Bad Sleep & Lavender Not Helping

[Nixxy]

Help please?

I'm not sleeping well due to a few reasons and I've been sleeping with lavender but it doesn't seem to be helping. Any other suggestions out there?

[RedEmbers]

Would warmer more comforting scents work or cooler and relaxing scents?

(It may depend on the season as well)

[Mused]

clean sheets
shower before bedtime
lavender, chamomile, or other soothing herbal infusion
lower your caffeine intake - this includes coffees, chocolate, tea, and various drugs [both illegal and medicine], whatever the case may be
stay away from electronics 1 hour before bedtime
play some soothing music in the background [the only exception to the above]
read boring books..?

just the most common solutions related to bad sleeping habits.
but be aware it may take some time until these solutions pay off, so dont expect right away results.
if you need immediate results, talk to a therapist

the best solution though would be to separate yourself from the reasons keeping you awake, if possible. stress is the enemy of [quality] sleep :(

[Nixxy]

@RedEmbers I'm not sure what you mean to be honest. Can you give examples?

@Mused Yes there are a few things I had forgotten about in there so thanks.

[Miss Hepburn]

Seems the Blue blocker glasses I ordered online, about $23, are working fine...
in the eve I wear them as I'm on my laptop or watching TV.
Sorry, this is not about scents.

[StrandedSnowMonkey]

Hello :)

A single drop of lavender on your pillow can help. I use a few more drops in my diffuser, but I've read that too much lavender can have the opposite effect.

Chamomile (Roman) is one of my favourites, so I would also suggest that too! :D

Other oils: Mandarin, Linden Blossom, Clary Sage, Marjoram, Cistus, Valerian, Hops, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Lemon ~ list from 'The Fragrant Mind' by Valerie Ann Worwood

[astralwanderer]

Cedarwood and frankincense help me.

[Tobi]

I can imagine that combination helping, astralwanderer. The warm deep tones of cedarwood and the lighter bittersweet tones of Frankincense. (Close your eyes and you are in the deep woods!) I had never thought of those two as being sleep-helpers, but I can clearly visualise both scents and am sure they both would create a steady calm.
That, plus low lighting in the evening, plus listening to some sweet gentle music....

[calla lily]

I've heard of cutting an onion in half and leaving it in an open jar next to your bed at night. I've not tried it myself.

[Jane OD]

Lavender is certainly best, you can try Roman Chatomile or Sandalwood

[HeKatesXing]

If lavender is not working it may be because you find it too stimulating (Lavender is an adaptagen meaning it can be either relaxing or too much can be stimulating) try cedarwood, mandarin or sandalwood, clary sage (if no alcohol is taken before hand) There are other relaxing formulations that may help .... You may also need to look at your overall holistic lifestyle... as you may find something is blocking the ability to sleep .... Sometimes if you go to a natural healer (naturapath or an aromatherapist ) you may find the questionaires get right down to the cause of the why you are not sleeping..

[Jude96]

My sister is really big into lavender. She swears by certain oils and soaps and a lot of that.

Have you ever tried the sleepy time tea or there are a few similar brands of Yogi tea. I saw someone mentioned chamomile too, which has helped me in the past.

[TinyToad]

Usually when I can't sleep it's due to stress. My mind will just start whirring away, and my body will be very restless. In my own experiences I find that aromatherapy can be a very individual experience, depending on what fragrances an individual mind associates with such concepts as safety, peace, comfort, etc since the olfactory portion of the brain is very closely connected with areas that are heavily involved in memories. So for example, for me personally the combination of patchouli and tea tree really resonates with me in a very grounding and calming way. It strikes my mind as very familiar, something I can't recall very specifically, but something with which I felt relaxed and comforted. My best guess is that it is a sort of aquatic-earthy smell, like wet dirt our in the woods after a heavy rain, because I lived near a thick wooded area while I was growing up as a kid and escaped into it often to walk, think and process things when I was stressed. So personally while I find lavender to be a lovely smell, patchouli with tea tree is actually a lot more calming and comforting to me, more often than not. So I would suggest to anyone the idea of sampling various fragrances and seeing if any of them resonate with their mind in certain ways, including any relaxing or comforting ways. Not really a matter of finding the right options per a list, but rather the right options for the person, in some cases.

[rosiegirl]

I know this post is mostly about holistic remedies, but I want to mention that the blue light from screens can be an enemy when it comes to insomnia! On my phone, I have an app called Twilight that removes the blue light when it's nighttime. I'm sure that there are other apps out there and versions of it for computers. The app also helps when I need to look at my phone in the middle of the night and I'm not hurting my eyes with glaring light.

[Green.Heals]

Just to chime in on what can sometimes help me to relax, and not all eo related.

I watch some no whisper (totally creeps me out) though in audible whispering ( I love it - I'm an odd duck) lol. ASMR youtube video's. Such as right now.

Some say melatonin.

Black cherry juice.

Basil & Lavendar in my diffuser.

Drinking more water, can help wake you up in the am, and give you a more sound sleep at night as well.

Blood stone in a bowl of water near your bed.. ( I recently read about it - whilst reading up on my stone)

Epsom salt baths

[Shivani Devi]

I'm reading stuff by Shawn Stevenson at the moment...I just downloaded f.lux for my laptop and avoiding mobiles phone screens for 3 hours before bed...anything which disrupts natural light and depletes your body of melatonin is bad.

Make sure your room is totally dark without any light source whatsoever and go to bed at 9pm and get up at 6am...if you cannot sleep, try progressive muscle relaxation.

Try some spray-on magnesium and either a aloe vera or snake plant in your room to give you some oxygen throughout the night.

As for oils, try violet, frankincense and hops.

[Green.Heals]

I also forgot about

Valerian Juice

Magnesium capsules - or through diet

& a lot of banana's or Turkey due to the Tryptophan, which induces sleep.

[pluralone]

Nixxy, are you near any shops that sell essential oils and have tester bottles on display? If so, you might want to try smelling a few just to see if any give you a feeling of relaxation. Strange as it may seem, peppermint oil relaxes me (it stimulates most folks). Not saying it would be a good one for you; just illustrating that the traditional remedies aren't always a good fit.

[Nucifera]

I would suggest trying clary sage. It helped me quite a bit.

[Tis Armand]

Plenty of steamed organic potatoes for dinner. Steamed artichoke.

[Green.Heals]

Don't forget your favorite ASMR :)