Essential oils give flowers, herbs, spices and fruit their characteristic scents. But these fragrant plant essences do far more than just provide pleasing aromas. In Ayurveda, essential oils and herbs have been used for easing physical and psychological disorders including sleep problems.
Research now shows that essential oils with calming properties such as lavender, jasmine and rose, elicit alpha and theta brain waves, which induce relaxation. In fact, lavender essential oil has been proven to improve sleep. A study in the British medical journal Lancet reported that lavender helped participants fall asleep more quickly and helped them sleep longer. Lavender has also been used in dental offices to help ease anxiety in patients with dental phobia. It actually calmed these patients down tremendously.
Essential oils can be used in a variety of way to enhance a Blissful sleep. Make a simple body room spray by combining 10 to 20 drops of an essential oil such as lavender with distilled water in a 4 ounce spray bottle, shake it gently and spray it on your pillows, sheets and bedding prior to retiring to sleep.
If you are a person that likes to take a bath you can try this; soak in a warm bath with 4 to 10 drops of an essential oil one hour before bedtime and let the slumber of Bliss take over your body. Some wonderful essential oils to use for a bath of bliss that leads to Blissful Slumber are: Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Marjoram, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, Vetiver, and Ylang ylang.
Another way to enhance Blissful sleep is to make a warm or hot beverage utilize herbs that are good for sleeping. An herbal tea made of dried chamomile flowers, dried lemon balm and dried passionflower is a yummy and soothing way to induce a blissful sleep. The aroma from the herbs are not only pleasing to smell, they actually stimulate the sleep receptors in the brain that begin the release of the sleep inducing hormones within the body.
Studies have shown that passionflower improved sleep quality and can be an effective treatment for insomnia. Lemon Balm has been used for ages to naturally calm anxiety, nervousness and insomnia and since chamomile has powerful sedative effects, its great for reducing anxiety and insomnia too. The combination of these 3 herbs makes for a Blissful Slumber Herbal Tea that can be enjoyed whenever needed without addictive effects.
The next time sleep is evading you, try a lavender essential oil warm bath or some Blissful Slumber Herbal Tea and allow the essence of the aromas bring therapeutic slumber to you.
Wishing you a Blissful Sleep!
