A night can seem like eternity when you are trying to get to sleep or when you have trouble falling back to sleep. Although trouble with sleep is common (especially as we age), the consequences can be serious - low energy, impaired judgement, diabetes, depression, heart disease, obesity … Experts say we should get anywhere from 6-9 hours/night. Our bodies carry on a lot of maintenance while we sleep which makes us healthy. Finding a safe and effective solution to getting a blissful sleep can be a life-saver.
Hoping to get a handle on my on again, off again challenge of a good night’s sleep, I started looking at the consistency of my pre-bed rituals - using music as medicine, no screens, warm shower, no caffeine, sometimes listening to meditation. Anything that doesn’t involve prescription or over-the-counter medication or even melatonin (it can raise your blood pressure) was worth a try. After none of these seemed to be real game-changers, I tried the remedy a friend of mine uses - lavender essential oil - and it worked! Not only does it have a calming effect, but it also makes the room smell nice. A few drops of lavender in a bedside diffuser proved to be a great way to help me get to sleep and stay asleep.
Lavender seems to be most commonly used for aromatherapy. Fragrance from the essential oils of the plant is believed to promote calmness and wellness. Some think it lowers heart rate and blood pressure. For my birthday this year, my son and daughter-in-law gave me a nice lavender set which included shower gel, body lotion and pillow mist. I never really thought of layering my lavender, so I gave it a try and loved it! A nice warm shower with the lavender shower gel, followed by lavender body lotion and a spritz on the pillows with the pillow mist is the perfect combination to ease into a good night’s sleep. Having trouble sleeping while out-of-town? The diffuser is a bit much to pack for those of us who like to travel light, but packing the shower gel, lotion and pillow spritz is a great option for trips.
Getting better sleep may be as easy as making simple changes like turning off your tech well before bed, taking a warm shower or using lavender. For me, layering lavender works like a charm. It may not help everyone, but it’s worth a try. 
Hello Crissy Ann - you and I have much in common, although my solution to maintaining and enhancing my zest for living was (firstly) to publish www.retirementgazette.com and (secondly) create a Facebook community TOO YOUNG TO RETIRE. Along the way I have found that early retirees want extra income, and in a few years they want to continue to feel relevant. The solution for both cohorts is to develop a small or micro business - perhaps a "profitable hobby". Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI am currently writing a book and my goal is to self-publish. Any guidance you can give me in that direction would be greatly appreciated. I will definitely check out your website. Love your solution to both concerns of retirees.
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