’t a quick fix, but if you do all of them, your chances of getting a getting a good night’s sleep are MUCH better.

Step 1: Prepare your mind

If you sleep with your phone in your room or watch TV before bed your mind will have a much harder time shutting down. Consider turning off screens an hour before bed and use the time to read, take a bath, meditate, stretch, or cuddle with your pet/spouse/child. If you are the kind of person whose mind tends to race at night, consider making tomorrow’s to do list or checking your calendar and making sure things are ready for the next day.

Step 2: Prepare your body

Don’t drink caffeine in the afternoons and evenings if this keeps you awake at night. Get your boost from a shot of ningxia nitro or put a drop of peppermint oil on the back of you neck! Also, get some exercise during the day. People that have a regular exercise routine sleep better than those that are sedentary. This is especially important if you have a desk job. Even a ten minute walk after dinner will help!

Step 3: Remove Distractions

For me, my distractions are CHILDREN and a cat that thinks his regular feeding time is 2 am. I have some tricks for helping kids fall and stay asleep that work really well. Remembering to feed the cat is my big struggle! At least he reminds me when I forget… If you phone is a distraction, leave it in a different room or turn it on airplane mode. There is mounting evidence that the signal your phone receives may also disrupt your sleep. But if you can’t keep from checking it all night, then LEAVE IT IN ANOTHER ROOM. Facebook will live without you until morning.

Step 4: Remove Light

Did you know that light can stimulate parts of our brain responsible for hormones and body temperature? So sleeping in a completely dark room can really make a difference in how well you sleep. I find this to be particularly true for me. even a little bit of light disrupts my sleep.

Step 5: Diffuse Essential Oils

My favorite essential oils to fall asleep with are:

Lavender Essential oil

Cedarwood Essential oil

Vetiver Essential oil

Frankincense Essential oil

Idaho Balsam Fir Essential oil

Peace and Calming Essential oil blend

Stressaway Essential oil blend

I don’t use all of these every night. I vary it up and mix and match 2 or 3 different ones at a time. A cold mist ultra-sonic diffuser works best as heat can damage the therapeutic properties of the essential oils. It’s very important to use therapeutic grade essential oils if you want to have the desired effect. For instance pure, therapeutic grade cedar wood essential oil stimulates the body to produce it’s own melatonin, but you won’t get the same results from a cheap adulterated oil from the health food store. Where I get therapeutic grade essential oils wholesale.

Step 6: Make a sleep Roll-on

I also have a sleep roll on by my bed with essential oils that I roll onto my feet and wrists before going to bed. What is a roll on? A roll on is a small glass bottle I can fill with whatever oils I wish and then topped with a roller cap. This is a very efficient way to use essential oils, since they are valuable and you only need a little bit to go a long way. This way extra drops aren’t wasted and I only use the amount I need. You can use any of the oils listed in step 5 in your roll on. My sleepy time roll on contains:

2 TBSP fractionated coconut oil

10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

10 drops Valor or Frankincense Essential Oil

10 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil

10 drops Vetiver Essential Oil

I use this on both my children and myself before bed for a long and peaceful night. Since it is already premixed and diluted I don’t have to fuss with mixing anything during the night or if it is dark in my room. I can grab and use. The same thing applies as in Step 5. I only use therapeutic grade essential oils to help me sleep (this is where I get them).

Want to learn more about essential oils? If you are not yet a member of Young Living, come join the conversation on Facebook in the Cheerfully Imperfect Essential Oils group!

 

 

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DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am just a mom who shares what works for me!