Essential Oils and The Importance of Sleep

If you’re reading this, then yes you need sleep! Sleep is often a priority on the human being existence list that often gets put on the backburner as we let stress, business and our endless too-do lists take over our lives. We were made to sleep for a reason, just as we were made to eat healthy and move our bodies through exercise. If you’re like most of the population, there are so many distractions life throws at us that we constantly feel the need to be doing something or knocking another thing off our agendas. Why sleep when you could be getting things done?

I encourage you to step back for a minute and think about how much sleep you’re really getting. Did you know it’s recommended that the average adult get 7-9 hours of sleep, young children should receive 9-12 hours of sleep and teenagers 8-10 hours? If you received the required amount of sleep each night, just imagine how well you could perform the tasks on your to- do list! You’d be full of energy, able to focus and put all your effort into your day. Sometimes we feel we need to stay awake and work at all hours to complete life’s demands, however, most of the time we aren’t actually going about our tasks full of energy- I know I’m sure not! By sleeping more, we could actually be making more efficient use of our time when we are awake, well rested. Our minds can handle stress better, process information quicker, keep our bodies healthy and maintain a more positive outlook on life.

What happens when we sleep?

Humans were made to experience sleep in cycles and alternating phases. Each phase involves a different activity. After the mental and physical stimulation, we experience throughout the day, our bodies need time to recover and re-energize. It’s a time of renewal and repair. Muscle repair takes place along with memory merging and hormone secretion for regulation. A lack of sleep hurts our ability to make decisions and concentrate.

Why we need sleep?

• Stress Management
  • Sleep for reduced stress and anxiety could very well be the greatest benefit for us as humans as we run very, busy high-speed, high achieving lives. How often are we on the go, neglecting our own body’s needs, particularly when it comes to sleep? When we are deprived of sleep, we are certainly not able to perform physically or mentally at our top abilities. Think about it this way, our cars need maintenance every once in a while and fueled weekly. If we don’t provide those things, our cars are going to give us some troubles, as they aren’t obtaining what’s needed. The same goes for sleep and our bodies. We will be crankier, more likely to react negatively towards others and situations, small situations or curve balls will take over causing a huge feeling of stress and overwhelm if we allow ourselves to become sleep deprived.
• Increased Productivity
  • Good sleep has shown to improve memory performance while increasing problem solving abilities, leading to an overall increase in one’s daily productivity.
• Better Athletic Performance
  • By allowing one’s body to rest and preform cellular repairs, our muscles can recover faster providing us with the ability to run faster and improve accuracy. I mean who doesn’t want to be stronger and faster?
• Aids in a Stronger Immune System
  • A lack of sleep (less than 6 hours) is bad news for your little immunity warriors. A lack of sleep will make us more susceptible to sickness and recovery time from a virus will be significantly affected.
• Healing & Repair
  • Not only does the amount of time you sleep matter, but also the quality of sleep. We want our bodies to go through all the stages of sleep, allowing for true healing and repair. By not getting high quality sleep, the body isn’t able to make all the necessary repairs needed. By preforming cellular repairs leading to healing, we are helping our bodies detox of toxins and invaders which could lead to a decreased risk of developing disease and illness.

Natural Remedies

Sometimes we need a little help in calming our minds when their racing with things that seem critical, but can wait until later to tackle. It’s hard to shut off the brain’s endless cycle of thought at the end of a busy day, but it’s necessary. And trust me, I get it! So what can you do?

• • Enjoy herbal teas
  • Use essential oils
  • Listen to calming music while falling asleep
  • Take Melatonin- natural supplement for sleep, also produced in the body, but sometimes our bodies have trouble making enough
  • Take Calcium- being deficient in calcium actually impacts our sleep. Our brains rely on calcium to produce melatonin, as mentioned above, a naturally produced sleep aid.
  • Use Topical Magnesium to help relax your bodies muscles.
  • Use Lavender BodyTox Patches while sleeping for a relaxing and smell good experience.

Getting better sleep, whether it be more soundly or for longer hours each night, is going to take dedicated work on your end to make some important lifestyle changes. However, anything is possible! And don’t you want to restore your energy and wake up feeling ready to enjoy life at your best? Keeping a routine of waking up at the same time each day and setting a consistent bedtime will ensure adequate sleep. After all, just remember: sleep is just as vital as diet and exercise, so sleep your way to a more energetic, stress-free and vibrant life!