Do you struggle to fall asleep at night? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world have the exact same problem and chances are you probably didn’t even know that you can solve it so easily. A few tiny tweaks to your nighttime routine, and presto! You are sleeping like a baby!
Whether you prefer candles or incense, these two natural products have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, helping promote a state of deep relaxation, improved focus, and general well-being. But did you know you can use incense for sleep too? Here are the best fragrances for a good night’s rest.
Why Sleep is Important for Optimal Health and Well-being
I won’t spare you the details, however both science and life experience say the same thing: sleep is essential to our well-being. Without quality sleep of a healthy duration, we can’t function properly both internally and externally.
Have you noticed how poor sleep affects you negatively during the day? Maybe you’re cranky all day long, maybe you snap at someone and it seems unjustifiable to them why that happened, maybe you can’t seem to keep your focus longer than 5-10 minutes at work and your projects now seem impossible to finish without 5 shots of espresso or a couple of energy drinks. Problem? Poor sleep.
But apart from the more obvious side effects of not getting sufficient and restful sleep, what happens internally when we neglect this aspect of our life?
Lack of Sufficient Sleep: Side Effects and Risks
Well, to name a few, here are the most common internal side effects of poor sleep:
- Cognitive Impairment: lack of proper sleep results in a lack of proper oxygenation at a cellular level. The first and foremost affected organ of this will inevitably be the brain. Complications can occur and can lead to loss of concentration (most common), loss of memory, and problem-solving abilities.
- Mood disorders: poor sleep has been often linked to an increased risk of anxiety, irritability, depression, and other mood disorders. Naturally, the less sleep the brain and body get, the more likely you are to experience volatile reactions and mood swings throughout the day.
- Impaired immune system function: the less sleep you get, the less your body is able to produce cytokines, the proteins that are responsible for helping your body fight inflammation and infections.
- Hormonal imbalance: lack of sleep disrupts the body’s natural producing hormones, leading to various metabolic changes such as a resistance to insulin, inflammation, chronic diseases (including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity), and more.
- Increase in accident rate: with poor sleep comes poor cognitive and reaction functions. This can lead to an increase in all sorts of accidents, from falling down to not being attentive when driving. The decrease in your reaction rate, regardless of your age, is heightened when sleep has been negatively affected.
Benefits of Quality Sleep
We’ve listed the internal side effects of poor sleep and talked about external appealing changes. Now let’s look at what benefits does quality sleep bring us:
- Improved cognitive function: better sleep = better brain function. This leads to being more creative, having an improved problem-solving ability, and an increase in your ability to focus. What does all of this mean? Higher grades at school, better communication at work and at home, better decision making skill, and an overall improvement in quality of life.
- Stable mood: since lack of sleep is highly correlated to mood swings, quality sleep helps with emotional regulation and less volatile reactions. This means a general calmer, relaxed, or more serene approach to problems, reduced risk of anxiety or depression, and a better mood overall.
- Reduced inflammation: quality sleep is highly linked to stabilizing brain and body functions, therefore getting proper sleep will reduce the chance of inflammation occurring in the body. This means lower likelihood of any of the following diseases: heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and more.
- Improved physical performance: sleep is essential to an athlete’s training regime, and as such it is highly prioritized by them. The most noticeable results of proper sleep include an increase in strength, endurance, and reaction time. Whether you are an athlete or not, these latter core essential abilities are necessary in the day to day life. The reaction time of your arms and hands landing first on the ground when falling (so as to protect your head) is noticeably different than if you were to have poor sleep within the last 3 days.
- Improved immune system function: your body’s ability to produce cytokines and help aid in general protection mechanisms is highly increased when you’ve had proper sleep. This leads to your body’s natural ability to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens be greatly enhanced.
Best Incense for Sleep: Top 5 Picks and Recommendations
1. Lavender Incense
Well-known for its relaxing properties, lavender has been used all around the world in people’s households to reduce stress and anxiety, and promote a general state of well-being. Having a pleasant scent and calming effects on the brain, lavender is a great choice for anyone looking to improve their sleep.
2. Chamomile Incense
Used in households for thousands of years, chamomile is the natural herb known for its calming and soothing abilities. You’ve probably tried drinking chamomile tea at night before bed, but did you know you can use chamomile incense for the same effects too? Chamomile incense helps promote relaxation and reduce stress, all the while avoiding going to the bathroom during your sleep if you drink tea right before bed.
3. Valerian Incense
Valerian root has been used for centuries as a natural sleep aid, and valerian incense is no exception. The plant is commonly found in Europe, Asia, and North America with medicinal use dating back to ancient Greece and Rome. Valerian has a long history of use as a sedative, since it is believed to have many benefits, including an increase in quality of sleep. You can use valerian incense to reduce anxiety, induce a state of calmness, and lower your brainwaves.
4. Sandalwood Incense
With a warm, rich, and woody scent, sandalwood incense is commonly used to generate a state of relaxation and calmness. Sandalwood has been shown to help with adjusting serotonin levels, making your sleep cycle get properly regulated as a result. Regarded as a natural aid in reducing stress, sandalwood promotes a calming effect on the brain and body, making it perfect for anyone looking to drift off easily and get a good night’s rest.
5. Frankincense Incense
Frankincense has a warm and spicy scent that, when inhaled, has been shown to reduce your heart rate, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression, without the unwanted drowsiness side effects of prescribed medication. Having a grounding ability, frankincense is commonly used to promote calmness, relaxation, and a restful sleep. If you have mild insomnia or have trouble staying asleep throughout the night, then we recommend you try frankincense for its numerous therapeutic effects.
Conclusion
Whether you prefer the cracking of a candle or the soothing trail of light smoke from an incense, there’s always a natural herb with healing properties that will help aid your sleep. Even if you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or simply want to unwind after a long, stressful day, there’s an incense out there for you. The above mentioned options – lavender, chamomile, valerian, sandalwood, and frankincense – are all great options for promoting relaxation, calmness, and an increase in quality of sleep. We recommend you give them a try and see which ones are for you.
To beautiful dreams and a great sleep,
The Purely Calm Team.
