Homemade Deep Sleep Salve
I have a lot of trouble sleeping. Sometimes it’s difficulty falling asleep, but most of the time it’s issues waking up over and over and over again throughout the night. I have a lot of bad dreams as well leaving me feeling emotionally and physically exhausted most mornings when it’s time to actually get out of bed. I decided to look into what essential oils would have a positive effect on sleep and then see what natural remedy I could make. Here is the recipe for the resulting homemade Deep Sleep Salve.
Homemade Deep Sleep Salve
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp beeswax
15 drops lavender essential oil
15 drops cedarwood essential oil
In a heat-safe bowl in the microwave or double boiler over the stove, melt the coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and beeswax together.
Add in all the drops of essential oil and stir.
Pour the oil into a suitable container and allow to set.
Screw on the lid and store in a cool, dark place.
To use, rub the salve on your pulse points and take a couple slow, deep breaths of the scent. You can also massage it into the soles of your feet.
Lavender is commonly used to calm anxiety and treat insomnia. Studies have shown that people who slept with lavender essential oil diffusing throughout the night reported sleeping 20% better than those with the placebo. In other study, those who smelled lavender before bed slept more soundly and brain scans showed an increase in slow-wave sleep which is the deep sleep in the cycle.
Cedarwood is another essential oil that has a sedative effect. In a study with rats a compound that is found in cedarwood essential oil decreased their motor activity even when given caffeine. Cedarwood essential oil also promotes the release of serotonin some of which is converted into melatonin which is calming and regulates the sleep cycle.
I’ve been using the salve for about a week now, and I think it is helping somewhat. I still feel tired in the mornings because I still have bad dreams every night, but I knew this salve probably wouldn’t solve that issue. Otherwise, I have been falling asleep pretty quickly when I go to bed. I also think that I have been waking up fewer times throughout the night.
How do you ensure you get a good night’s sleep? Also, does anyone have any suggestions for preventing constant bad dreams?