Menopause & Insomnia May 6, 2009

Insomnia is an all to common problem -according to the Mayo Clinic, most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another. In fact, more than one-third of adults have insomnia at some time, while 10 to 15 percent report long-term (chronic) insomnia. Based on the number of sleep aid commercials running on television, it would seem we have an insomnia epidemic out there.

Signs and Causes of Insomnia

If you are experiencing insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep), you may be having difficulty falling asleep at night, awakening during the night, or awakening too early — or any combination of these symptoms. The causes vary from person to person –stress, travel, illness, medications, or hormonal changes can cause insomnia.

bergamot-orange-drawing

Menopause and Insomnia

For women in menopause, insomnia is just one among the multitude of symptoms associated with menopause–it’s inconvenient, frustrating, and we feel the effect during our wakeful hours.

• Not feeling well rested after a night’s sleep
• Daytime fatigue
• Irritability, depression or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention or focusing
• Increased accidents
• Headaches
• Gastrointestinal problems

Doctors often treat menopausal insomnia by first treating the overall menopause symptoms. For example, hot flashes can bring a woman out of a deep sleep into a lighter sleep stage, making the sleep less restful. A hot flash can waken a woman who then has a hard time getting back to sleep. In theory, as the hot flashes ease up, so will the insomnia.

OTC or prescription aids can create further side effects ranging from next-day drowsiness the next day, confusion, forgetfulness and dry mouth to more severe side effects such as drug dependence and memory loss.

Natural Sleep Aids

Aside from the standard advice for easing the pain of insomnia, such as exercise, avoiding heavy meals and caffeine before bedtime, and following a sleeping schedule, the natural essences of botanicals used in aromatherapy can be effective for some people.  Throughout history, essential oils have been used to alleviate anxiety, calm, act as an aphrodisiac, and relax.

Some essential oils to try:

• Bergamot
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Vetiver

Sprinkle a few drops in a warm bath before bed for a wind-down bath. Don’t forget the calming candles and relaxing music.

Even if you don’t have time for a soak, aromatherapy can still help you ease into a restful sleep – and stay there. Try a few drops of lavender on your pillow case or on a tissue placed near your pillow or even inside the pillowcase.

Mother’s Day: Aromatherapy for New Mothers May 5, 2009

Peppermint

Those first months of your new baby’s life can be both joyous and exhausting. New parents are more than familiar with the state of sleep deprivation. The effects of sleep deprivation are cumulative – night after night of waking every few hours to care for your newborn can impact energy level, your ability to concentrate. It can impact your mood and emotions, and even physical coordination.

Aromatherapy is a healthy and natural way to help new parents cope with their state of sleep deprivation. If you know a new mother, why not give her the gift of aromatherapy? Add a few drops of these essential oils to a mist bottle of distilled water: lavender, lemongrass, rosemary and peppermint.

Sleep deprived parents can mist the air around them whenever they need a lift!

Get Off the Couch April 17, 2009

When you’re experiencing mild depression, mental fatigue, sadness, and/or lack of energy, aromatherapy can help. However, if you, or someone you know, are severely depressed, additional support and therapy are necessary.

Aromatherapy can help in mild forms of depression because the chemical properties ease mental fatigue and help with sleep.

Essential oils with energizing and uplifting effects can help ease the symptoms of mild depression, the blues, or just give you a lift when you need it.

I personally can really feel the difference by just inhaling bergamot straight from the bottle, but I just LOVE a blend of:

Sweet Orange – helps to create a comfortable, relaxed state of mind

Ylang Ylang – super for depression, insomnia, nervous tension, stress, related pain; fear, anger, inner coldness, low self esteem, shock, as it relaxes the nervous system

Bergamot – extremely good for uplifting the spirits, allaying anxiety and treating depression. It is a good oil to use when someone has got into a cycle of tension and depression surrounding a persistent condition.

From the Nose to the Close April 16, 2009

 Aromatherapy to Help Sell Your Home

In a market where slower than normal sales can mean more houses available and more competition it’s critical for the home seller to attend to every detail of preparing or staging their home for sale.

Smell is something many homeowners grow accustomed to, whether it is from pets or cooking or a favorite perfume. But to potential buyers, any smell at all can be enough to turn them off from a potential sale. It’s common for realtors to recommend that clients set out fresh baked bread, apple pie, or cookies to cover unwelcome scents and make potential buyers feel “at home” in your home.

We’ve all experienced it. Scent triggers emotional and physical responses. It can change our heart rate, make your mouth water, attract us to a mate or bring memories to mind. Smell can also make us buy.

In fact research has been conducted in the area. Studies have shown that a scented environment leads to consumers staying longer and spending more. A study of Las Vegas slot players showed they spent 45% more in a scented environment than those in an unscented one. Nike shoes received a better evaluation in a scented room. A vanilla aroma was used in NYC’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to reduce anxiety in patients before MRIs-and it worked. Perhaps banks could try using lavender essential oil diffusers in their branches to calm the nerves of their customers.  

Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of neurology at the Smell and Taste Treatment Research Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, studied the effect of odors on shoppers’ opinions of a product and the urge to spend more. He found out that YES – an odor CAN influence a shopper’s opinion. But how? The theory is that because small is a chemical sense tied to the emotional center of the brain, it has a powerful impact on mood and behavior. Hirsch says,  “The portion of the brain that controls smell is located in the limbic lobe, the center part of the brain that also controls emotions. The quickest way to change emotions is with smell.”

What scents will you use to sell your home?