One of the most important things for people with chronic fatigue is to make sure we get a good amount of sleep.
I have had struggle sleeping my entire life. If it is noisy around me then there is almost 0% chance that I will manage to get a good night’s rest. It’s the same when I’m in unfamiliar locations, its sometimes a struggle to feel at ease, and in turn, to sleep.
With my CFS, it isn’t just the amount of sleep that I struggle with, it is the quality of sleep. My quality of sleep is rubbish. No matter how much I sleep in a night, I wake up feeling exhausted.
Every. Single. Day.
Julie, the PT I was seeing (who was essentially more like an overall life coach 😂), recommended I start to look into essential oils and what they could do for me. I’ve never really thought about them before and had only tried various different sleeping tablets.
On her recommendation, I decided to look up a lavender essential oil. She told me that it was important to make sure the oil was 100% pure and so I ordered this little baby off amazon.
The beautiful purple plant is known to have sleep aiding properties. It has been used to treat insomnia as well as non-sleep central issues such as anxiety and depression (it is not a replacement for medication).
To get the oil out of the plant, a process called steam distillation is used. This pure lavender oil isn’t just used in this form, but can also be added to soaps, gels, candles and even certain foods!
There are a few different ways to use your lavender oil:
Diffuser
One way to use the lavender oil is via aromatherapy. Using an essential oil diffuser is a great way to do it. I really want one of these so if you fancy buying me one shoot me a message ;).
All you need to do is add water and a few drops of oil- and the diffuser does the rest. A lovely lavender scented mist will be blown out into the room and all you need to do is breathe.
Apply Onto the Skin
I was told to add a drop on my finger to the top of my mouth or on the soles of my feet, but I’ve read a few things saying that you shouldn’t do that with 100% pure oil. It should be diluted with a carrier oil first (eg coconut, sunflower, avocado, sweet almond oil etc )
Since essential oils are fat soluble, they will be absorbed into the skin no problem.
Just Inhale
Put a drop or two onto a tissue and give it a sniff! Put the tissue near (but not on) your nose and take deep breaths. Maybe use this as an opportunity to meditate! Taking slow, deep breaths with a calming scent surrounding you will help to calm your body and mind.
Steam Inhalation
As an alternate to basic inhalation and using a diffuser, adding a few drop of lavender oil to a bowl of just-below-boiling water creates a steam that you can breathe in. Just place a towel over your head and keep breathe in the steam from a good distance away. Too close and the steam could scold and too far away and you won’t reap the benefits.
Use Lavender Essential Oil to Help with Your Sleep
It’s all natural and all good!
Have you tried it? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
