After a crazy day of work, hectic errands, a hurried workout (if you’re lucky) and a rushed dinner with the family, the last thing you need at bedtime is a restless night of tossing and turning. Fall asleep quickly and stay asleep with natural, green remedies that will leave you feeling rested and refreshed in the morning, without that groggy feeling you get with many over the counter solutions.
A bath before bed has been shown to quickly bring down your body temperature, which will help you relax and also supports a deep sleep. Add to the calming experience with some DIY bath recipes that soak away stress and leave your skin silky smooth. A hot bath is so relaxing at the end of a long day. Did you know when taken 90 minutes before bed it can actually help you fall asleep? That’s because when you soak in a hot bath, your temperature rises and the rapid cool-down period immediately afterward relaxes you, causing you to feel sleepy. Boost the therapeutic power of a hot bath by adding aromatic essential oils and/or soothing herbs and mineral salts. Here’s a few of our favorite natural sleep-enhancing recipes:
Soothing Salt Bath: Choose one of the many different sea salts or Epsom salt to make this soothing recipe. Sea salt is hailed for its health-enhancing minerals and therapeutic properties. Epsom salt (Magnesium Sulfate) acts as natural skin softener and muscle relaxant.
16 ounces all-natural, unscented sea salt or Epsom salt
15-30 drops lavender oil (Aside from helping you sleep, Lavender oil gently moisturizes skin, and is non-comedogenic for pores. Lavender oil is naturally antibacterial, meaning that it kills acne-causing bacteria that might infiltrate your pores. This makes the purple flower perfect for preventing, calming, and healing painful acne breakouts.)
In a mixing bowl, add essential oil to bath salt and mix well. Store in a glass jar.
Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the scented salts to your bath.
Relaxing tea bath: This very simple tea bath uses chamomile to soothe away tension and stress. Chamomile is also a wonderful tonic for the skin.
3 chamomile tea bags (Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can relieve skin irritations such as eczema and rosacea. The natural polyphenols and phytochemicals in chamomile tea can speed up the healing process of scars and minimize wrinkles and breakouts)
2 cups boiling water
Steep the tea bags in boiling water for 10 minutes and add the tea to your warm bath water.
Sleep tight bath salts: In a small bowl combine a half of a cup dead sea salt (Helps calm skin allergies, eczema, and psoriasis: A soothing bath in Dead Sea salt water can work wonders for skin allergies and conditions. The rich minerals work to exfoliate dead skin, help calm inflammation, and fight off allergens and microbes.) and rose sugar (This contains sugar, coconut oil and rose oil. Sugar gently exfoliates dry skin and coconut oil moisturizes and protects the skin. Roses have anti-ageing properties which keep the skin looking healthy and supple. Rose petals have antibacterial properties and work as natural skin toner.) Stir to mix and add 10 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 drops of vetiver essential oil (Vetiver is sometimes applied directly to the skin for relieving stress, as well as for emotional traumas and shock, lice, and repelling insects. It is also used for arthritis, stings, and burns. Vetiver is sometimes inhaled as aromatherapy for nervousness, insomnia, and joint and muscle pain.), and 4 drops of cedarwood (cedarwood essential oil can provide aid in a number of skin issues and is even used to treat inflammatory conditions like arthritis, respiratory disorders, kidney problems, anxiety and stressful conditions and also widely used in the process) essential oil. Stir well to thoroughly blend. Then add a fourth of a cup of lavender buds to the bath salt mixture. Fill an airtight jar with bath salts and store until use.
How to use this bath recipe: Pour two to four tablespoons of Sleep Tight Bath Salts into a warm bath. Soak in the magnesium and boost serotonin for twenty to sixty minutes. Try it anytime if you’ve been having trouble sleeping.