How Essential Oils Can Help With Poor Sleeping Habits

Getting the sleep you need is critical in ensuring optimal health, preventing moodiness, and maintaining motivation. For most adults, experts recommend a range of 7-9 hours as appropriate for health and well-being. In order to get the sleep we need, essential oils can help change the way we prepare.

Here are some common examples of poor sleeping habits, and how you can change them.

1. Using tablets, laptops, or phones in bed: It’s tempting to get that last peek on your devices before calling it a night, but exposure to the bright light could make falling asleep much more difficult by suppressing your body’s melatonin.

What to do instead: Many of us are attached to our phones, so making the bedroom a screen-free zone may not seem desirable. If you can’t get yourself to shut off the device, try limiting screen time to an hour or two before bed.

2. Exercising too soon before bed: Did you know that exercising can actually boost melatonin and make falling asleep easier? With this in mind, be sure to time your workout to prevent any interference with your bedtime. 

What to do instead: A morning workout is ideal since exposure to morning daylight will boost the natural circadian rhythm. If that doesn’t sound plausible for your schedule, make sure you leave a three to four window between your workout and sleep.

3. Eating too late: Not only can big meals or heavy snacks stimulate your body and potentially ruin sleep, but they can also lead to heartburn when you lie down.

What to do instead: Obviously, hunger can be enough to keep you up at night, so you don’t need to ignore your stomach. Keep your snacks light and healthy, but satisfying. An apple with cheese or whole grain toast with nut butter has the perfect amount of protein and carbs to keep you satisfied but not full.  

4. Drinking alcohol or caffeine: Many people don’t realize how disruptive afternoon caffeine or a nightcap can be to a good night’s rest. Caffeine‘s effects can linger in your system for 4-7 hours and can be found in chocolate and tea. Alcohol may make you feel sleepy, but, similarly to caffeine, it is a stimulant that can fragment your sleep cycle as it is metabolized.

What to do instead: Skip coffee after 2 p.m. and consider taking a quick walk or increasing your water intake instead. The better your sleep becomes, the less you’ll need that pick-me-up. As far as alcohol is concerned, skip the drink altogether, or simply restrict consumption to earlier in the night.

5. Inconsistent sleep schedule: When you have a day off from work, it is not uncommon to take advantage by staying up late and sleeping in while you can. This may feel good at the moment, but you could be disrupting your body’s natural rhythm and negatively impacting your sleep for the rest of the week.

What to do instead: Consider sticking to the same sleep schedule for the entire week. Go to sleep at a reasonable hour, and wake up when your body is used to waking up. Need a boost in the morning? Try our Good Morning Synergy Blend to help energize you. And don’t forget - it’s the weekend, so feel free to set time aside in the early afternoon for a short nap (between 15 and 90 minutes).

How Essential Oils Can Improve Sleep

Start your routine with a shower or bath, listen to calm music, or drink some warm milk or herbal tea. Incorporate essential oils into this nighttime send-off to calm your mind and promote deep sleep. Our Good Night Synergy Blend and Sleep Ease Synergy Blend are fantastic additions to any routine. You can also add the following oils to your Ultrasonic Ceramic Diffuser 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime to set yourself up for success.

1. Buddha Wood essential oil: The aroma of Buddha Wood essential oil is subtle and incredibly balanced, with woodsy, mossy, and light leathery-smoky notes.This oil can inspire grounding and relax your body at night. For a sweeter aroma, try it with Lavender.
2. Valerian essential oil: Considered a powerhouse for sleep aid, this highly effective essential oil is a must have to those in need of restful sleep. To balance its aroma, add a couple drops of this oil to other sleep blends or any of our Lavenders.
3. Roman Chamomile essential oil: Roman Chamomile essential oil has a distinctive ‘herbal’ sweet aroma. It exudes relaxation and promotes peaceful rest. As a bonus, this oil can also ease allergy symptoms
4. Peru Balsam essential oil: Peru Balsam, with its woody and sweet aroma, may help to carry us into sweet dreams. Diffuse on its own to evoke an aroma of marshmallows over a campfire, or combine with any of the other oils in this list to add a calm sweetness.
5. Sweet Marjoram essential oil: Not only is this blend conducive for a flawless night’s rest, it can also stop snoring in its tracks by helping you expel and inhale air more easily. With its dry, medicinal aroma, Sweet Marjoram pairs well with other oils and is often in included in sleep blends.      

Encourage positive sleep habits for your kids as well! Make getting ready for bed a positive experience for the whole family by avoiding electronic devices, having a good night chat or reading a story, and sticking to a routine. Our OK For Kids blends Sound Asleep and Sleepy Head can help them drift off into a deep slumber and achieve a full night’s rest.