Wow, the year has truly flown by. So how have you been? Are you dealing with stress or sleep issues? Well you are not alone. Most people have dealt with both of these at one time or another. I know that I have. Life is not always pretty and straightforward. Circumstances with jobs, family and health can bring stress into our lives and disrupt even those with the best of sleep habits. Trying to find peace and rest doesn’t always happen. There are some great resources out there that can help with sleep. A book, Sleep Smarter, that I have been reading, is a great way to begin to improve your sleep habits. Think about this….what does your bedroom have in it besides the obvious bedroom furniture? Most likely, you have your phone, electronic readers and even a television. Does that really help you sleep?
Sleep deprivation is rampant in our society. We are told that to succeed, we need to get up early, exercise, have devotions and still get to work by 8 am. But most of us don’t make it to bed by midnight. We are trying to get things done for the next day, deal with our family issues…clothes, lunches, school homework and projects and then spend time with our spouse if we are lucky. We extend our day as late as possible and then try to get up as early as possible to just have a few minutes to ourselves. Sleep takes a backseat in life. We go to bed thinking about what we have to do and even dream about it…sometimes as nightmares. Ugh! Our minds just do not want to shut down for sleep.
But wait….we need sleep more than ever. What are just some of the few things that our bodies do while we sleep?
- It helps to improve your hormone system.
- It helps to repair your muscles, organs and tissues.
- It provides protection from diseases
- It helps your brain work at peak level.
Sleep is a means of taking care of the systems in your body. You can’t go without sleep.
So what are some simple things that you can do to improve your sleep.
- Plan your sleep just like you plan the rest of your day. Be consistent on the time that you choose to go to bed.
- Get out in the direct sunlight for about 30 minutes a day. It helps to set your biological clock.
- Avoid blue light and coffee. The caffeine in coffee disturbs sleep. And yes, the blue light from your tech devices disturbs the normal sleep pattern by delaying the onset of sleep and producing poor sleep quality.
- Having some downtime prior to bed promotes restfulness.
- Keep the temperature in your bedroom about 68 deg F.
- In addition, sleep in the dark or maybe use a sleep mask if you can’t. I use a sleep mask that is padded and provides complete eye coverage….not one with elastic. (If you want to know where I got it….contact me.)
These are just a few things among many listed in the book, Sleep Smarter. There is a lot of research on sleep. Well, I hope that you see that sleep is important.
My favorite way to improve my sleep is to use essential oils. Lavender is the most common essential oil for helping you sleep. Vetiver and Cedarwood are also great for helping improve sleep. If you want to know more, I teach classes on the use of essential oils and sleep. Just contact me through my contact page.
Nighttime is here and my bed is calling. Goodnight and sweet dreams!
Debbie
The Oil Advantage 