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Sleep is one of those things. Some people sleep because they are sleepy, they use it to rejuvenate themselves and wake up feeling refreshed for the coming day. Some people wish that sleep was this simple. Not sleeping when you want to be sleeping can be one of the most frustrating experiences of a persons day-which in turn makes them sleep less or not as well anyway.
I have gone in and out and around with the whole sleep thing. I used to not sleep, when I was a kid and then a teen and then as an adult. I remember when I was elementary age, lying on the couch doing times tables in my head, it was the first time that they made sense to me. When I was pregnant all of my sleep issues went away, I loved to sleep and could fall asleep in a blink or lack of blink of an eye. By the time Lucy joined out little family I was falling asleep and staying asleep like a normal person. Then I had Lucy, a newborn and that was another kind of sleep deprived. Now with Lucy waking up only in the early mornings I sometimes have a hard time falling sleep. I feel more empowered about the whole sleep thing now then when I was younger because I have essential oils, a tool that I didn’t have last time.
Essential oils are so great for sleep, I have found this out not only with myself but with my daughter. Applying a drop of Balance and lavender has always helped Lucy drift to dreamland.
When choosing oils for helping sleep it is helpful to meditate on the reason for the lack of sleep. Is it excess body energy, anxiety, running thoughts, pain, hormones, fear? Are you tired? Is your body tired or brain or both?
For myself sometimes I have difficulties falling asleep because I am going and moving all day and when I lie down my body still thinks that it is moving. Balance is my oil of choice. It grounds me, puts me back into my body and helps my body and mind to settle into sleep. Roman chamomile or lavender are both helpful, I apply a drop to my temples a on my pillow. I also find that putting 2 drops Frankincense under my tongue is the best medicine for going to sleep!
When my thoughts are running through my brain and I can’t stop the t.v. in my head, I use Serenity, another doTERRA blend. I also use Balance. Wild orange is another one that will help with racing thoughts, I like to diffuse it in the air and imagine laying in the grass under orange tress….
When I can’t sleep because of pain the first thing I would do would to take 2 drops of frankincense under my tongue. Frankincense is an anti-inflammatory and a sedative. Then I would apply a few drops of either Past Tense, Aroma Touch, or Deep Blue, all blends from doTERRA, to the area.
I have worked with many children who can not sleep because of fear. The racing thoughts of fear are very powerful and can have hinder any persons sleep. I always start by applying Balance to the bottoms of the feet. Then applying a few drops of ylang ylang to the chest, this will help with lowering blood pressure. White fir is another great one because it can be very empowering.
Hormones is a little trickier, this requires using oils throughout the day to help balance hormones. Using clary sage, geranium, clove or ylang ylang behind the ears is a great place to start. Also diffusing!!!
Diffusing oils in your room right before bed is another great way to help settle yourself for sleep. It sets the mood-just think of it as music for your nose. There are some really great diffusers that are on timers and are quiet.
