A Good Night

Today I spent the afternoon with my friend Corbin, a writer and a mother of two. We ate lunch, shared our current writing projects, and took a lovely walk through her neighborhood. Throughout our conversations, the subject of sleep emerged. We talked about lack of sleep, in particular, and the repercussions of this. Luckily, I have not experienced a great deal of insomnia in my life, but I know many who struggle with falling and staying asleep. And, I don’t know how parents endure years of interrupted sleep. Corbin, while certainly affected by lack of sleep, deals with it gracefully. For one thing, she takes naps, something I have just learned to do this past year.

My heart goes out to those of you who struggle with sleep on a regular basis. I know on a very small scale how one poor night sleep can adversely affect my day and how life can seem a little less vibrant and a tad blurry. I know that for many people, insomnia is a serious and constant struggle. A poor sleep cycle is hard to break, but there are things you can do to enhance your chance of a more peaceful night’s sleep. What I have to offer is from the realm of aromatherapy.

Try this: Aromatherapy Bath

Before bed, soak your tired bones in warm water filled with calming essential oils. Add to your bath 2 drops marjoram oil, 2 drops ylang ylang oil, 2 drops chamomile oil, and 2 drops lavender oil.

Try this: Nighttime Pillow Spritzer.

Pour distilled water into a spray bottle and add 3 drops lavender oil, 2 drops rose oil, 2 drops chamomile oil, and 2 drops ylang ylang oil. Spray your pillow and sheets–and the air—just before climbing into bed.



Note: Any one of the essential oils listed above can be used on its own. So, if all you have is lavender oil, use that for your bath and spritzer. I have given clients a simple lavender and ylang ylang spritzer, and many found it very calming before bed.