The Importance of Sleep...

Sleep is extremely important for maintaining health and wellness in all aspects of our lives. The right amount of quality sleep is essential because it helps to keep us free from illness and keeps our memory sharp. It really is as important as eating and drinking so we should give proper attention to our sleeping habits. Without sleep, our bodies would not function well.

Unfortunately though, some of us suffer from insomnia. Insomnia is a disorder whereby a person develops a real problem by not being able to get to sleep and then in some cases, with actually staying asleep once they manage to drift off. People suffering with insomnia do not get the required sleep and rest needed for a healthy life.

When a person experiences the symptoms of insomnia more than three or four times in a week and it negatively impacts on that person's daily life, it is time to seek the advice of a health care provider.

Here is a short example of each of the types of insomnia:

Transient Insomnia

This form of insomnia is normally caused by stress, anxiety, or on the flip side this type of insomnia can be caused by excitement. The good news is that this kind of insomnia only usually lasts for a two to three nights at any one time.

Short-term Insomnia

This sort of insomnia is best explained as an insomnia that arises for only a short period of time. It is thought that this type of insomnia is mostly caused by stress.

Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia is the worst of the three kinds of insomnia and is characterized by poor sleep every night and frequently results from a mixture of factors, as well as basic physical or mental disorders.

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation

As I mentioned above, being deprived of sleep is not at all good for the body or the mind. In fact sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture.

There is a whole host of ways that sleep deprivation can negatively affect the human mind, body and spirit. Being deprived of sleep can negatively affect memory and mental function, it can cause headaches, it can lower the persons immunity so they are more likely to become ill than if they were able to get the right amount of sleep. It can cause stress and anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease and psychosis.

We really do need the correct amount of sleep in order to feel refreshed and ready for a new day and also to feel revitalised.

Another important reason why we really should be getting enough sleep is that when we don’t have enough sleep we are prone to accidents and particularly car accidents, which puts ourselves and others at serious risk of injury or even death.

A healthy balanced, happy day is much more likely with the right amount of sleep.

Why not try essential oils as an aid for better sleep?

Essential oils for people suffering with insomnia

• Chamomile Roman

• Nutmeg

• Marjoram

• Lavender

• Benzoin

• Clary-Sage

• Vetiver

• Hops

• Valerian

General Essential Oil Bath Blend for Insomniacs

• Clary-Sage – 3 drops

• Lavender – 2 drops

• Vetiver – 2 drops

• Valerian – 1 drop

Blend together in a brown bottle and use 3 drops per bath. You can also use 2 drops per 5 ml of a carrier oil for a body rub or massage.

Essential Oil Foot Blend for Insomniacs

• Marjoram – 3 drops

• Chamomile Roman – 3 drops

• Lavender – 1 drop

• Valerian – 1 drop

Blend together in a brown bottle and use 2 drops in a foot bath.