I’m one of those fancy schmancy people who loves the symphony. All of the instruments playing together making beautiful music. Can you imagine if there was a rogue cellist who started playing We Will Rock You in the middle of a Mozart concerto?
Chaos.
Other members of the orchestra would eventually fall out of time and the piece would fall apart.
What on Earth does this have to do with sleeping? Let me tell you…
The Delicate Endocrine System
The endocrine system is like an orchestra. The instruments are delicate (thyroid, adrenals, ovaries/testes, pineal gland, hypothalamus, etc.), and they work together to play in concert.
If you adrenal glands are underperforming, they draw on the thyroid gland. If your hypothalamus is off, the messages (hormones) don’t get relayed between the other glands and systems.
Endocrine imbalances can result in everything from belly fat to PMS and insomnia.
Resetting the endocrine system is a big job. I start the healing process with diet, digestion, blood sugar handling, and SLEEP for most clients.
What Do I Use for SLEEP?
I have been experimenting with a new essential oil combination for sleep that is rocking my world. Seriously.
Jodi, the owner of Vibrant Blue Oils, sent me a package of oils to try out a few weeks ago and we’ve been working together and brainstorming ever since. These blends have won me over to essential oils for good.
I’ve never had any serious sleeping problems, but I do sleep lightly. A whisper from my daughter will wake me up.
I also haven’t slept through the night much since becoming a parent 6 years ago.
Because I have recently recovered from adrenal fatigue, have food allergies, and had 20 years of menstrual problems, my endocrine system is still a bit wonky.
Enter a brand new essential oil blend designed for practitioners called Pineal Rhythm essential oil. (affiliate links)
Pineal Rhythm helps the body to naturally create melatonin and melatonin is the yin to cortisol’s yang.
Cortisol is the stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands.
When it is firing, melatonin is suppressed. If you can naturally increase your production of melatonin, you can significantly decrease the amount of cortisol in your body while you sleep.
Learn more about the pineal gland and its functions HERE.
The Better Sleep “Formula”
In playing with this oil, I found that it makes me extremely sleepy within a few minutes of applying it. Kind of like that heavy feeling you get right before you fall asleep.
But I can’t actually fall asleep with just the one oil.
The Sleep blend I’ve tried using before without much luck, but, when I combine them together, Zzzzzzzzzz.
I am asleep within 5-10 minutes at the most every single time. It feels kind of insane that it works so well.
Now, here’s my essential oil disclaimer…
Not all oils work the same way for everyone.
Essential oils are powerful herbal medicine, but they do not override your body’s natural function. If your sleep issues are tied to blood sugar issues, then you need an oil (or another remedy) that helps promote pancreatic or liver function.
The owner of Vibrant Blue Oils, Jodi, can fall asleep within minutes of using Pancreatone (pancreas produces insulin & glucagon), and I can feel myself get sleepy with Liver Support (liver produces glycogen that our bodies use as fuel while we sleep).
Many people fall asleep easily but wake between 1-3, because their liver is congested or the body can’t produce enough fuel to keep going through the night. It needs to be topped off.
This was a big issue with my daughter when she was 0-3 years old. I spent many zombie nights shoveling rice porridge or leftover hamburger into her little mouth at 3 am.
If you’d like to test the Pineal Rhythm/Sleep oils, be sure to have a snack about 30 minutes before bedtime to make sure your body has enough fuel to get through the night. If you get shaky, or irritable, or downright cranky before meals, you likely have dysregulated blood sugar.
Be sure that it does not contain any foods you’re allergic to, follows your safe food list, and has some fat, protein, and starchy carbohydrates. Think of an apple with almond butter or some leftover dinner like 1/2 of a hamburger and fried plantains.
You can support your liver and pancreas without oils, but I would suggest making sure to do something for them (whether herbal, oil, homeopathic, or food-based) if you have trouble sleeping and regularly wake between 1-4.
Application
Pineal Rhythm — 1-3 drops neat (not diluted) on the very top of your head, making sure to get it on the scalp. Apply a second drop to your scalp directly behind the top of your ears. Apply just before bedtime. The blend may also be diluted with a few drops of a carrier oil.
Note: Start with 1 drop on the top of your head the first night. Essential oils should be used minimally to avoid overwhelming your system and creating an additional burden on your liver.
Sleep – Sniff from the bottle for 15-20 seconds or apply to back of neck, navel, wrists, ears, under nose, or on pillow at bedtime. I usually do this after I’m in bed.
DETOXIFICATION
IMMUNE SUPPORT
IMMUNE SUPPORT
THYROID SUPPORT
ADRENAL SUPPORT
HEALING RESPONSES
9 Responses
Any advice on picking the right single or combo oil to help me sleep better? For me, I can’t get my mind to turn off. And I often awake suddenly between 1-3am panicking over something going on in my life. Then, I am back to trying to get myself to relax and my brain to shut off.
Without knowing your health history and complete list of symptoms, it sounds like you might be dealing with an adrenal imbalance – possibly too much cortisol and/or adrenaline at the wrong time of day/night -. Since the production of melatonin naturally downregulates cortisol and slows the adrenal glands down, I would vote for the Pineal Rhythm. If you want a secondary oil, the Sleep blend or lavender would be a great way to help calm the nervous system so you can relax and sleep.
Couple that with alternate nostril breathing before bed, and you should have a good routine started. Also try a gentle bedtime yoga routine like THIS and a 20 minute detox bath with 4 cups of Epsom salt (as long as you can tolerate Epsom salt). They are both top on my list for sleep remedies.
Interesting. I don’t have too many issues falling asleep, but wake up at ANY sort of disturbance, including my SO comming to bed much later than I. I ALWAYS wake up between 2-4 to pee, so ive tried NOT drinking after supper time, but find myself too thirsty and waking up with a dry mouth. I am over the top AGGRESSIVE when im hungry, I could tear someone’s head off and if i wait too long I feel as if I could faint and my blood pressure drops. Ive always thought I was just hypoglycemic but thought there was nothing i could do about it! I have fibromyalgia, so getting a good nights sleep is crucial, yet i feel as if i never do!
Waking up to pee is usually the body dumping toxins during sleep. Whether you drink or not, it will continue to push them out as well as it can. I would recommend concentrating on liver cleansing and cleaning up your diet if need be instead of restricting needed liquids. My husband used to do it too when he had diabetes, not knowing the cause. 🙂
With fibromyalgia, you need a multi-system approach to healing, but blood sugar handling is definitely going to be a big step. You can read my post on why you get ‘hangry’ HERE if you want to learn more about the blood sugar roller coaster. I was a crazy sugar addict until a year ago, and I definitely sympathize with all of those symptoms. You are most certainly not alone!
Pancreatone is usually recommended with blood sugar dysregulation, but I had to really concentrate on liver cleansing to clear mine up. If you ever need any help, it’s what I do in my nutritional therapy practice and I’d be happy to put together a protocol for you with diet, nutrient supplements, and complementary therapies like essential oils.
Id love too, thank you Jennifer! however, I first need to know fees and all, could you possibly write me an email with what working with you entails? I think you have access to my mail, but otherwise reply again and Ill send you a msg 🙂
Sent! 🙂
Thank you so much for this tip! I fall asleep pretty well, but was consistently waking up at 5:30 every day. The very first night after using Pineal Rhythm and Sleep I slept till 7am, and have been doing so since! A miracle indeed! I am pretty groggy throughout the day, though. Have you experienced any ‘hang over’ effects?
That’s great! It can take a couple to a few weeks of extra sleep before rhythms start to level out. Your body will learn to regulate the hormones, but is also telling you that it needs more sleep to heal. These remedies can help wake you up in the morning.