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![[photo]-Sleep Easy](http://www.divine.ca/en/upload/articles/bde066a5943701ecea1ffb07467f8f89.jpg)
Do you lie in bed wide awake at night, tossing and turning because your body just won’t shut down? Not getting enough zzzs could impair your concentration, delay your body’s reactions to different stimuli, and make you prone to depression—among other risks. But don’t despair; if you regularly have trouble falling asleep, there are different strategies you can try that should make it easier to doze off once you get under the covers. 1. Make your bedroom a sleep-only zone. 2. Stick to a regular, calming pre-bedtime ritual. 3. Make an effort to go to bed at the same time every day. 4. Take a warm bath before you go to bed. Tip: For an extra-calming bath experience, add a capful of a lavender-scented bubble bath to the water. This delicate purple flowering plant is said to have calming effects—on top of smelling absolutely marvelous—and is often used as sleep aid. 5. Drink a cup of warm milk with honey. |
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one great thing i do when i can't sleep is something similiar to the breathing exercise... after you have concentrated on the breathing in and out... imagine you feel your feet relax, then your ankles, then your calves, etc. Work your way up to your head. I know I fall asleep before I even get to head. -
I always drink a cup of warm milk before I go to bed, works very good for me! -
have to try some of these tips and see if they work -
but the lavendar if you can't stand the smell or are alergic to it , what else do you use
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I realized my problem was not having a set "bed time". I would often stay up until all hours. Now that I have a time set that I have to turn out my light by, I'm sleeping much better. I've also tried some of these tips and they've helped as well. :-)
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Yes, I have a glass of warm milk every night and it does help me fall asleep but I don't put any honey in it. -
I find if I talk to my body parts in my mind starting with my toes and telling each part to relax, it really helps.
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OK I have to ask, as one with major troubles sleeping these past few months... States in this article to try to go to sleep at roughly the same time every night, but yet NOT to go to bed if you're not 'sleepy'...anyone else see the dilema here? I'm sleepy all_day_long - Dr. says not to nap, but come 'bedtime' I usually get a 'second wind' and end up tossing and turning every night for 2-4 hrs, then waking up at my normal time no matter HOW tired I am.... hmmm... suggestions anyone?
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There is a relaxation technique that works wonders. Start at your toes and squeeze them together and then relax them. Do the same with all body parts right up to your hairline. I think anyone would/could benefit from this.
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Sleep Wake Disorders Association of Toronto www.geocities.com/swdatoronto
this
Aromatherapy Lover
November 29, 2010 at 6:06 am
November 29, 2010 at 6:06 am
If you don't like the smell of lavender, I have some other suggestions: However, I wouldn't use lavender bubble bath ( no offense meant), as bubble baths can cause yeast infections, so I only use essential oils. Lavender is my favourite, but if you don't like the smell of lavender, and be aware with essential oils (EOs) you only need a few drops, there's many others you can try. Sorry if I am repeating any others' suggestions, I just quickly read through them.
You can try chamomile EO, or Melissa (better known as Lemon Balm...the leaves are a great tea too, as is the Chamomile, of course). You can try Neroli (it's quite pricey though, but very nice all around scent. there's also Rose (Rosa damascena) EO, which can be pricey. Real sandalwood oil is really really expensive, and if you can get a small 15ml Indian sandalwood from the Mysore region or Sri Lankan for under 65 dollars, it's not real sandalwood, so don't buy it; the only real sandalwood in that size that you can get for under 40 is from Africa, and I've never used it, so I can't personally recommend it, but it does get good reviews and may be worth a try. Sweet Majoram, Ylang Ylang (the y is silent) and Jasmine also have sedative properties. I also use 4 to 8 cups of epsom salts with a few drops of these EOs (the EOs will disperse better if you drop the EOs in a teaspoon of Grapeseed or Sweet Almond oil and then swirl that combo in the bath. Plus it will have the added benefit of softening your skin, You can also combine some of the EOs as they can have a synergistic effect. The more epsom salts the better, and stay in the bath at least 20 minutes. This is also helpful for pain conditions. Scrubbing the salts on the bottom of your feet is great for loosening up tough skin. And it's really just a great all round skin exfoliant. Be ready to go to bed right after your bath too! You will probably want to go to bed! A cup of warm chamomile tea might be nice too, while bathing.***** And if you're pregnant, please make sure to look up the essential oil you want to try as some are not good to be using when you're pregnant.
Hope this can help some of you! Sweet dreams. Of course you can also use a few drops on a tissue or small old cut up t shirt and stick that in your pillowcase. I hope to get a nebulizer for my bedroom when I can afford one. (they are about 65 Cdn) And are great for dispersing the EOs. And don't heat them and destroy their therapeutic values.
Oh, and for me buckwheat pillows have been the bomb, as they say. I've been through so many different types. I have two, ....no actually 3 now, which I rotate by sticking them in the freezer, because I don't like having a hot head at night, since I sleep with a heating pad for the rest of my body. Yeah, I know....I have strange strange bed time rituals, but I've dealt with chronic pain/fatigue with no sleep, for over a decade now and I have finally gotten some really deep sleep using a combo of these methods. Sometimes, I can even skip the bath, because of that buckwheat pillow!. Those pillows don't work for everyone, so seek out a company that will give you a refund. Some actually do, after a 6 month try out. And make sure you get one with a zipper, so you can adjust the quantity of buckwheat that works best for you. It's also better to use organic buckwheat grown in North America. Everything else, organic or not, grown outside NA, will get fumigated at the border (don't know why, because buckwheat hulls don't attract bed bugs or dust mites; another bonus!). And you don't want those nasty chemicals right next to your face,.....where your NOSE is; and your mouth! Yikes. Not sure if I am allowed to list the company that has the 6 month warranty, so I won't for now, because I've written a lot here and don't want it wasted on being accused of spamming. I also know a very reputable EO company that has all the EOs I listed and often many different types from different regions. Those who don't like lavender, may find they do, if they choose a different one! Ya never know. I have no vested interest in either company (though I'd like to, because they are both awesome, run by awesome people who seem to care about customer service, which seems at a premium these days. How rare that is, that thing called customer service. So yeah, I don't own any stock in these companies though I wish I could; I'm on a small disability pension so "portfolio"...."what's that?" I just don't like knowing there are other people struggling with insomnia and/or pain. Oh and I'm in Canada, but the EO site has a US website. Same with the buckwheat place.
Sweet dreams everyone!
You can try chamomile EO, or Melissa (better known as Lemon Balm...the leaves are a great tea too, as is the Chamomile, of course). You can try Neroli (it's quite pricey though, but very nice all around scent. there's also Rose (Rosa damascena) EO, which can be pricey. Real sandalwood oil is really really expensive, and if you can get a small 15ml Indian sandalwood from the Mysore region or Sri Lankan for under 65 dollars, it's not real sandalwood, so don't buy it; the only real sandalwood in that size that you can get for under 40 is from Africa, and I've never used it, so I can't personally recommend it, but it does get good reviews and may be worth a try. Sweet Majoram, Ylang Ylang (the y is silent) and Jasmine also have sedative properties. I also use 4 to 8 cups of epsom salts with a few drops of these EOs (the EOs will disperse better if you drop the EOs in a teaspoon of Grapeseed or Sweet Almond oil and then swirl that combo in the bath. Plus it will have the added benefit of softening your skin, You can also combine some of the EOs as they can have a synergistic effect. The more epsom salts the better, and stay in the bath at least 20 minutes. This is also helpful for pain conditions. Scrubbing the salts on the bottom of your feet is great for loosening up tough skin. And it's really just a great all round skin exfoliant. Be ready to go to bed right after your bath too! You will probably want to go to bed! A cup of warm chamomile tea might be nice too, while bathing.***** And if you're pregnant, please make sure to look up the essential oil you want to try as some are not good to be using when you're pregnant.
Hope this can help some of you! Sweet dreams. Of course you can also use a few drops on a tissue or small old cut up t shirt and stick that in your pillowcase. I hope to get a nebulizer for my bedroom when I can afford one. (they are about 65 Cdn) And are great for dispersing the EOs. And don't heat them and destroy their therapeutic values.
Oh, and for me buckwheat pillows have been the bomb, as they say. I've been through so many different types. I have two, ....no actually 3 now, which I rotate by sticking them in the freezer, because I don't like having a hot head at night, since I sleep with a heating pad for the rest of my body. Yeah, I know....I have strange strange bed time rituals, but I've dealt with chronic pain/fatigue with no sleep, for over a decade now and I have finally gotten some really deep sleep using a combo of these methods. Sometimes, I can even skip the bath, because of that buckwheat pillow!. Those pillows don't work for everyone, so seek out a company that will give you a refund. Some actually do, after a 6 month try out. And make sure you get one with a zipper, so you can adjust the quantity of buckwheat that works best for you. It's also better to use organic buckwheat grown in North America. Everything else, organic or not, grown outside NA, will get fumigated at the border (don't know why, because buckwheat hulls don't attract bed bugs or dust mites; another bonus!). And you don't want those nasty chemicals right next to your face,.....where your NOSE is; and your mouth! Yikes. Not sure if I am allowed to list the company that has the 6 month warranty, so I won't for now, because I've written a lot here and don't want it wasted on being accused of spamming. I also know a very reputable EO company that has all the EOs I listed and often many different types from different regions. Those who don't like lavender, may find they do, if they choose a different one! Ya never know. I have no vested interest in either company (though I'd like to, because they are both awesome, run by awesome people who seem to care about customer service, which seems at a premium these days. How rare that is, that thing called customer service. So yeah, I don't own any stock in these companies though I wish I could; I'm on a small disability pension so "portfolio"...."what's that?" I just don't like knowing there are other people struggling with insomnia and/or pain. Oh and I'm in Canada, but the EO site has a US website. Same with the buckwheat place.
Sweet dreams everyone!
dvd
Décember 28, 2010 at 6:27 am
Décember 28, 2010 at 6:27 am
funny
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Thanks :)