Sniff Your Way To Better Sleep And A Calmer Mind
We all know self-care is important, but there might be one area you’re overlooking in your self-care routine. Aromatherapy is not just a buzzword. It’s a practical, simple way to begin to find more peace in your stressed-out life. If you feel like you’re too exhausted to think about any of this—don’t worry. Aromatherapy can even help you find better sleep.
Even we didn’t understand all the benefits of aromatherapy until we started researching it for Happy Not Perfect. Now we can’t stop sniffing lavender—and honestly, we’ve never felt more relaxed.
If you’re an aromatherapy beginner like we were, we know you may have a few questions first.
Like…
What is aromatherapy anyway?
Aromatherapy is the use of naturally extracted fragrance to balance and promote your health and general feelings of well-being.
There are a LOT of essences out there. They each have a specific intended use. You can find anything from sandalwood to lavender, rose to orange, and so much more. The key is to know what essence has the effect you desire and to make sure you’re sourcing quality product (…which is why we recently created our own blends—more on this later!).
How does aromatherapy work?
So now you know the basics. But how does aromatherapy actually work in our bodies?
Of course, it all starts with our sense of smell. Our sense of smell is linked to some of the most ancient parts of our brain. You know how the smell of grass can remind you of a childhood memory?
Aromatherapy works to unlock similar emotional reactions and memories. As we breathe in, the molecules come in contact with our olfactory cells, which have tiny hairs that can recognize specific scents. This reaction then produces nerve impulses that travel to the limbic system. The limbic system is the part of the brain concerned with instinct and mood. It controls our most basic emotions—fear, anxiety, stress, and so on.
When we apply essential oils to our body they penetrate our skin through our sweat glands and hair follicles. When they’re absorbed into our body, they can help to stimulate our immune systems.
Each essential oil does something different for our bodies. But in short, intentionally smelling or applying positive, feel-good scents is going to make you feel better—more energized, rested, and less stressed and anxious.
Aromatherapy For Sleep and Stress
Lack of sleep is one of the biggest problems we face when it comes to our mental and physical health. In fact, a reported one in two of us get only six hours (or less!) of sleep a night. Lack of sleep impairs our ability to function well during the day, heightens stress and anxiety, and lowers our immune systems.
When we started researching aromatherapy for sleep and stress, we discovered four essential oils that are key to alleviating these symptoms. They are:
Lavender: This is the most obvious essence for sleep. It’s well-known for its relaxing and calming properties. It also helps to reduce stress, improve concentration, and alleviate insomnia.
Cedarwood: We love this for its grounding properties. The scent of cedarwood has also been shown to promote the release of serotonin in our bodies. As you may know, low serotonin has been linked to depression. Cedarwood can help regulate your moods, leading to better sleep and less stress.
Marjoram: While most commonly known as a cooking spice, marjoram also has fantastic anti-anxiety properties. Some believe it even has a positive effect on the nervous system.
Ylang/Ylang: Like lavender, ylang/ylang has sedative properties. Amazingly, it can be either stimulating or calming depending on your mood. Most often it’s used to assist with sleep and to calm anger-induced stress.
Naturally, when we decided to source our own Happy Not Perfect sleep blend, we had to combine these four essences into one superpower blend. Our blend combines lavender, cedarwood, marjoram, and ylang/ylang for a calming, regulating effect.
We’re currently offering both a sleep spray as well as a sleep roll on. Both essences are made from the highest quality ingredients. The sleep roll on uses jojoba as the base. This is not oil, but a liquid wax that comes from the bean of a plant. Our roll on absorbs easily into the skin and the sleep spray is perfect for those who prefer sniffing their aromatics. Breathe it in.
It goes without saying that this blend also smells amazing. Seriously. We can’t get enough of it. We know you’ll love it too.
(You can check out the Sleep Spray and Roll On over here!)
Aromatherapy to Uplift and Energize
When you feel lackluster in the morning you’re more likely to overdo it on quick, unhealthy energizers, such as carbs or caffeine. This ultimately causes a crash, leaving you even more tired and possibly depressed. It’s a vicious cycle.
Daytime aromatherapy is known to ease symptoms of anxiety, assist in energizing the body, and can even stimulate creativity. It’s a much healthier alternative to the 4+ cups of coffee in the morning. Plus, it smells like a bright, fresh summer day.
Our HNP refresh blend is energizing and stabilizing. It’s a combination of three of our favorite citrus oils: lemon, orange, and grapefruit.
Why citrus? Here’s why:
Citrus essential oils: Citrus oils are known for their energizing, uplifting, and anti-depressant properties. Grapefruit is a clarifying stress-killer. It helps to lift mental fatigue and in some cases has been known to fight off stress-induced headaches. Orange and lemon are both powerful scents, known to be uplifting and energizing. Lemon is also sometimes believed to ease the symptoms of a cold.
You already know what these scents smell like on their own, so you can imagine the combined refreshing effect of all three in one blend. Like our sleep blend, we’re offering both a day spray and a day roll on. Once again, our roll on product uses jojoba as the base.
Remember how we said some essences are better than others? We can assure you that all of our products are 100% natural, made in small batches in the USA, and are NOT tested on animals. Just quality ingredients that will help you get a little closer to that peaceful mind you’re seeking.
Aromatherapy isn’t a cure-all. But it is an incredibly effective form of self-care—just one more way to get better sleep, stress less, and feel more energized. It’s made a huge difference for us here at HNP and we can’t wait for you to try it yourself!
As always, take care of yourselves.
Xoxo,
Poppy and the HNP Team
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