Sleepy course 😴 Day 23
I mentioned several times during the course the importance of slowing down and relaxing before sleep. We use a warm bath, meditation to achieve this goal. On the other hand, we avoid challenging physical activities, heavy dinner, and any kind of stress.
But how can we understand whether we succeed or not? How to measure it?
HR ❤️
There are a couple of helpful metrics. Those metrics are heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). The link between the two parameters and stress is well established in the research literature.
Today we’ll discuss heart rate, and later we’ll talk about heart rate variability. See this chart that illustrates changes in the heart rate depending on activity.
As you can see, the heart rate drops significantly during sleep. In some people, it drops as low as 35 beats/min.
A low heart rate is an indicator of good quality sleep and effective rest. It’s important, that the heart rate drops immediately after falling asleep and not by morning. This way the body “recharges its batteries” faster.
Many different fitness trackers can monitor heartbeats. And I should say that even in your time, they are quite accurate. 🎯
Time ⏳
We work on improving sleep for a reason. One of the most important goals of this course is to boost your effectiveness during the day through sleep improvement. As I promised, you’ll be more productive and will achieve your goals faster.
But quitting daily activities too early in preparation for sleep means risking achieving less during waking hours.
It goes to show, that we must learn to relax and lower the heart rate after a challenging day even faster. How can we do it?
Meditation and a warm bath are powerful techniques but we can strengthen them. You recall, that I love simple methods that don’t require much time?
Lavender 🌸
I wanted to tell you about this cool method for a long time. 😎 I like it for its simplicity and effectiveness.
Let’s see, what the science tells us.
Research shows that lavender essential oil helps not just with lowering the heart rate, reducing stress, and falling asleep faster. It also works well for improving the overall quality of sleep. Sometimes it’s recommended as a mild sedative.
In one study just 10 minutes of aromatherapy significantly raised the proportion of SWS and reduced falling asleep time.
Besides, aromatherapy positively influences melatonin production. Participants, who used aromatherapy, showed an increase in blood melatonin levels by 29%.
You might ask, “Sleepy, do I have to spend another 10 minutes before bed?”
No. absolutely not! This intervention does not require additional time. Here are a few simple ways to apply it:
- Add a few drops to your bath
- Use it with a humidifier if it has a designated container for essential oils (soon we’ll talk about humidifiers in our course)
- Dribble a few drops on a plate and put it near the bed
If you can take a bath in the evening, I highly recommend trying the following combo: bath + meditation + lavender. A great effect in only 10 minutes!
Which essential oil to choose 🛒
By the way, this is also a very affordable method. A 4 fl oz bottle will last you a long time and you can find one for as low as 14 USD. I can recommend the linked one, but you are free to choose any. There isn’t a big difference between them.
A few warnings 👨🏫
Make sure that no one in your home is allergic to lavender oil.
The oil is highly concentrated, even 3 or 4 drops will be enough.
Task:
- Order lavender essential oil
- Enjoy your evening ritual as much as you can 😌
The studies:
- The effect of aromatherapy with lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on serum melatonin levels
- Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants
- Effects of Work Stress on Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Heart Rate Variability
- Effect of lavender aroma on salivary endocrinological stress markers
- An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women.