Yoga & Essential Oils For Better Sleep

Essential oils and yoga poses for better sleep

originally written on Feb 16 2017

So I know all you insomniacs are going to hate me after this first paragraph but had to give you some perspective.  Usually, I am a great sleeper.  I fall asleep right away and stay asleep. The only time I wake up is to go to the bathroom and yeah I usually have to pee in the middle of the night. Chris can even come in in the middle of the night after work and wake me up and I will fall right back asleep. I usually drift back into sleep even after getting up to go to the bathroom.

But some nights, oh some nights, when I am really stressed and have twenty million things on my brain I cannot fall asleep. For the life of me, I cannot fall asleep. I toss and turn and continue to think about how I am not sleeping.  This usually happens when I have to wake up for something earlier than normal or something new that I need to do in my week or something that I am particularly nervous for.  I stay up for hours thinking about how much sleep I am NOT getting and how exhausted I am going to be the next day.  I count back the amount of hours I have left to sleep. I obsess over if I am going to get enough sleep. Thoughts go through my head like “OMG you are going ot be exhausted tomorrow” and “You’re day is  going to suck if you don’t get some sleep.” In the past, this went on for hours, until out of sheer mental exhaustion I passed out. Now, in comes essential oils (and yoga!)

I use essential oils for SO many different points of my life. I use them as skin care, soap, mood lifters and homework helpers. Today, I am here to share with you the essential oils I use for better sleep and some recipes for you to use for better sleep.

ThE TOP 5 BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR SLEEP:

1. Serenity: a beautiful blend of many of the oils below plus some great others.(Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood and Vanilla Bean). this essential oils are used to help calm and soothe feelings of stress, excitement and anxiety in order to help the body maintain its natural state of health. Amazing for relaxation and sleep. I like to apply to my pulse points or diffuse it in my diffuser.

2. Lavender: Eases agitation, calming, aides in decreasing anxiety, soothing, help to decrease mood swings. Relaxation baby

3. Vetiver: super, super grounding. A beautiful woody smell that just reminds me of the woods as a child. Amazing to help balance the body and mind and help decrease scatterbrains. (I don't know about you but when I can't sleep it is usually because my brain is going a mile a minute)

4. Cedar wood: This the scent can induce the release of serotonin, which is converted into melatonin in the brain. Melatonin induces fatigue and calm, restorative sleep. For this reason, cedarwood aromatherapy is also recommended for people with chronic anxiety, stress, and depression, since it can help relieve those conditions as well. Great to use during yoga and to decrease tension.

5. Roman Chamomile: Has a calming effect on the skin, mind, and body. It aides in soothing the systems of the body and may help to support healthy immune system function.

RECIPES:

Sweet Sleep

In a small spray bottle mix:

• 20 drops of serenity

• 20 drops of Lavender

• 20 drops of Vetiver

• Fill the rest with filtered water

OR

• 20 drops of serenity

• 20 drops of Lavender

• 20 drops of Balance

• Fill the rest with filtered water

Spray either of these blends all over your bed, sheets, your significant other, you and inhale.

On to the yoga....

I highly recommend putting your PJs on, slathering yourself in essential oils, dim (or turn off) the lights and get cozy. Then do these three yoga poses.  That way you can snuggle right into bed as you gently lull yourself into sleep. I am also adding in a few poses that I didn't speak about last night just for fun

1.Child's pose:

So Grounding, so calming, I swear I could lay here all day (night?).

How: Start in tabletop, bring your toes to touch, knees out wide (as wide or as narrow as you would like) and sit your hips back on your hips.  Reach your arms long down your mat and connect your third eye/forehead to the bed.  Rock your forehead side to side. Stay here for 3-5 minutes or 10-20 breaths. Let your body sink into it.

2.  Happy Baby:

How: Laying on your back, hug your knees into your chest.  Drawing your knees towards your shoulders, grab the outside of your feet and draw your feet towards stacking over your knees.  You can grab onto your shins, ankles or feet.  Rock side to side, massaging your low back, opening up your hips.

3. Supta Badha Konasana: Reclined Bound Angle:

Another fav for me.

How: Laying on your back bring the soles of your feet to touch, knees out wide.  If this is too much on your hips you can place blocks under your knees to take some weight off your hips.  Place on hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Watch and feel the rise and the fall of your breath. Stay for 3-5 minutes or 10-20 breaths.

Bonus poses!

Legs up the wall:

SO restorative.. seriously 15 minutes up at the wall is like a 45 minute nap.

How: Scoot your bum as close to the wall as you can and let your legs relax agains the wall. Hands can lay by your side or on your chest and belly.  Close your eyes and breath here.

Spinal Twist

How: Hug your knees into your chest and give yourself a big squeeze.  Extend your left leg long done your mat and hug your right knee into your chest. Extend your right arm out to the side in the T, bring your right knee across your body.  Repeat on the opposite side.

MMMM sweet sleep is coming your way.

I hope you all have a wonderful nights sleep and have feel cozy, warm and lovely tonight.

Namaste!