The art of a good night’s sleep

…and Sleep

Over the years, one of the questions I get asked most is, can you recommend essential oils that help with sleep?

We all crave a good night’s sleep and know how it feels when our sleep is disturbed. It may be stress and worries, work shift patterns, hormone changes, or children or pets that wake us in the night (thinking of my little dog Jasper, who woke me up twice this week in the middle of the night).

Now I’m in my menopausal years, I’ve also experienced hot flushes in the night and restless legs which all add to disturbed sleep. I have a lot of friends and customers of a similar age who also have these issues and often ask me for recommendations.

Whether it’s having trouble getting to sleep or waking in the night, a combination of good sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques and specific essential oils can really help improve the quality of our rest.

When creating the scent for our sleep range, my focus was on choosing essential oils which aid relaxation, help us to unwind, and detach us from the day’s stresses. I also wanted to use oils that help to cool down night sweats. Here’s what I included:

Lavender – The most popular scent to calm and relax. It is also soothing and anti-inflammatory, great to cool the skin on warm evenings and for hot flushes.
Vetiver – Very soporific, grounding and eases nervous tension. From the roots of a tropical grass, this earthy, resinous scent, helps the mind to slow down and let go of the day’s worries.
Neroli– From the orange flower, this softly floral, fruity scent is luxurious and feminine. It instils a sense of peace and joy, like a summer holiday evening. A real emotional supporter
to help ease stress and anxiety.
Marjoram (Sweet) – Gentle and sedative, harmonising and eases aches, pains and cramps. It is an immune booster and mild expectorant, helping you to breathe deeply.
Clary Sage – A great harmoniser when you are feeling out of your natural rhythms. Wise, tranquil, euphoric, carrying you away from the logical mind. It also helps to ease muscle
cramps, aches and pains, or poor circulation.
Roman Chamomile– Cooling to the skin, gentle, soporific, anti-inflammatory. Anti-spasmodic, so helping to relieve tension.

This lovely blend of essential oils is in all products in our …And Sleep range and can be used in different ways to incorporate into your sleep rituals.

Rollerscent – Use on pulse points, under the nose or temples (avoid eyes), Take a deep breath, inhale the beautiful aroma and relax. Keep by your bedside and if you do wake in the night, put more under your nose and around your temples to ease you back into rest.

Pillow Spray – Spray lightly onto your pillow before you go to bed to create a soothing atmosphere for you to unwind in.

Bath Salts – After a stressful day, perfect for some ‘me’ time. Magnesium and Himalayan rock salts have been blended with our …And Sleep scent, to give you a deeply relaxing bath experience. The salts help to ease tensions, aches and pains, while the scent soothes the
day away.

Body Butter – our deeply nourishing body butter is very special! Mango, shea and cocoa butters are whipped together with deeply nourishing and regenerating rosehip, camellia, calendula and apricot oils and locally sourced rapeseed oil. Amazing for dry, maturing, skin and especially good to apply to your legs and feet, it you are feeling restless, hot or achy. Apply to chest area to cool hot flushes. Great to use all over your body after a soak in our…And Sleep Bath Salts.

Candle – Light this beautiful soya wax candle, when in the bath, or in the evening to create a calm environment. (Always extinguish a candle before you go to bed).

Sleep Hygiene and Relaxation Techniques

I spoke to Lynda Allison, nutrition and wellbeing expert from the Menopause Boutique who also gave me these great tips on creating good sleep hygiene practices and improving the quality of sleep.

The environment you sleep in is important and should be restful. Create a dark, quiet and cool space to sleep in.
Maintain a regular sleep pattern and ensure there is sufficient time to wind down before bed.
Screen time before bed is a stimulant, so cut out screens in the bedroom at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Disconnect from all devices, tablets, laptops and phones.
Think about cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, products containing nicotine and rich fatty foods several hours before bedtime. Ideally you shouldn’t go to bed hungry or very full.
Try relaxation and breathing techniques to unwind in the evening, meditation, baths, relaxing music are all helpful.

Menopause and Sleep

Lynda gave this advice especially for women going through peri-menopause and menopause.

Changes in hormone levels as we age can cause sleep disturbances, and sleep disturbances can alter hormone levels, turning into a vicious cycle. Shifts in hormones can cause changes to your appetite, mental wellbeing, heart health and even fertility. So how can we help ourselves?

Create a restful environment, keep your bedroom quiet, calm and dark.
Keep a cool temperature in the bedroom and use light, cotton or bamboo bed linen and nightwear.
Eat a healthy balanced diet and stay hydrated.
Avoid late night meals and spicy food, this could have an influence your body temperature. Avoid alcohol and caffeine too close to bedtime.
Include a quality supplement like magnesium to aid a restful night’s sleep. (For me this has really relieved my restless and achy legs, that was affecting my sleep patterns).
Exercise regularly.
Practice relaxation techniques, meditation or mindfulness to help reduce stress and
worries of the day. I find yoga nidra practice really helps too.