Top Tips for Insomnia

By Siobhan Smith
Insomnia! We all suffer from it occasionally and some of us frequently. I want to give you some great tips for sleeplessness which I’ve collected over the years, all of which are definitely worth trying.
Please note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always check out any medical problem with your physician.
You feel like you’re the only person in the world that’s still awake! Have a look at these tried and trusted ideas.
Avoid the following substances for at least six hours before bedtime:
Alcohol: Very deceptive! Helps you to relax and possibly drop off to sleep quickly. However, it will cause disruptive and fitful sleep and early wakening.
Caffeine: This includes coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, etc. You know the culprits! Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and will keep you wide awake.
Nicotine: Again, a strong stimulant, causing disturbed and broken sleep.
Heavy meal It’s difficult for your body to relax after a large meal as your digestive system is working hard. Also, going to sleep after consuming a large meal can cause indigestion.
Try this ancient Tibetan remedy: mix two drops of ginger essential oil into one teaspoon of a carrier oil (grapeseed oil is lovely and light). Rub firmly on the soles of both feet, pop on warm, soft socks and hop into bed. Totally soporific!
Caution Use essential oils with extreme care, never apply undiluted to the skin and never ingest. Do not use if you are suffering from any illness or are pregnant.
Try a light snack before bed. Warm milk works for a lot of people with a little sugar and a pinch of nutmeg. It’s worth having a couple of plain cookies or crackers or lightly buttered toast as well. I wouldn’t recommend cheese – it can cause nightmares.
Develop a good bedtime routine. Have a warm bath (not hot), read for a few minutes before switching off the light; this all establishes a routine the body will recognize as a signal for sleeping.
If you’re lying in bed for more than half an hour unable to drop off, get out of the bed. Try doing something monotonous! Try these suggestions:
1. Watch something really boring on television! A dull documentary, an uninteresting shopping channel, a repetitive news station – you get the idea!
2. Sit quietly out of the bed of around 15 minutes and let yourself get quite cool – as you tuck back into your cosy, warm bed it becomes a natural sleep-inducing environment.
3. Try solitaire or computer chess. At 3am in the morning it can make you quite drowsy.
4. Take a run at doing your accounts or taxes – yawn! Guaranteed to send you back to bed sleepy.
Do not have an alarm clock within view of your bed. We all need one beside our bed to get up in the mornings, but you don’t need to actually see it.
Try acupuncture. It is excellent for many disorders and is wonderful for insomnia. A lot of people find huge relief after just one or two sessions and it can be enough to break the visious cycle of insomnia.
Do not be tempted to take a daytime nap. It will disrupt the important sleep routine you’re trying to set up.
Avoid watching frightening, worrying or upsetting television programmes before bed. It’s amazing what will come into your mind as you lie in bed!
Try the following to ease anxiety and stress and to promote relaxation and calm:
1. Meditation. Well worth the small investment of time. Try it just before bedtime or just after you get into bed. You can learn a meditation technique or just formulate your own medthod, by using deep breathing or repeating a soothing sound or word such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or (hopefully) ‘sleep’.
2. Deep Breathing. One of the easiest and most overlooked ways of winding down. To be effective, make sure to use abdominal breathing, inhaling and gently pushing your stomach muscles out. The majority of people ‘shallow’ breath (from the chest only), which can contribut to stress, depression and anxiety. To make sure you are deep breathing properly, it’s best to try it out while lying down – you can then judge whether you are breathing from your abdomen as described.
Don’t stress out about not sleeping! It won’t help.
The only result of not sleeping is that it will lead to feeling sleepy and tired – just what you need for a good night’s sleep the following night.
If it becomes a regular occurrence, or already is, please get it checked out with your physician.
I hope some of these suggestions and tips will help you. Sleep well!
Siobhan Smith runs Moonslipper, a small group that investigates and solves paranormal situations including geopathic stress and leyline problems.She is based in Co. Wexford, Ireland, and has been involved in this specialised work since 1997.Siobhan has a psychic and mediumistic background and through helping people with their paranormal problems has found a correlation between leylines, geopathic stress and paranonormal activity. She also believes that there are many other elements that contribute to a happy, holistic home.To learn more about Siobhan and the work she does, please visit her website, http://www.moonslipper.com
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Lavender Aromatherapy For Stress Relief-Seven Little Known Tips To Feel Better And Live Happier

By Monique Evans
Aromatherapy is the essential oil portion of the plant that is separated and may be used to stimulate healing in a variety of ways, including stress relief and stress management, anxiety, depression, insomnia, pregnancy, child birth, migraine headaches, muscle soreness, nausea and a number of other health issues. It is best to use Aromatherapy sparingly with a vegetable oil such as olive oil, or sweet almond oil (my favorite). Try to avoid using the essential oil directly on the skin.
Aromatherapy can get pretty involved, and you can get quite bogged down with learning a variety of essential oils, so we are going to keep this simple and to the point by focusing on one of the best and safest essential oil - lavender and how you can use it to manage stress.
Why lavender? Women love the smell of lavender! It's perhaps the most popular essential plant oil that is a big favorite of many women for stress management, balance and healing. Its properties are safe, calming and very pleasant. Just what you need to de-stress so you feel serene and think clearly.
The purer the quality of lavender you use the better results you will get. You can mix it with lotions, vegetable oils or water. Lavender is great for a number of health benefits, especially, insomnia, depression, stress and anxiety.
Here are seven little known ways to use lavender for stress relief
Tip one – lavender with your bath.
Use three to five drops of lavender in your bath when you have a few minutes to take a bath. The essential oil actually seeps into your body and stimulate a feeling of calm and relaxation. If you don’t have time for a bath, just mix a few drops of the lavender in your favorite lotions, creams or carrier oil and use it as a moisturizer. Be mindful of what you have to get done after use because it can make you feel sleepy. You can actually make your own lavender moisturizer so you can have it on tap and ready to use whenever you want. Simply buy the lavender plant at your local health food store, blend it with your favorite carrier oil and keep it in a cute little bottle in your bathroom or bedroom.
Tip two – ‘take five’ with your lavender eye pillow.
Get a basic eye pillow that comes ready made with the lavender scent in the pillow. When you have a few spare minutes, just sit back on the couch and put the pillow over your eyes as you inhale the scent of the lavender and ‘take five.’ When you are relaxing, remember to take some nice deep breaths and think of five things you are absolutely grateful for in your life. This is a great time to meditate; you will feel calm and re-energized. Think of adding some music therapy as you enjoy your lavender scented eye pillow and enjoying your deep breathing. Get music that will actually slow down your heart rate, classical music is great for this.
Tip three – lavender at bedtime.
Put a few drops of pure lavender oil with distilled water in a spray bottle and shake well. Simply spray the mist on your pillow before you go to sleep. You will be in dreamland very quickly. You can sip a cup of lavender herbal tea prior to going to bed. This will also help you sleep peacefully and get you ready for the day ahead.
Tip four- lavender for healing and pain relief.
Lavender's anti- inflammatory properties has great healing power and may quickly assist in the healing process for minor scratches and bruises such as insect bites. I use lavender to wipe my hands during the flu season. Lavender in any form can be great during childbirth to ease the mother’s tension, or during pregnancy to alleviate some of the mother's discomfort.
Tip five – lavender with your favorite massage.
When you have about ten minutes to give yourself self-massage, use lavender in your massage oil and simply work you way from head to toe. This is a great way to say I love you….to you! Of course the other option is to have a willing partner who is kind enough to give you a full head and body massage. Then there is the professional option, where you can either have a massage therapist come to your home or you go to a day spa, or even a stay spa. You can either request the use of lavender with the massage oil or you can bring your own.
Tip six – lavender neck and shoulder pillow.
There are some great aromatherapy neck and shoulder pillow that come with the lavender scent mixed into the ingredients inside the pillow. For tight shoulders and a stiff neck, simply put the pillow in the microwave for two minutes or LESS, please watch this so the pillow does not burn, and make sure it is NOT too warm for you, then simply wrap it around your should and let the heat relax the muscles as the lavender stimulates your nervous system. I do this while I am on the computer or watching TV. Heck, if I get the opportunity I use this around my shoulders while I'm in traffic! It sure stops me from swearing when someone cuts me off.
Tip seven - lavender scented candles/diffuser.
If you don’t have the time to do much of anything to get some lavender into your life, then you can simply get a lavender scented candle and just burn it. My personal favorite is soy candles. Soy is awesome because it burns clean; there is no flakey wax to deal with. It is a lot safer around pets and children because it is plant-based and non-toxic. You can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a diffuser and enjoy the calming effects as you inhale. Think of it as mental yoga.
Monique is a speaker, author, lifestyle expert, nationally certified massage therapist & reiki practitioner. She has worked with hundreds of busy women using an eclectic blend of techniques to help her clients achieve relaxation and the energy required to be successful in ALL areas of life. Monique's passion is helping busy women to have success without the stress. Monique is the publisher of the 'Home Spa Tips ezine. Check her out at http://www.homespatips.com
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Migraine - Natural Therapies To Treat It

By Harry B
Many people have found that they are not alone in the world in this respect that they suffer from either a migraine or chronic headache. A large proportion of the population across the globe suffers from such problems and a high percentage seems to be women.
It seems that depression and chronic pain live side by side and you can’t seem to have one without the other. Many people who have been suffering with such symptoms are now looking at alternatives to the usual over the counter remedies being offered by their pharmacists and are turning to herbal therapy instead. Essential oils and aromatherapy are now helping to relieve some of the pain and provide comfort to migraine sufferers.
Lavender is one of the herbal fragrances whose particular properties are used to help naturally sooth ones body and mind. It does help your muscles to relax which is a major cause of migraine pain. It also helps to relieve any stiff that you have in your joints and relieve in chronic pain that you may be suffering. It has an antiseptic quality which even helps to repel insects. It is one of two essential oils that may directly applied to the skin without having to be diluted and therefore by simply applying a few drops may help you to relax the muscles and any emotional tension you may feel which trigger the on set of a migraine attack. Using a lavender eye pillow helps you to relax and the soothing aromatherapy qualities help to promote a more relaxed and restorative sleep as well.continue...
For More articles and information on migraine and migraine treatments visitTreatment-for-Migraines.com
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