5 Simple Habits that will have you sleeping like a baby...

"I'll sleep when I am dead," "sleep is for wimps," "who needs sleep," "I'm too busy to sleep" were once common societal phrases. But times are a changing! Sleep is now an uncontested requirement of good health and has become one of the most widely talked about topics in the health, medical and sports fields. There is now an overwhelming body of evidence that confirms this. 

Most of us have experienced the negative impacts of poor sleep first hand.

Cranky, hungry, easily irritated, headaches, brain fog, low motivation - and that's just me after a single night of poor or shortened sleep!  

As it turns out sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause long-term health issues like depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, memory loss and death. It also exhibits immediate short-term negative impacts as well. These include decreased stress tolerance, decreased cognitive function, immune dysfunction and emotional instability. Are there any new mothers out there nodding their heads?

Sleep-deprived people report significantly greater subjective stress, anger, anxiety, and response to low-grade stress. Sleep loss also increases cortisol levels, which can be the beginning of Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis dysfunction (aka Adrenal Fatigue), and sleep deprivation also decreases short-term memory, reduces learning capacity, and causes a decline in mental stamina and reduction in attention. Not what we want for our children or ourselves!

Lack of sleep can be viewed as a chronic stressor. As the body tries to maintain homeostasis, sleep deprivation overloads the body’s capacity to do that, which results in increased disease risk.       

So if you are:

• Sleeping less than 7 hours a night?
• Struggling to fall to sleep?
• Waking often during the night?
• Feel like your becoming more forgetful, exhausted, unable to focus, unable to deal with stress?
• Not recovering well from exercise?
• Are craving sugar and or food all day?

Then it is time you start prioritizing and nailing your sleep ASAP! And it starts well before bedtime. 

1. Expose your skin and eyes to at least 30 minutes of sunlight every day (that is without sunglasses or sunscreen).

• When we absorb UVB rays through our skin, that leads to the production of the fat-soluble vitamin, Vitamins D (super duper important and Aussies are becoming alarmingly more deficient).
• Vit D triggers an enzyme called tryptophan hydroxylase which converts tryptophan into serotonin.
• Serotonin if you haven't heard is a really important neurotransmitter that regulates behavior, appetite, perceptions, memory, and emotions. It's our happy chemical. 
• Serotonin can then be converted into melatonin, our sleep hormone. 
• This can be broken up into morning, midday and afternoon. For example, eat your breakfast outside, enjoy your lunch or simply take a break and step out of the office. 

2. Power down your lights as the sun goes down

• Yep bring out the candles, turn off the ceiling lights and turn on the lamps.
• You also want to avoid looking into your electronic devices including the TV.
• Most electronic devices do have a form of night mode or brightness lowering action. Make sure this is on and set.
• Blue light is so much more suppressive on melatonin production (our sleep hormone).
• If the above all seems too hard for you but you're really serious, which you should be, get yourself some orange tinted glasses to pop on as the sun goes down.

3. Optimise you sleep nutrition

• Most people do best to go to bed neither too hungry nor too full.
• In terms of macronutrients, both very low-fat and very low-carb diets can also lead to insomnia.
• Carbs increase the ability of tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, to enter the pineal gland, so if you are on a low-carb diet and are having trouble sleeping, increasing carbs can make a huge difference.
• Glycine (an amino acid found in collagen-rich foods like bone broth or meat on the bone dishes) also promotes the uptake of tryptophan and the production of serotonin and melatonin, so eating eat nose-to-tail and making sure you are getting adequate glycine or you can supplement with either gelatin or glycine at night can help.
• Pre-Bed smoothie: Blend a banana + 2 Tblsp Great Lakes Collagen + Your choice of milk + cinnamon + vanilla powder + Coconut Yoghurt. 

4. Take a warm shower before bed, even better take a warm bath

• Baths are one of those things when you have them you never use them but when you don't all you dream about is taking a bath
• Hot water causes vasodilation of the blood vessels in your body which results in a decrease in sympathetic tone, therefore, gives you that "Awwww" feeling when standing and sitting in warm water.
• This can be an easy and effective strategy for getting you into a more restful state prior to sleep. 

5. Essential oils

• Essential oils contain super small compounds that when applied to the skin can rapidly penetrate the tissues and enter the bloodstream exerting their many effects of which calming, relaxing and soothing can help with sleep
• The chemical components in Lavender essential oil have been shown to enter the bloodstream within 5 minutes of massaging the oil on the skin. The 1992 study that showed this, also demonstrated that maximum concentration levels were observed within 20 minutes and most of the lavender was eliminated at 90 minutes. 
• This may seem like a bad thing but I see it as a huge advantage as most sleep medications take hours if not days to be eliminated from your body and often require metabolism and elimination via our liver or kidneys. This can put pressure on those systems and often leave residual side effects.  In the words of a 2014 systematic review of the literature, “A majority of the study findings suggested a positive effect of essential oils for sleep. Lavender was the most frequently studied essential oil. No adverse events were reported.”

For those who already have a doTERRA wholesale account - this month, receive this product for free by placing a single LRP order of over 125PV through the Australian or New Zealand warehouse between 1-15 May!

Now it isn' just Lavender oil that helps with sleep albeit it's a goodie and has the most research behind it. 

I've never had a problem with my sleep. But the first time I applied my doTERRA Lavender to my temples before bed and diffused it beside my bed I woke up having experienced a different level of sleep. It literally felt like I went to La La Land. This has been one of the biggest feedbacks I have received from peeps in my oily tribe. And if you want to step it up to the next level... Lavender Peace Baby! A blend of lavender, cedarwood, Ho Wood, Ylang Ylang, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Vetiver, Hawaiian Sandalwood). Peace had me in a dream state, which I actually don't usually achieve. 

Ok, so what if you aren't a lavender fan (gasp). What other oils can help with sleep:

A lot actually so I will try to narrow it down:

• Vetiver (referred to as "liquid valium")
• Roman Chamomile 
• Bergamot
• Frankincense
• Cedarwood
• Juniper Berry (often used for night terrors)
• Ylang Ylang
• Neroli
• Clary Sage 
• Pettigran 

DoTerra actually has a whole PDF on sleep and essential oils. Sing out if you want it ok.  

How to use essential oils for sleep:

• 1-2 drops in the diffuser next to your bed. Goodnight!
• Apply 1-2 drops on your temples and to the back of your neck 
• Drop a few drops onto the floor of your shower and let the steam lift the aroma. Plus, you'll feel all goddessy as the smell seeps into your hair and skin (Clary Sage, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Roman Chamomile work well for this as they are great for skin too)
• Add a few drops (or more) with some Epsom salts into a warm bath (and be grateful you have a bath you lucky duck)
• Make up a pillow spritzer with a few drops of essential oil in water and mist over your pillow. Don't saturate it, that wouldn't be cool!
• Apply to the soles of your feet. This is a good way when using oils for sleep with children. Remeber always dilute, use less oil than you would on an adult and stick to oils like Frank, Lavender, Roman Chamomile that tend to be very gentle. 
• Add to your tea. eg. Roman chamomile to your chamomile tea or Bergamot to your earl grey. 
• Con your partner into a message - you deserve it Babe!

There you have it. Try these five super simple yet very effective routines TODAY and continue for the next month. Report back! 

If you are still struggling with low energy, fatigue, inability to recover, hormonal issues, gut issues, sleep problems then it is time to dig a little deeper. You can request to work with me here. 

And if you want to get your hands on beautiful quality, pure and potent doTERRA essential oils to support your sleep and so much more then please reach out! You can also take a read of why I chose to incorporate doTERRA essential oils into my business here and the low down on how to order them here.  

Love

Chantel x

IT'S SIMPLE: Essential Oils Work (find out how you can use them daily)

Most of you by now will be aware that yes, I've turned into "another one of those" oil people. You can read about why I have chosen to get on the oil bandwagon here. And no the primary reason is not to "sell" you something or to make millions of dollars or to lock you into a network marketing company etc etc. 

The truth is, the quality of oils (and products) + the integrity of the company + my experience with them + my love for their properties has fuelled a passion inside of me that allows me to authentically share them with people who genuinely want to know more about them and utilise them for their health and their families health. Am I rewarded for sharing the oils - yes. Do I intend to pursue the business opportunities - yes, I would be crazy not to. 

This doesn't feel like work. I love researching and learning about the oils, hearing the amazing stories of success, speaking to like-minded people about how they use them and find benefits from the oils, supporting a company that so generously gives back to those who support them, and sharing this with you all. 

YES, YES I DO! (THANKFULLY JAN ACTUALLY DOES STAY UP LISTENING TO MY LATE NIGHT OIL TALK. THANKS ANYWAY RYAN. 

So let's dive in. I am going to start with a typical day. 

My morning routine.

Firstly, do you have a morning routine? Turns out that all the "successful" people do. And most credit their success to this so-called morning routine. I am taking  putting quotations because it has become such a thing, that I kind of have to laugh. Whilst I myself do actually have a morning routine that spans beyond the oils,  I am going to share my oil morning routine with you. Now if you are a busy mum or just busy, then YOU my dear, need this routine THE MOST.

Think of it as one minute (that's all I am asking) of bliss just for you. You deserve a minute. Actually, you deserve many minutes but let's start there for brevity and compliance. 

So you've showered, you're dressed or are about to get dressed and you go to wherever your oil stash lives.

Here's what you do:

BALANCE

• Apply Balance, doTERRAs grounding blend, to the soles of both feet. A few drops will do.
• Before putting the lid on give it a good deep sniff. This blend helps one to stay present and teaches one to ground their energy to stay focused on their goal. It is also helpful for calming overactive children who have difficulting settling down (so I am told and have read). 
• I sometimes apply this to my temples. There are days when I feel like drowning myself in the whole bottle of Balance. It was one of my first oils that I purchased after my enrollment kit and I still use it everyday. 

CLARYCALM

• Next up is, ClaryCalm, the woman's monthly blend. A combination of Clary sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot seed and Vitex. 
• These oils individually and collectively have properties to support women hormonally as well as supporting the physical properties of fertile mucus and the ovaries and uterus. 
• This blend assists individuals to be emotionally open and vulnerable. It is a powerful emotional stabiliser, especially during menstruation or menopause. *** Note: After a few cycles of me using this oil, my husband commented, how much more tolerate of him I was being in the lead up before my period. Apparently, I was usually more snappy and short tempered. Who knew?
• GUIDE: Apply to mons pubis morning and evening. Plus on the inner and outer sides of both ankles (these are the vita flex points that correspond to the uterus and ovaries)

MOTIVATE / PEPPERMINT

• Motivate otherwise known as the Encouraging blend is a combination of mints and citrus oils. 
• Citrus oils are known for their mood enhancing and uplifting properties and mint oils, especially peppermint for their stimulatory and focusing effects. 
• These oils are perfect for those who wake up needing a bit of encouragement and "pepping" up to get going for the day. 
• GUIDE: Apply 1-2 drops of Motivate or Peppermint into the palms of your hands, rub together, and inhale through your cupped hands. You can also apply one drop of peppermint to the roof of your mouth to awaken your senses and give you fresh morning breath before you leave for the day. 

FACE MIST YOURSELF

• Essential oils have some pretty amazing skin health benefits including cellular repair, improving complexion, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and soothing the skin. 
• There are many oils that host these properties and can be beautiful on your skin. 
• Some of my favourite that I put into my face mist spray bottle with water include Lavender, Frankincense, Geranium, Wild orange (note: citrus oils can be photosensitising, therefore if you are heading out into the sun all day, please leave out the citrus oils or apply at night). 
• DIY RECIPE: In a 100ml spray bottle, add 2 drops each of Geranium, Lavender, Wild orange and Frankincense + 5 drops of Rosehip oil and top with filtered water. ** In future I will add say 1-2 tsp of witch hazel to act as a bit of a preservative and also as an astringent.  Keep the spray in the fridge, shake before use, and spray 2-3 times over face and decolletage.
• Many of you have asked how you could buy this concoction from me. The truth is I really wouldn't feel comfortable selling you something that I whipped up in a few minutes in my kitchen with a dodgey computer typed label. Also, what is going to happen when you run out? I would much prefer to set you up so you can make this plus loads of other beautiful skin care products for yourself whenever you need to. It's ridiculously simple. 

In the diffuser

During the day, if I am working from my home office, I set up the diffuser on my desk. I usually let my intuition guide me as to what I feel to diffuse on a given day. For example, I might feel to use refreshing citrus oils like Lemon or Wild orange or Citrus Bliss blend (Invigorating Belnd) or I might feel for more calming oils like Frank, Lavender or Balance. If I am concerned I am getting run down I will use On Guard to support my immune system plus I love anything with cinnamon in it. It also has Rosemary which is great for boosting memory. 

There is an awesome app called Diffuser Blends that you can download for a free trial, that will suggest diffuser blends based on what oils you have. This can be useful until you develop a feel for the oils. I have only ever F%cKed up a diffuser blend once. I added Passion with Wild Orange. Two beautiful aromas on their own but together kind of gross.

Oh and I also have a cute car difffsuer that I put a few drops of oils into and a necklace. You can check them out here. 

Around the home

When something strikes, my mind goes to, what oil could I use to support that? Because they are potent, aromatic plant compounds capable of being absorbed into the bloodstream or working topically and exerting their effects, they are very powerful and useful for first aid situations. 

• Easy Air for sinus and cough
• On Guard on the soles of your feet for immune support and as a mouth rinse with coconut oil
• Lavender for bites, skin irritation or sunburn
• Frank for inflammation, rashes, immune support
• Digestzen for stomach upset
• Oregano (always diluted) for warts/fungal infections/skin tags
• Ice Blue for aches and pains
• Peppermint for fevers
• Lemon for digestion 

Not to mention they can replace most of your cleaning products and artificial smelly things both of which are major sources of toxic chemicals that can be harmful to your health, especially female hormones. If you have a store bought car diffuser or a toilet thing that spritzes - throw them out now! 

• Make your own surface spray with 5-6 drops of lemon essential oil + vinegar + water in a spray bottle to clean and purify surfaces. 
• Make your own toilet spray with water and a few drops of refreshing essential oils
• Rinse your vegetables in water and 5-10 drops of lemon to preserve freshness

Did I mention you can use them in cooking? Or to flavour drinks? Or water? Or chocolate? Now we're talking. 

• Add 1 drop or Lemon or Spearmint or Wild Orange or Grapefruit to your water bottle or if you are feeling fancy to sparkling water in a champayne glass. 
• You can use the herbaceous oils like Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary to add a massive flavour boost to meals. Eg. At the end of cooking your bolognese sauce, add 1 drop of oregano and stir through. REMEMBER: Less is more with these babies, they are super potent, so start low and test taste
• Add Lemon or Basil with olive oil to your salads
• As for the chocolate (or bliss balls, or raw cheese cakes), Wild orange or Peppermint works an absolute treat. 

Finally, my night time routine..

My most favourite part of my whole day... 

• Post-shower, dim the lights, play some relaxing music and place about a 5 cent piece of rosehip oil in the palm of your hand then add 1 drop each of Lavender, Frankincense, Ylang Ylang and Geranium and apply to your face and neck. ***Note if you only have Lavender + Frank then start with this combo. 
• Once finished, take a moment, and bring your cupped hands over your nose, and take in a big deep breath of the leftover aromas from your hands. 
• Set up your diffuser with some sleepy time oils like Lavender, Frankincense, Lavender Peace, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Balance, and there are plenty more options, to send you off to LaLaLand. 

Ok, so that's a day in the oil world at my house. This turned out to be a lot larger than I anticipated, so I thank you for making it all the way through. There are plenty more uses that I would love to keep sharing with you  but I wanted to give you a basic run down and keep it simple so that you can begin using your oils today to support your body.

They can also be very helpful and supprtive in particualr conditions or circumstances so if you do have any questions about how they may help you specifically then please reach out. 

If you would like to get yourself some oils then please reach out or go here to order. 

Ok, I hope this was helpful, if you would like me to write about any uses in particular then leave a comment and let me know. 

Love, 

Chantel