Tips to give you a better night’s sleep, by Chris Church
Our culture is chronically tired and craving sleep, but we feel our lives are too busy to stop and give our bodies the sleep we need. We think wishfully that we could just sleep like a baby. But many times we forget that a baby’s sleep cycle is about 3 hours and they wake with needs. Instead what we really mean is that we wish we could sleep for the total hours that small children require without issue. Many of us sacrifice hours in bed to complete our to-do list. Proof – I’m writing at midnight because my kids are finally asleep after a long night out.
Did you know that our bodies need 8-9 hours of deep sleep, not just hours in bed? This sleep allows our bodies to repair themselves and fight off infections and so many other issues.
Adults can benefit from routines just as much as kids do. What can be included in your routine/habits? Have you looked over some of the suggestion in the kid’s sleep article? Those are a good starting place. Other things to consider:
- Regular Bedtime – By calculating back from when you need to be up, plus adding cushion for falling asleep and doing your bedtime and morning routine, you can arrive at that “GO TO SLEEP” or-be-tired-the-next-day time. I know you aren’t expecting me to talk about a bedtime, but know that if you aren’t getting enough sleep, weakened immune system, chronic illnesses, weight gain, hormone imbalances and other issues can crop up. Not saying that sleep is the magic pill, just that it’s more important than our culture allows it to be.
- Regular Exercise – Our bodies were created to move and be active. Our culture has us more stagnant than the past. Sometimes our restlessness is related to muscles needing to move. Play around with when and what kind of workout you do. Many people can’t fall asleep after a late night vigorous workout, but a restful or restorative workout can promote sleep.
- Practicing Stress Relievers – Think about how you unwind, strive to implement those activities, but beware that some habits can help when done in limited amounts while sabotage sleep when overindulged upon.
- Regular time spent outdoors when the sun is shining – this helps your body differentiate between night and day thus improving your natural production of melatonin.
After reviewing hindrances to sleep for kids in my previous article, know that adults have a few more things that can affect sleep no matter what you try. Issues with sleep are sometimes a symptom of a larger issue or they can be the source of issues. This is why pinpointing the why can be so hard for you or your doctor. Sometimes you are your best detective for figuring out sleep. Consider your surroundings – light, dark, warm, cold, mattress, and bed coverings. Consider your health overall – spiritual, emotional, and physical.
How can you implement herbs and essential oils (EOs) into your daily life to promote sleep? It’s best to try things with minimal impact. One of the common myths is that a little is good, then throwing everything at the issue will make it even better. Sadly when you do that, you don’t know what actually is working or if you will develop dependency. Go slowly and go from the simple to the heavy hitters. Many of the stronger herbs and EOs have more contradictions and thus not safe for all.
Drink Tea
- Chamomile (4-6g per 8 oz) is gentle and its only stipulation is to avoid if you have a ragweed allergy.
- Kava Kava (1 teaspoon per 8 oz) is great for stress and anxiety based sleep issues, but be aware it can cause feeling inebriated (limit alcohol use) and it should be used for 3 months or less. If you are a woman, avoid if you are pregnant or nursing. Avoid if diagnosed with severe clinical depression.
- A Night time blend tea – there are many good ones you can buy, with a mix of herbs known to help promote sleep and calm the body (chamomile, passionflower, linden flower).
Use aromatherapy in a diffuser or spray – either to encourage sleep or to help you wake up
Mix these into vodka (or odorless alcohol) in spray bottle. 2 oz vodka to 10-15 drops of EO blend
Calming Sleep blend
7 drops of mandarin
35 drops of sweet orange
2 drops of chamomile
1 drop of lavender
Fatigue Buster blend (for AM use)
6 drops of peppermint
5 drops of rosemary
4 drops of grapefruit
Never Quarrel Linen Spray
– An old legend states that couples with lavender scented sheets will never quarrel. Lavender is approved by the German Commission E to reduce anxiety and help with sleep.
Take a Bath with bath salts using just lavender or a sleep blend.
Body Butter or lotion
Use your favorite lotion recipe and place one of the above blends to help you sleep or wake up. Maybe have the Fatigue Buster in a hard lotion bar in your purse to use throughout the day while a nice creamy whipped body butter with this sleep blend or another from the other article right before bed.
Melatonin
This is best used when a time shift or jet lag occurs. Or for those who work rotating shifts. There are ways to naturally promote melatonin which is talked about in Go to Bed by Paleo Mom for her 14 day sleep challenge. A good dose for the average 150lb adult is 0.25-0.5mg.
Valarian Herb is the last thing to try
It’s like Valium but is not habit forming. It’s best to use a standardized tincture so that you receive a standardized dose of active compounds. Look for a 300-500mg tincture. Do not take while pregnant it is related to an herb known to cause miscarriages.