4 tips to sleep better & unwind

The term "sleep disorders" refers to ailments as different as falling asleep suddenly during the day (narcolepsy), sleeping too much (hypersomnia), or too little (insomnia). They all have the same disastrous effect: disrupting daytime life where we navigate between drowsiness and nervousness.

Difficulty falling asleep can be reflected in two ways, either by the inability to drift off, or late night awakenings. Among the most common causes, stress is one of the most important. Excessive consumption of caffeine or alcohol should be avoided.

INSOMNIA

The advice of the physiotherapist

For the adult, a massage of the temples and neck with soothing essential oils provides you an irresistible desire to sleep. The gentle gesture, closer to a caress than a massage (don't knead the muscles) is as soothing as the scent of essential oils, which also play a major role through the nose. It has long been proven that lavender, orange tree, or marjoram are conducive to relaxation, and to sleep.

Besides, to complete the treatment, remember to stimulate the "sleep" points spread all over the body. There's even an "anti-nightmare," useful for children with confusing dreams. Adults too, by the way, can be harassed by "bad" images!

Recommended Essential Oils for adult: lavender, chamomile.

HOW TO REDUCE THE FEELING OF JETLAG

If you just get back from a long trip, give your body time to "land" because this "jet lag" effect, (which affects three out of four travelers), means there is a disruption of the circadian cycle, what we usually called "internal clock". To get a good night's sleep and get back on your feet, you can benefit from the beneficial effects of lavender essential oil, for example.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A HEALING BATH

Thanks to the heat of the bathwater, the skin’s pores dilate, paving the way for the active ingredients to be absorbed through the epidermis. At the same time, the hot water vapours become filled with essential oils. This also diffuses the essential oils through the respiratory system, like inhalation… To relax and fall asleep more easily: True lavender, Roman chamomile, sweet orange, petitgrain bigarade, Asian rosewood, green mandarin, lemongrass. For a large bathtub, depending on which essential oils you have selected or plan to blend, dilute 10 drops maximum in 1 tablespoon of neutral base for bath and shower (half as much for a small bathtub).

HOW TO RELIEVE STRESS

True lavender calms tension and irritation, reduces the effects of annoyances, and helps to regain a serene and recuperating sleep. To benefit from its benefits, it is possible to use it in diffusion, during the day to calm down and in the evening to help you better sleep. It can be used in massage, along the spine, on the solar plexus, the arch of the foot and inside the wrists: Dilute six drops of true lavender essential oil in a tablespoon of sweet almond plant oil if possible.

Discover also our Rest & Relax rituals to unwind and sleep better here.

THE PURESSENTIEL SLEEP RANGE

A complete range formulated with essential oils, well-known to help prepare for sleep and aid relaxation… naturally.

1 One Poll; 1000 respondents, January 2019; data on file.

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC3323702/.

Use plants and Essential Oils with precautions. Before use, read the information and precautions for use carefully. These properties, benefits, directions for use and advice are given for information only; they are not intended to constitute or substitute for medical information that only health professionals can provide. For any use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, please consult a physician.

Extracts from 'Aromatherapia' by Isabelle PACCHIONI, Aroma Thera edition, Top Santé's Guide '48 Essential Oils which every home needs to be healthy', '50 self-massages with essential oils', Leduc Editions and 'Aromatherapy 150 True/False Questions on essentials Oils', Leduc Editions.