GOODBYE TO WAKING UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF BED

It happens to all to get off on the wrong foot. We are grumpy, nothing seems enough to please us, so we just declare defeat. One of the reasons may be poor sleep quality. We spend about a whole third of our lives sleeping. No wonder the quality of our sleep determines mood of the day. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You may still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia happens through different times of the night and have a variety of causes. These are all conditions most of us have experienced.

INSOMNIA AND LIFESTYLE

Most cases of insomnia are related to poor sleep habits, depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, chronic illness, or certain medications. 

Symptoms may include difficulty falling or staying asleep and not feeling well-rested. 

Treatment for insomnia consists of improving sleep habits, behavior therapy, and identifying and treating underlying causes. Three types of insomnia are acute, transient, and chronic insomnia. Insomnia is defined as repeated difficulty with sleep initiation, maintenance, consolidation, or quality that occurs despite adequate time and opportunity for sleep and results in some form of daytime impairment.

DREAM INFLUENCING

What you do while awake can influence your dreams and how you sleep. Dreams often seem out of our control, like a movie we watch at night rather than something we direct.

Whatever we attribute our sleep difficulties to, there is always a way to help ourselves. KAIAA advises activities to help you fall asleep faster and better. Perhaps the best way to hack your dreams is to surround yourself with positive, happy thoughts before bed for sweeter sleep, with a few drops of KAIAA oils.

LIMIT SCREEN TIME

The best thing you can do to prepare for a good night’s sleep is to get away from all the screens or at least limit your screen time. Experts say adults should limit screen time outside of work to less than two hours per day. Any time beyond that which you would typically spend on screens should instead be spent participating in physical activity. You can take back control of your screen time by checking how much time you are spending in front of the screen for something other than work or school and replace any unnecessary usage with non-screen activities, such as going out for a walk or a hike. Secondly, keep screens out of the bedroom, have your meals away from the screen, stand up sit less, pay attention to your posture, and take regulars breaks for stretch or exercise.

READY SET GO

Once we acknowledge that our body needs preparation for sleep, we can start activities to influence our determination and sleep itself. We bring a few practices to help you achieving a better-quality sleep. It only takes a little willpower and planning.

HEALING SHOWER OR BATH

His Majesty – the shower. Human body lowers its temperature during sleep. This may seem illogical, but exposure to warm or hot water before bedtime will encourage the body to start cooling on its own - so your body temperature will be perfect for a good night's sleep. Also, warm water will have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. KAIAA recommends some of its magic to help the process and provide additional benefits:

Lavender Shower # 1

Add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil of true lavender on the floor or walls of the shower. Follow with a warm shower for 10 to 15 minutes while deeply inhaling sweet and soothing scent of lavender. Try to focus on all your senses – be mindful in your body and aware of everything that is going on. Acknowledge the thoughts gushing out and watch them as you consciously put them aside - as many times as necessary. Get back to physical sensations.

Lavender Shower # 2

As an alternative to the previous tip, you may diffuse true lavender essential oil in your bathroom before showering. Add 5 to 10 drops of oil in a diffuser and watch it create a fragrant cloud before taking a hot shower. Close the bathroom door - you want to keep all the benefits of medicinal lavender in one place. As in the previous tip, try to focus on your senses.

Lavender bath

If you have a bathtub in your bathroom, fill it with warm water and add 10 to 15 drops of true lavender essential oil in it. Close the bathroom door while the essential oil starts evaporating throughout the room. All you need to do is relax and enjoy the warm bath with sweet notes of lavender! Focus on body sensations and open all the senses. Mind will start the race to overpower but try not to dwell on it. Return to your body, sensations, and intention to manifest the best sleep ever. Worries can wait.

RELAXING IS A SKILL

Your body is ready to sleep. It's time for the last steps towards better sleep. True lavender is the first choice – add a few drops in a bedroom diffuser, create a relaxing atmosphere. Do this before an aromatic shower or bath - the bedroom will keep you in relaxing mood. When you finally lie down, turn off the diffuser and indulge in the comfort of your bed. Try to resist the urge to spend another hour of screen time. Take a few deep breaths and exhale. At that moment, your thoughts can flood your mind and begin to wander - this is very common. If this happens, try to focus on breathing. Acknowledge the thoughts but try to detach - let them go through as they came. Get back to breathing and body sensations - feel your body and its movements while breathing and keep your focus on body sensations. The better you get at focusing, the chances of falling asleep faster and easier are increasing. 

WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE LAVENDER?

That's fine – it's not for everyone. The composition of the essential oil of true lavender shows soothing properties and serves as a sleep aid for many people, but not for all. Human body is very complex, and the way we experience certain sensations very much differ.

The perception of certain scents - regardless of the chemical composition of the essential oil - can have a big impact in sleep readiness. If you don’t like lavender, pick the essential oil that has a calming effect on you. For some it is earthy and warm Indian incense, or the soothing scent of Himalayan cedar – for the effect of relief and peace. Here at KAIAA we want you to be good to yourself when starting something new. But KAIAA principle encourages you always to be curious and find your perfect match among its playful and soothing scents.