Do you ever lay down for bed and before you know it 15, 20, 45 minutes or more has passed and you're still awake? You're totally sleepy, but your mental chatter is louder than a front row seat at a concert? This USED to be me! It would consistently take me 45 minutes to an hour to fall asleep. I also didn't sleep more than an hour at a time and my dreams were super vivid, but that's a whole other blog post. What I want to share with you is what helped me shut the wheels off in my head so I could FINALLY fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Hahaha! Okay, maybe not exactly that fast, but it is quick - within 5 minutes most nights.
My sleepy-time secret weapon is dōTERRA Serenity® Oil. This was a complete game changer for me! I found a natural solution that worked (and still works) for me, after over 20 years or more of not being able to fall asleep quickly. Hence my compelling need to share it with you. So, let me tell you a little about this queen of the night.
This restful blend has a calming and relaxing aroma that's perfectly balanced to create a tranquil environment that can be sensed almost immediately. The oils in this sleepy-time blend are Lavender Flower, Cedarwood, Ho Wood Leaf, Ylang Ylang Flower, Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Vetiver Root, Vanilla Bean Absolute, and Hawaiian Sandalwood. *Please note: this essential oil is not recommended for internal consumption, like many of doTERRA's oils, but if you like the idea of an "easy pill to pop" there is a Serenity supplement that has slightly different essential oils and ingredients that are designed to take internally. Let's look at the breakdown of the oils in Serenity:
Aside from an obvious choice to diffuse Serenity at bedtime (3 to 4 drops) to help you unwind my personal favorite way to use this essential oil blend is to apply a drop to the bottom of my big toe. Remember a little goes a long way and you seriously only need a drop. My routine is one drop on the bottom of my right toe and then I rub my big toes together. If you get too much you could have some funky dreams, this can also happen when you first start using it. If that's the case, mix a drop of Frankincense essential oil with it and tada! all is well in the dream world again.
The cool thing about dōTERRA Serenity® Oil is that it doesn't make you sleep. It allows you to use the essential oil when you need to relax and chill out. If you suffer from anxious feelings or find yourself in a stressful situation you can use Serenity in those scenarios too. Although it wasn't planned, I've actually tried this out at night. It was the weekend, my hubby and I got all ready bed, but decided we weren't actually sleepy and proceeded to stay up another couple hours and watch a movie. I made it through the movie, with no problems, when I laid my head down to fall asleep - done. Out like a light.
Below you will find some other yummy ways to incorporate Serenity oil blend into your routine, both day and night. The top two are diffuser blends and the bottom two are a 10mL roller bottle recipe. In case you don't know FCO is short for Fractionated Coconut Oil. You can use a carrier oil of your choice (avocado, jojoba, etc.), but I do love FCO - scentless, great for our skin and doesn't stain. By the way, I will say Serenity doesn't need to be mixed with other essential oils, it's fantastic on its own, but the combos below are a wonderful treat for our senses.
Science is pretty cool, not that I can even claim to understand it half the time, but I do dig it especially when it comes to learning more about the science behind essential oils. doTERRA did a clinical trial on the Serenity Restful Complex that I wanted to share with you. I don't want to dismiss the easy to use and convenient pill that I talked about earlier. Although I don't personally use this often, it's certainly an awesome product. And if you'd rather pop a pill than worry about a diffuser or you feel silly putting it on your toes, or you're a dude who thinks this is all a little fru fru, then you've gotta try the doTERRA Serenity Restful Complex softgels.
If you haven't tried the dōTERRA Serenity® Oil yet and/or already love it, I just HAVE to share that you can get it for 10% off this month too (Sept. 2020). If you're still skeptical every month I offer an Oil Study, where you can try our doTERRA for free and get guided support. Guess what? I offer a sleep study too! If you're interested in trying out doTERRA essential oils for free then check this out!
Happy sleeping!
xoDanette