heal: sleep well with lavender
Travelling with work is incredible. You get to see parts of the world that you didn’t know existed and are introduced to cultures that change you forever. As a DJ, I spend a lot of my life jumping from airports, to taxi’s to hotels, on to a stage and then back in to a hotel room. Although it can seem glamorous, changing hotel rooms, different pillows, inconsistent air con and the couple in their honeymoon period next door can all feed in to you waking up the next day feeling like you’ve gone ten rounds with Deontay Wilder.
After nights of unsettled sleep and feeling grouchy in the airport the next day, I found a solution and it is now my plus one on every trip. Lavender oil. Ok, so it’s not going to solve everything above but it has helped to bring some consistency. Before I go to sleep, I light a travel candle (away from the smoke detectors, obvs) and cover my pillow in a few drops. I then have some wind down time to chill out and settle before closing my eyes and the Lavender Oil doing it’s thing.
It’s long been known not only to help you to sleep but also with treating anxiety, depression and restlessness. It is also believed to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to heal minor burns and insect bites. So it’s the perfect travel companion. Not only that, it’s cheap, can fit in your hand luggage and a tiny bottle lasts months.
In the past, researchers have monitored sleep cycles with brain scans and found that lavender increased slow-wave sleep and is instrumental for slowing your heartbeat and relaxing your muscles. During testing, the subjects that they worked with slept more soundly on the night when lavender was used. The group also reported feeling more energetic the next morning. In this 2012 experiment, subjects experienced more relaxation, pleasure and better moods after inhaling its fragrance.
Other studies have suggested that drinking lavender as a tea can help digestive issues such as sickness and nausea and also help when you have an upset stomach.
Like anything, introduce it in moderation, see if it works for you and if it does tell a mate that might need it too. Nature has so many simple and natural answers and if you’re struggling to get your eight hours in, Lavender Oil could be the answer.
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