News cycle affecting your sleep cycle? Mine too. For over a year now, I’ve been battling with some minor but frequent bouts of insomnia. Every night without fail, I wake up at 2 a.m., toss and turn, read a little, check Instagram, try and find a position I can fall asleep in, and repeat until 6 a.m. hits, at which point I drift back to sleep for another hour and forty minutes before my alarm wakes me up again.
A year and change is a long time to suffer through something as impactful as restless sleep, however to be honest sleep medication scares me a little. I can’t get over my father’s voice in my head warning that people get addicted to it all the time, regardless of how true that assertion may be. Furthermore, over-the-counter options I’ve tried leave my groggy and worthless for the better part of my morning.
My entire world shifted, however, when my cousin came to visit. She’s a badass, and has been touring with her band for the better part of this year. Seeing as she’s on the verge of “making it”, touring means paying your way from stop to stop to open for a better band, sleeping in a van, and only showering when that better band is kind enough to let you into their hotel rooms during the day when they’re not using them. That, in combination with the fact that she has to live out of one suitcase for the duration of the tour, makes her a veritable beauty goddess in my book. At the end of a long day walking around NYC we were both looking forward to a good night sleep. I was shocked and slightly skeptical when she offered me a few drops of essential oils to “rub on my feet” before hitting the hay. Skepticism aside, I gave it a try and sure enough I’ve never felt more relaxed heading to bed. What’s more, I didn’t wake up once that night (I typically wake up 3-4 times for shorter periods in addition to my four-hour active period).
Curious to know the secret? Cedarwood oil + lavender oil + ylang ylang oil. I try to aim for about equal parts cedarwood and lavender, and then add just a few drops of ylang ylang for depth. As a bit of a germophobe, I don’t really love rubbing my feet without being able to wash my hands immediately (sort of counter to the relaxing effects of this elixir), so I’ve taken to adding my oil mix to a small spray bottle ( I had a leftover face spray sample from a birchbox) and then diluting it with water. I then spray my feet and pillows before winding down for the night.
That’s it! It seems so simple but it makes a world of difference. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts!
Les Filles Mal Gardées 