Aromatherapy is an ancient practice used by early civilizations in many significant aspects of their lives. Egyptians use it when embalming the dead; the Romans use it when taking a bath. The Greeks use it as an incense to their gods, and the Chinese used it to heal diseases. It was employed in entertainment, rituals, death preservation and much more, but it was only recently that studies showed how aromatherapy could also be a boon to the sleepless people in the modern society.
Aromatherapy had its origin among many countries in Europe and Asia and it is still a practice being used in the modern generation.
Aromatherapy Helps Support Destressing Better Than Conventional Strategies
Stressed Out? Anxious? What are you doing about it?
A lot of people say they are stressed out and anxious, giving themselves some self diagnosis and assume things even without getting medical help or attention. You can become apprehensive about being sleep deprived because of stress and anxiety and not do anything about it. Well, you think eating out, shopping or listening to music is the right way of addressing it, but is it?
Sleeplessness due to stress and anxiety is more than just a mind over matter. It should be addressed physiologically and holistically. Sure you can invest on sleepmaker mattresses, but taking serious action requires more than that.
Stress makes it difficult for us to sleep because it disrupts the balance of hormones in our body, in the same way, that our lack of sleep also disrupts the function of hormones to make us fully functional.
If you think you are undergoing stress, it is best to consult a professional rather than let it become a part of you. Don’t deal with it through stress eating or shopping, this hormonal imbalance in your body isn’t automatically gone through instant gratification. Aromatherapy can help support your medication, or can also be an all natural alternative (if approved by your doctor) for you to battle against stress.
Aromatherapy uses the sense of smelling and the olfactory nerves itself to deliver the scent particles into the right nerve, organ, and cells. It targets your hormones in particular (provided you used the right essential oil) and your brain cells to signal your body to sleep.
Do note, however, that sleeplessness among pregnant women can’t be dealt with aromatherapy without medical prescription. Some essential oils can be dangerous among pregnant women, even if they are not taken internally.
Aromatherapy Helps Lessen Anxiety
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can be very health conscious but still become emotionally unhealthy. Anxiety is one of the best emotional killers, and when not clinically treated or neglected, it can lead to worse situations like long term depression.
Lavender may be a common scent used in buildings and offices, but it does more than just making your office smell good. If you use a 100 percent natural and quality essential oil, it can help lighten up your mood or uplift your emotions.
A study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information showed that lavender had anxiolytic properties. This means that it can be used to reduce anxiety.
As mentioned, essential oils are primarily used as support to clinically approved medications, unless your doctor approves an all-natural approach towards anxiety.
Compared to stress eating and shopping, aromatherapy won’t do any harm to your body when used properly. Aromatherapy also promotes mindfulness, calmness, and serenity.
Aromatherapy Targets Hormones
As mentioned earlier, aromatherapy targets the hormones. Your adrenal glands produce hormones that help you cope up with feeling stressed out and having several roles or jobs means that you may be overworking your adrenals.
Among the most significant hormones is Cortisol that helps maintain your sleeping cycle. Any imbalance of the said hormone in the body can lead to hyperactivity during the evening and wake up 2 or 3 hours than usual, which makes you tired upon waking up. It can also make you lose calmness when dealing with stress and hinders you to think clearly. Cortisol imbalance also makes you eat out of control and have random food cravings.
Cortisol imbalance simply messes up your sleeping patterns and will make things even worse unless treated well. Certain essential oils like Basil and Lavender will help your adrenal glands back on its feet again.
In the same manner, the thyroid gland hormonal imbalance can also make someone depressed, sleepless, and gain or lose weight. Some essential oils like Myrtle, have been observed to mimic the effect of the thyroid and can help support your thyroid glands.
Together with Epsom salt, a few essential oils in your bathtub or hot shower can help your body’s glands function to its fullest.
Aromatherapy is all-natural without side effects
Since aromatherapy is a kind of alternative medicine, it offers an all-natural approach to battle against stress and other factors that result to sleep deprivation.
One typical example is sleeplessness caused by menopause among women. The changes in the hormonal processes in the body can make the woman sleepless for days. Aside from the outward attempts to help women in their menopausal stage, it is important to approach it in a holistic manner, and that is to deal with what’s causing their sleeplessness- hormones.
If used properly aromatherapy can help you sleep better and eventually live your life better.
Author Bio:
Rachel Minahan is a passionate interior designer and an avid furniture collector. Writing is also one of her side hustles, aside from being a fanatic of essential oils and can’t do without them even in her sleepmaker mattress. She travels to places helping the right furniture for her clients at the same time promoting wellness through the use of alternative medicine. She lives in Sydney with her pet chihuahua, Rosebud.
