Healthy Body: 5 Essential oils you should have

From thesuburban.com

Aromatherapy has many benefits, some of which include easing depression, inducing sleep, and easing pain. I have had insomnia since I was a teenager and it continued into my adult life. I tried almost everything under the sun, including steeping passionflower tea, but nothing worked. A student of mine recommended aromatherapy, so I looked into some different brands of essential oil. It took a really long time for me to finish my research on essential oils, so I am going to write a few posts about all the research I have done and give it to you!
First, I must write a disclaimer that I am NOT a doctor or a specialist on aromatherapy, I’m just sharing the information I found in books and online from Dr. Axe. I also highly recommend that you talk to your healthcare practitioner if you plan on ingesting essential oils, as they need to be food grade. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should also refer to your doctor.
Here’s a list of the “emergency oils” I have on hand at ALL times.

1. Lavender Oil (Lavandula Officinalis). I was never big on lavender before, but after doing my research, I found that it is one that you must have on hand; here’s why: Lavender is great for relaxation, so it’s good for sleep, anxiety, and depression. Lavender oil is also antibacterial, anti-spasmodic, stimulates the immune system, and is somewhat of an analgesic (natural painkiller).
Lavender oil helps stimulate the growth of new cells and prevents scarring. It’s also good on your skin for burns, eczema/inflamed skin (acne, allergies, athlete’s foot, sunburn, wounds, bug bites, and bee stings). From what I’ve read, you can use lavender essential oil undiluted on your skin for these things. Lavender is so versatile that it’s best to always have it on hand because it can fix almost anything.
2. Grapefruit Oil (Citrus Paradisi). Who doesn’t love the smell of grapefruit? I’m obsessed with grapefruit scented everything! Citrus oils are generally great for lifting depression. It helps with jet lag or travel fatigue, and fatigue in general. It can help with lactic acid from overworked muscles, ease stiffness and it has a cleansing effect on the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, and lymphatic system (helps rid the body of toxins). Citrus oils have a shelf life of about 1-2 years, so if you don’t use them often, I recommend keeping them in the fridge, which will help them last longer.
3. Peppermint Oil (Mentha Piperita). I love the smell of peppermint as well! It can be used in a spray water bottle with water to help deter rodents and insects. It can help with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), bad breath, focus and energy, fatigue, breathing problems, allergies, and headaches. Whenever I have a headache, I use a few drops of peppermint oil and eucalyptus in my diffuser. A recipe for headaches: 2 drops peppermint oil and 2 drops of lavender oil, rub on your neck, shoulders, and temples. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please don’t use it or talk to your healthcare practitioner.
4. Eucalyptus Oil (Eucalyptus Globulus). This oil is amazing if you have trouble breathing for any reason. If you have a cold or stuffy nose, this oil can help clear your sinuses. This oil is also great for aches and pains from fevers/colds/ or from working out. Add 2 drops of eucalyptus oil to 1 tbs. of vegetable oil or any other carrier oil and rub on the affected joints/limbs/areas and wrap yourself warmly. (Carrier oils are oils used to dilute essential oils that can’t be used directly on the skin. There are many to choose from such as coconut, vegetable, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil to name a few popular ones).
5. Rose Absolute (Rosa Damascena). Rose absolute is stronger smelling because of the way it’s extracted. There is a huge list of benefits of rose oil! It can be used for anxiety and depression, it can help reduce inflammation, great for treating wounds as it protects from developing infections as well as shield you from viruses, can reduce spasms in muscles, cramps, and in the respiratory system. It’s an aphrodisiac if you have a low libido or disinterest in sexual activity. It’s also a great astringent to strengthen gums and hair roots. It helps tone the skin and prevent wrinkles/help with the loss of firmness of skin, contract muscles, intestines and blood vessels. It also helps with scars that come from acne, boils, pox, stretch marks, etc. Rose oil is also good for people that suffer from hemorrhaging as it helps speed up coagulation and clotting of blood. Helps with headaches (as long as you use mild concentrations, otherwise it could have the opposite effect as rose absolute is very strong), it can also help you feel energized and happy.

http://www.thesuburban.com/blogs/healthy_body/healthy-body-essential-oils-you-should-have/article_376e21c2-f78c-11e6-a498-dfd1fa6ec379.html

Working from home may up the risk of insomnia and stress, says UN study

From india.com

If you think you are better off working from home as you can avoid the traffic, office politics and the stressful environment, then your are wrong. According to a United Nation labour study conducted in 15 countries, working from home may result in higher stress, longer working duration and insomnia. The study was about the effect of technological advancement that enabled people to work remotely. Experts and workers from 10 European Union member states, the US, Japan, India, Brazil and Argentina gave interview for this study. The joint study report by UN International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Eurofund said that the advancement in the digital technologies allow people to avoid rush hour commute, more flexibility, increase productivity and a better work-life balance.
As per the study, there are several types of employees, including workers doing occasional telework and information and communication technologies mobile work (T/ICTM )and home-based teleworkers, who use digital technologies to perform their work outside the office. The cons of working from home are that you usually end up working for longer time and sleep problems. There can be stress due to overlapping personal and work life. As per the study, people who work regularly from home tend to report sleeping issue more than those who work in an office. It said, “In India, survey results indicate that a higher proportion of T/ICTM workers work long hours (defined as more than 48 hours per week) than office-based workers (66 per cent compared to 59 per cent).”
There are differences between high-mobile employees who are more at risk of health issues and teleworkers who work from home and enjoy better balance between their work and personal life. As per the report, there is a need for disconnect to distinguish between personal life and work. Germany and France are already planning arrangements like the ‘right to be disconnected’ at the company level in the French Labour Code’s revised version. Adapting formal part-time teleworking is recommended by the report to help people working from home improve their health and maintain a healthy relation with co-workers.

http://www.india.com/lifestyle/work-from-home-may-up-the-risk-of-insomnia-and-stress-says-un-study-1848676/

Still up? Try these 4 steps to better sleep

From knowridge.com

As a sleep medicine physician, I know first-hand that insomnia troubles many people.
Insomnia is a disorder in which a person has difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep or wakes up too early in the morning — despite having adequate time in a sleep-conducive environment.
It can be caused by many things, including pain, depression, anxiety, stress, or medications such as decongestants or antidepressants.
If it typically takes you longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, if you are awake more than 30 minutes at night or if you wake up 30 minutes earlier than you’d like, chances are you have insomnia.
Fortunately, there are ways to sleep better or, we hope, eliminate your insomnia altogether.
What you can do on your own:
Try these four tips to help ease or end your insomnia.
Only use your bedroom for sleep and sex. The goal is to associate the bedroom as a place to be asleep. Your bedroom is not a good place for a home office, for example, because your brain will associate the room with work instead of sleep.
That means no computer or paperwork in the bedroom. It’s also good to keep your electronics out, including your TV, to minimize your exposure to blue light before bed, which may trick the body into thinking it isn’t night-time.
Keep it in (circadian) rhythm. Establish a regular time to wake up each day and a time to get ready for bed each night even on weekends.
If you stay up late on Friday and Saturday, for example, it will be more difficult to fall asleep early on Sunday to start the week. This means resist the urge to take a nap during the day, too.
Wind down appropriately. Avoid large meals before bed, which may trigger heartburn. Don’t exercise within several hours before bed or do other activities that raise core body temperature, such as taking a hot shower or using a sauna.
And even though a glass of wine may help you fall asleep, it will be poor quality sleep. Avoid alcohol before bed.
Don’t just lie there. Don’t watch the clock while you’re trying to fall asleep. If you’re awake after what feels like 20 to 30 minutes, leave the room.
Read a book or do stretches in a quiet, dim room and then return to bed when you feel sleepier. Above all, try to stay positive. Negative thoughts about sleeping often lead to frustration that creates a vicious cycle.
If your symptoms persist and really bother you, seek help from your primary care physician or get a referral to a sleep medicine physician.
People with irritability, trouble thinking, reduced alertness or mood disturbance are experiencing symptoms that may be associated with insomnia.

https://knowridge.com/2017/02/still-up-try-these-4-steps-to-better-sleep/

How to combat stress to treat insomnia

From belmarrahealth.com

It is estimated that nearly 50 percent of insomnia cases are a result of stress; however, sleep experts have compiled a list of tips you can use to reduce stress and improve your sleep. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep because of stress, these tips should help you get back to having a sound sleep night after night.

• Setting an alarm is a helpful trick to make sure you don’t wake up late, but it’s also beneficial if you turn the clock around so you aren’t checking the time throughout the night.
• Try breathing techniques as a means of reducing anxiety. Use your “out” breath to release anxiety and tension and imagine with each breath that stress is leaving your body.
• Now that you’re a bit calmer, try meditation. Count your in and out breaths: for example, 1-2 in, 3-4 out, 5-6 in, and so on. Don’t worry if you lose count—you can simply start back from one again.
• If your room is quiet, you can try meditating by listening to the sounds outside of your room.
• If breathing exercises and meditation aren’t successful, you can try a technique known as “paradoxical intention.” This involves staring at a point in your room for a long period until your eyes become so heavy that you close them and fall asleep.

Sleep experts recommend that, if you are unable to fall asleep within 20 minutes, then you should leave your room so you don’t associate it with restlessness. In the meantime, you can read something inspirational until you begin to yawn or feel sleepy. Avoid watching TV or using technology, as the blue light emitted from these devices can actually worsen your insomnia. You can also try meditation in another room until you feel sleepy, and then return back to the bedroom.
If insomnia is a chronic problem for you, or if stress is affecting more than just your sleep, you should see your doctor for better guidance.

http://www.belmarrahealth.com/combat-stress-treat-insomnia/

Bizarre huggable ROBOT pillow that helps cure insomnia

From mirror.co.uk

It could be your ideal sleeping companion - intelligent, caring, soft yet firm of body. And it won’t hog the duvet or thrash about in the night.
Researchers have developed Somnox, a peanut-shaped pillow-robot as part of a mission to cure insomnia.

The idea is to go to bed spooning the robot, which is equipped with multiple sensors that tell it how well you’re sleeping (or not).
It then uses artificial intelligence to provide treatments, such as adjusting its own artificial breathing to guide yours, or shining a light and playing a lullaby if you have a nightmare.
Somnox is the brainwave of a group of robotics and engineering students from Delft University of Technology.
The device is still in the prototype phase, but the entrepreneurial engineers behind its creation hope to obtain enough funding to take it to market.
The pillow gathers information using multiple high-sensitivity sensors.
This data can be used to determine whether you are awake or in a deep sleep.
The device's artificial intelligence algorithm can then interpret that data to create a tailor-made ‘treatment’.
It registers your sleeping state and adjusts its sleeping rhythm to a peaceful state.

Somnox then provides a breathing simulation, based on your own breathing behaviour during the night.
The NHS recommends that most adults get a good eight hours of sleep a night.
But with the busy pace of modern life and worries leaving some people lying awake, for many this is an unachievable luxury.
The team behind Somnox hope the device will help to ease its users into better and longer nights of rest.
The four students behind the project are industrial designer Julian Jagtenberg, software engineer Job Engel, mechanical engineer Stijn Antonisse, electrical and software engineer Wouter Kooyman van Guldener.
About their product, the group said: "Sleep experts, called somnologists, have helped to develop Somnox.
"Multiple studies have shown that breathing is one of the most important factors of a good night of sleep.
"A slow breathing rhythm can induce a person to sleep in minutes; your heart rate decreases and you’ll become relaxed in minimal time."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/trouble-sleeping-bizarre-huggable-robot-9795836

Insomnia? The doctor prescribes a week of camping

From inverse.com

If you aspire to re-set your circadian rhythms and become one of those “early to bed, early to rise” types, a new paper says you can - just spend a weekend in the woods, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

Researchers — who had previously studied the benefit of a week-long summer camping trip on sleep cycles — found that not only could a similar effect be achieved in winter, but that campers could also get 69 percent of the same effect with just a two-day trip.

The “reset” effect on our internal clocks comes down to exposure to natural light. Our constant exposure to electrical light — from phones, computers, overhead lighting, and more — actually sets our circadian rhythms back by about two hours and 36 minutes. Taking that electrical light away and replacing it with natural light realigns those rhythms the way they were meant to be. People become naturally inclined to sleep earlier and wake earlier. What’s amazing is that this change occurs practically overnight.

“Because [the circadian clock] is a master coordinator of our physiology, we wanted to understand how our modern environment impacted it,” Kenneth Wright, a professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder and the paper’s lead author, told Inverse by phone. “Regardless of the season, our clocks are timed later in modern society [but] beyond that, our clock is sensitive to seasonal differences in the natural light/dark cycle. If we compare the natural summer versus the natural winter light cycle, our internal biological night is longer in winter than summer.”

As sleep-hacks go, you need to put in a little work to continue seeing benefits. After returning from your (literally) restorative vacation, people should aim for a bedtime about an hour earlier than they were used to before their trip. Otherwise, says Wright, your internal clock will revert back to its old garbage ways within a couple of days. Think of the process as similar to how you adjust to jet lag after a long flight.

We know animals are sensitive to these kinds of seasonal changes, which inform their instincts about when to shed their coats or mate or hoard food. That same biological response to respond to seasons and light is found in humans. What that means, says Wright, we don’t quite know.

https://www.inverse.com/article/27288-sleep-circadian-rhyt

Sleep right: How to ensure a more restful night's sleep

From Maysville-online.com

Adequate sleep is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. But as beneficial as a good night's rest is, restful sleep is proving elusive for millions of people across the globe.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 10 percent of adults in the United States have a chronic insomnia disorder. That translates to roughly 32 million people in the United States. alone who struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep at least three times per week for at least three months. Sufficient sleep boosts energy levels and makes it easier to focus and concentrate, while insomnia contributes to poor memory, disturbs mood and leads to daytime sleepiness. But insomnia is not just harmful to individuals. The AASM notes that researchers estimate that insomnia costs an estimated $63 billion in lost work performance each year in the U.S.
Combating insomnia is no small task, but the following healthy sleep habits may help men and women overcome their bouts of insomnia and get more restful sleep.

• Avoid too many beverages before bedtime. Drinking water or beverages that include caffeine or alcohol too close to bedtime can interrupt sleep or make it difficult to fall asleep. Too much water before going to bed may lead to nightly bathroom breaks that interrupt your sleep. Along those same lines, alcohol consumed too close to bedtime may make it easy to fall asleep fast, but you're likely to wake up once the effects of the alcohol wear off, which can be very soon after your head hits the pillow. In addition, avoid caffeinated beverages in the late afternoon or evening, as caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and may compromise your ability to fall asleep. Nicotine also serves as a stimulant, so smokers fighting insomnia should avoid tobacco products in the hours before they plan to go to bed.
• Get out of bed if you can't fall asleep. The AASM recommends getting out of bed if you haven't fallen asleep within 20 minutes of lying down. The longer you lay in bed without falling asleep, the more likely you are to dwell on your sleeping problems. If you need to get out of bed, spend some quiet time reading a book in another room before returning to bed.

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• Dim the lights inside your home. Two to three hours before bedtime, dim the lights in your home. Dim lighting signals to your brain that it should begin making melatonin, a hormone that is closely associated with sleep.
• Eliminate potentially distracting sounds. A poor sleep environment can contribute to insomnia, and distracting sounds can make it hard to fall asleep. Fix distractions such as leaky faucets and close bedroom windows if nearby traffic is compromising your ability to fall asleep at night. If necessary, use a white noise machine that blocks out distractions but contributes to a consistent sleep environment.
• Use your bed only for sleep and sex. Resist the temptation to finish watching a movie, television show or ballgame in bed, using your bed only for sleep and sex. If you grow accustomed to working in bed or watching television in bed, you may have trouble falling asleep once you turn the lights off and close your eyes.

http://www.maysville-online.com/sleep-right-how-to-ensure-a-more-restful-night-s/article_6e43de8a-0efa-589f-af6b-62fbaa634bbe.html