“When the soil of the self is exhausted, no beautiful flowers can grow from it.” –Mira Kirshenbaum
I love the summer months – increased light (I am a light lover), warmth, cold showers, longer days, glorious sunsets, and stunning moonrises. Waking early, just before dawn, I look forward to another day of happiness and joy.
But when the sun is shining, the air is warm, and the sky is blue, it’s hard to ignore the siren calls for time outside, dips in the ocean, and time with friends in the evening.
For all its many pleasures, summer can be hard on sleep. The heat makes it harder to get a good night’s rest. This can rob you of your restorative sleep, which can trigger the release of stress hormones, and those stress hormones can increase anxiety and other issues and affect your mind and your ability to focus.
In this blog, I’ll explore a couple of the primary essential oils in Fleur Nidra Rest & Repair Oil that can support you with falling asleep and staying asleep for waking refreshed during the summer months.
The “Dog Days of Summer are Here!
The “Dog Days of Summer” are the hot, sultry days typically from July 3 – August 11.
Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. Under the right conditions, it can even be seen with the naked eye during the day. Sirius is one star in a group of stars that form the constellation Canis Major, meaning “Greater Dog.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the nickname of this big, bold star became “the Dog Star.”
During these Dog Days of Summer, many of us want nothing more than to take a long nap under a big shade tree to compensate for the fatigue of restless warm nights.
Unfortunately, heat and humidity make it harder to fall asleep, and stay asleep, which adds to the sleeping problems that many people already experience.
Even as summer’s extra light keeps me up later than usual and it takes more time to wind down, I’ve noticed that my sleep is not as naturally deep.
Summer Sleep Issues
For most of us, our schedules and routines can quickly go sideways during the summer, upsetting sleep patterns and leaving us short on restorative sleep. We pack a lot of activities into our summer calendars, often feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
But if a lack of restorative sleep is becoming a routine, it could signal a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. Sleeping disorders and conditions often become noticeable with the onset of that tired and poorly rested feeling. And without care, these symptoms and effects worsen over time.
This is compounded if you are over age 40. You may wonder why you feel more tired, exhausted, and worn down as you age and why your sleep doesn’t restore you.
Fortunately, there are ways to help your body and mind recover from seasonal and age-related fatigue and energy loss.
A Practical Solution
But with the dog days of summer comes Nidra Rest & Restore flower essence aromatherapy oil, a practical solution to reharmonizing your circadian rhythm to get a better night’s sleep.
The word nidra comes from the ancient Sanskrit meaning sleep and encourages practicing a conscious, mindful approach to restorative sleep.
Experiencing the relaxation and stress-relieving benefits of Nidra Rest & Restore Oil as part of your wind-down night routine can become a game-changer for how refreshed you’ll feel upon waking.
Essential Oils for Better Sleep
It’s no secret that I love supporting holistic approaches to improve the quality of our lives. This is why I love the science of essential oils and applied aromatherapy.
Fleur alchemical wellness includes incredible essential oils that can be a powerful way to help you relax and sleep better. The aromas of soporific essential oils have measurable physiological effects on sleep.
With so many sensory-enhancing benefits, including stress relief and deeper sleep—it’s no wonder essential oils were incorporated into natural remedies.
Many essential oils strongly balance the Central Nervous System and take the ‘edge’ off without creating any dependencies. Used wisely, they can retrain the system to calm down and naturally let down into a parasympathetic state on its own.
Essential oils are well known for their versatility of benefits when it comes to sleep. Soporific essential oils are fundamental when it comes to helping with restorative sleep.
Sopo what?
The word soporific comes from Latin sopor, which means “deep sleep.” That root is related to somnus, the Latin word for “sleep,” and gives us the word somnolence, meaning sleepiness.
Like soporific, somniferous is a word used to describe something that puts you to sleep. Soporific essential oils are hypnagogic — meaning the state immediately before falling asleep, inducing the relaxation response leading to a physical state of deep rest.
Used therapeutically, the unique alchemy of soporific essential oils in my Nidra Rest & Restore Oil activates the parasympathetic (rest and repair) nervous system for improved quality sleep.
Spikenard – Oil of Devotion
Spikenard, also called Jatamansi, nard, and muskroot is a flowering plant of the Valerian family with the scientific name Nardostachys jatamansi. It grows at about 10,000 feet in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India.
During ancient times, Spikenard was regarded as one of the most precious oils, reportedly used by Mary Magdeline to anoint Jesus’s feet while on the cross to relieve his suffering.
Steam distilled from its roots, Spikenard is used as a perfume, medicine, and as incense in spiritual ceremonies across India to Europe. The earthy scent of Spikenard essential oil is described as woody, spicy, and musty.
Spikenard essential oil is known for its calming and sedating properties. Its aromatic effects are helpful with issues of anxiety, stress, overthinking, and insomnia. The oil is incredibly soothing and comforting and is beneficial for managing minor pain and inflammation.
Vetiver – Oil of Tranquility
Vetiver essential oil is well known as the oil of tranquility. Steam distilled, the oil is derived from the aromatic roots of the Vetiveria zizanioides, a grass also known as Ruh Khus or Khus.
Vetiver is a tropical plant that grows well in hot to humid climates. It is a dense and clumping plant with erect and stiff stems that reaches up to 5 feet in height and bears brownish to purple flowers. This plant is native to South India.
Known for its fresh, warm yet cooling, woody, earthy, and balsamic notes, vetiver encourages feelings of confidence, stillness, and tranquility.
Its sedative properties are a natural tranquilizer ideal for relieving nervousness, restoring a sense of serenity, and easing problems of the mind to promote restful sleep. It also is effective for calming feelings of anger, irritability, panic, and restlessness. Besides balancing the emotions to promote positive moods, this essential oil also boosts immunity.
The Perfect Sleep Solution
Made with high-quality organic ingredients, the soporific essential oils in Nidra Rest & Restore Oil are aromatically pleasant and sleep-inducing when applied to the soles of the feet.
- Promotes restful sleep and addresses nervous system restlessness.
- Soothes feelings of anger, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, and stress.
- Deeply balancing, calming, and grounding.
Alchemically diluted in Jojoba oil and St. John’s Wort herbily infused oils, Nidra Rest & Repair Oil provides the perfect sleep solution.
The combined synergy of organic essential oil ingredients activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) – stress-reducing, relaxing, grounding.
- Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) – relaxing, tranquil, grounding.
- Neroli (Citrus aurantium var amara) – calming, mood enhancing, relaxing.
- Valerian (Valeriana officnalis) – sedative, anti-anxiety, nervous tension.
- Hops (Humulus lupulus) – sedative, calming, relaxing.
- Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) – soothing, balancing, harmonizes CNS.
- Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) – tranquil, soothing, calming
- Celery (Apium graveolenns) – relaxing, calming, reduces stress.
- Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata var genuina) – calming, mood-boosting, anxiety-reducing.
- Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) – grounding, eases the mind, boosts sleep quality.
Nidra Rest & Restore Oil Promotes Healthy Sleep in 5 Ways*
- Reduces sleep onset latency, the time between lights out and falling asleep.
- Increases sleep efficiency, the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed.
- Increases total sleep time, time asleep after sleep onset.
- Reduces wakefulness after sleep onset time spent awake after sleep begins.
- Synchronizes and maintains a healthy circadian rhythm promoting healthy sleep patterns.
*The FDA has not evaluated these statements. This product does not intend to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or on any medications, please consult with a qualified health professional before beginning any new aromatherapy protocol.
Be Rested and Mentally and Emotionally Restored
Falling asleep and staying asleep during Dog Days of Summer affects many of us. A sleepless night will lead to feeling tired the next day.
When sleep problems are habitually chronic and long-term, insomnia affects memory, concentration, and mood, leading to weight gain, diabetes, and depression.
Using Nidra Rest & Restore Oil ten minutes before bed massaged onto the soles of the feet ensures a good night’s sleep to wake refreshed, rested, and mentally and emotionally restored.
Deep restorative sleep can dramatically affect your body and mind’s ability to handle stress and feel happy. Beyond that, restorative sleep is critical to replenishing energy and repairing cells, tissues, and muscles. You need this phase to feel awake and refreshed the next day.
All my aromatic love,
Vidya
