Aromatherapy Sleep Solutions

Essential oils can be used for an aromatherapy sleep solution. Most people have difficulties with sleep at some point in their lives. Some have trouble getting to sleep and others have trouble staying asleep.

These sleeping difficulties may be caused by a number of different things, from stress, trauma, and negative memories to physical things such as food and drink choices during the evening, a mineral deficiency, a colon or liver that needs cleansing, or an imbalance in certain body organs. Or you may just be so happily excited about what’s going to be happening tomorrow that sleep just won’t come! The best essential oil solution may depend in part of what is causing the insomnia.

Many people know about lavender’s reputation for helping with sleep, yet there are a number of oils and combinations of oils that can also be helpful. Here’s a partial list of single oils that have been helpful to a number of people.

• Cedarwood
• Cistus hystrix
• Lavender
• Mandarin
• Orange
• Roman chamomile
• Valerian

It’s common to begin your essential oil journey with single oils, but after awhile, people typically discover the magic of essential oil blends. The blends that I typically share with people include the following:

• Dream Catcher
• Gentle Baby
• Harmony
• Peace & Calming
• RutaVaLa
• Trauma Life (when the sleep issue is due to trauma)
• Valor

Which oil(s) works best for one person may be different from the oil(s) that works best for another person.

Of these blends, RutaVaLa is the newest. It is comprised of ruta, a plant found in Ecuador, valerian, and lavender. In Ecuador, the ruta is often used for crying babies. The parents simply take a frond from the ruta plant and wave it over the crying baby, who then usually falls asleep instantly. This is item #3419 at http://www.EssentialOilsProducts.com.

How can you use essential oils for an aromatherapy sleep solution? There are many choices, so I’ll just share some of the quick and easy ones here.

• Sprinkle or spritz on bed linens.
• Spritz around the bedroom.
• Put a few drops on a cotton ball and rub the cotton ball on pillows or leave inside the pillow or room vents.
• Inhale directly from the bottle.
• Apply topically, for example, at the back of the neck, just above where the neck meets the head or on the soles of the feet. Always check the Essential Oils Desk Reference for recommendations on how to safely apply the oils topically.
• Add a few drops to a full tub of bath water, and again, check the Essential Oils Desk Reference for which oils may be safely used this way.
• Mix 5-10 drops of the essential oil in ¼ cup of Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, or bath gel base. Hold under a running faucet while adding to water in the tub.
• Enjoy the luxury of a pre-bedtime massage with your favorite sleep oil. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the giver or the receiver – both of you will be relaxed and ready for sleep when you’re finished!
• For great aromatherapy sleep, diffuse- usually beginning half an hour before bedtime.

Diffusing deserves a paragraph of its own. In past times, people had simple diffusers such as small clay pots. As more types of diffusers became available, some people hooked them up to timers. Recently, an ultrasonic diffuser with eight different timing selections became available.

The new ultrasonic diffuser (#4456) has eight different choices for diffusing.

• 45%, 75% or 100%
• Continuously until low water level is reached, after which it shuts off automatically
• Continuously for two hours
• Cycle of 5 seconds on and 40 seconds off
• Cycle of 15 seconds on and 50 seconds off
• Cycle of 30 minutes on and 15 minutes offThis diffuser also has the option of colored lights or a cycle in which they rotate. It’s fun for young and old alike!

There are two bottom lines when it comes to using essential oils with sleeping issues.

1. It helps to know what is causing it.
2. The Essential Oils Desk Reference is the best way to select (1) the correct oil and (2) how best to use it.

Have fun with this! If you have a favorite essential oil recipe for an aromatherapy sleep solution, I’d love for you to share it with me.