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How to Fix Bad Sleep Habits Naturally: Tips from a Retired Educator

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by Terry Billups 

Do you get up in the morning because you’ve had enough sleep or because you need/want to get up and going?

I was always the latter!!!
 
As a child/teenager/college student I hated missing anything, so, consequently, I went to bed late and got up super early for a kid (6:00 AM). I loved all the moments I experienced throughout the day.
 
As a teacher, I enjoyed the early morning time at school before everyone came in, just to have a little quiet time to do what I wanted in the room… tweak lesson plans, grade papers, move furniture around, put up new bulletin boards… or whatever I wanted. But, I also would grade papers til late at night. Turning the mind off was the hardest thing to do… it still is!
 
As a principal, I went in to school early to accomplish all the things I knew had to be done that day, because I knew there would be so many interruptions. My time was not mine and there were priorities that had to be completed… so early it was!
 
Now, I am retired. I have had many years of bad sleep habits to change. For all those years, I may have had 3 to 5 hours of sleep a night. The body needs more sleep than that. That’s when fatigue settles in, our bodies slide into survival mode, and illness hovers waiting to find a crack to slip in. And I can tell you, I was ill more than well the entire 34 years I was in education. Not good!!!
Isn’t it strange that we totally settle for what we feel is a norm, when in fact it is a bad habit.
 
With retirement, I had to “work” on fixing my bad sleeping habits. I learned that when I sleep, I should go to bed… even for a nap.
I’ve also learned:
  • to set a time to go to bed
  • to turn off all electronic devices at least an hour before going to bed
  • to read something for a few minutes
  • work on a puzzle… paper and pencil!
  • to rub Young Living body lotion on my legs and arms (I’m not choosey… I like them all and love the calming sensation they create)
  • use Deep Sleep Essence and/or ImmuPro right before I climb into bed
  • rub Valor, Lavender, Tranquil… any of the Young Living calming oils or blends under the back of my big toes… I also rub them on my wrists
  • when I wake up in the wee hours of the morning, if I feel I need more sleep, I stay in bad and relax my mind (whether I fall back to sleep isn’t the point… I’m allowing myself the time to sleep and rest)
Since I have been addressing this bad habit of jumping up at the crack of dawn and staying up ’til I can’t keep my eyes opened, I am now getting between 6 and 7 hours of sleep. I feel much more rested, alert, and haven’t had so many colds… in fact, I hardly have any everyday illnesses anymore. Running on totally fatigue is a thing of the past.
 
Are you like me and have had to change this bad habit of living on little sleep?
 
What do you do? We want to know!!
 
More Sleep Tips
sleep habits girl stretching in bed

Chronic Stress Effects: How Stress Damages Your Brain and Body + Sleep Solutions

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Chronic stress is prolonged psychological pressure that triggers lasting physiological changes, including brain shrinkage, immune system suppression, and hormonal disruption, affecting millions of Americans daily.

Chronic stress effects touch every aspect of our health, from brain function to immune system strength. Prior to 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared stress the “Health Epidemic of the 21st Century,” and the situation has only intensified. The ramifications of chronic stress cost American businesses an estimated $300 billion dollars annually, though that statistic represents just the financial tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding stress management and its impact on our wellbeing.

Numerous studies show that job stress is the leading cause of stress for American adults. Other triggers include finances, relationships, parenting, and trauma. And let’s not forget the collective experience of living through unprecedented global challenges in recent years.

What Chronic Stress Actually Does to Your Body

Unpacking chronic stress effects is like peeling back the layers of an onion. What actually happens to a body that experiences prolonged psychological pressure?

Initially, we may feel the effects of adrenaline and cortisol being released. The heart speeds up, digestion slows down, the blood supply shunts blood to major muscle groups, and fight or flight kicks in. In normal situations, the perceived threat eventually leaves and we relax and recover.

In a state of chronic stress, this scenario doesn’t happen the way it should, and some real problematic changes in the body occur.

Brain Changes and Cognitive Impact

The brain actually begins to decrease in both size and weight 😳. Ultimately this affects both cognition and memory. The basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex are especially affected by these changes. The basal ganglia is involved in the processing of information related to emotions, motivations, and movement, while the prefrontal cortex is responsible for “executive decision making” — the ability to differentiate between conflicting thoughts, identifying good from bad, predictions of outcomes, expectations based on actions, and the ability to suppress urges.

This area of the brain dictates our personality, goals and values. As you might imagine, over time, chronic stress plays a very real role in brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dystonia.

Immune System and Inflammation Effects

Unmitigated chronic stress affects the immune system by activating low grade inflammation 🔥 throughout the body. It may take years to develop, but strong evidence suggests that low grade inflammation eventually triggers diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, colitis, IBS, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, lupus, MS, diabetes, cancer, and other autoimmune disorders.

Additionally, this stress affects the production of blood cells needed to effectively fight off illnesses.

Hormonal System Disruption

Chronic stress also alters the activity of several critical systems:

🔥 The hypothalamus – affecting libido, behavior, emotions, body temperature, weight, and sleep/wake cycle

🔥 The pituitary – which largely controls both the adrenals and thyroid

🔥 The adrenal glands – produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, and how we respond to stress. Even a minimal amount of stress can activate the adrenal glands

🔥 Growth hormones – can be halted during severe stress

Additionally, chronic stress can lead to malignancies, genetic instability (epigenetics — the role our environment plays in gene expression), and tumor growth by effectively decreasing the activity of the normal systems within the body that keeps aberrant (cancer) cells from growing.

Digestive disorders are also a common physical symptom of chronic stress, including changes in motility, increased intestinal permeability, and inflammation in the form of Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and IBS.

Science-Based Sleep Strategies for Stress Recovery

Chronic stress effects are no joke when it comes to health impact, and not a single person is immune. This is why it’s incredibly important to have a plan of action for stress management and to encourage others to do the same.

We are all built incredibly differently, and stress will ultimately expose the unique weakness that is within each one of us. This is why it’s so very important that we know and understand our bodies well, so that we can support them in the manner that best serves us.

The Foundation: Quality Sleep for Stress Recovery

Sleep 😴 is our body’s only true time of repair and recovery. If you are not getting at least 7 hours of sleep quality rest each night, make that a priority. If restorative sleep is not happening, work on sleep hygiene and habits to improve your sleep quality.

Essential Sleep Hygiene Tips

👉 Digital Detox Before Bed – Stop screen time well before bed and keep electronics out of the bedroom (pineal gland disruption)

👉 Morning Light Exposure – Get 10-20 minutes of full sunlight during the day to regulate your circadian rhythm

👉 Optimize Sleep Temperature – Keep sleeping temperature at less than 70 degrees F for better sleep quality

👉 Evening Wind-Down Routine – Take an Epsom salt bath before bed and add Lavender, Frankincense, Peace and Calming, Cedarwood or Sandalwood to the salts

Natural Sleep Support Methods

👉 Aromatherapy for Sleep – Consider diffusing with any of the calming essential oils

👉 Exercise Timing – Exercise earlier in the day, and consider restorative yoga or meditation before bed

👉 Avoid Sleep Disruptors – Avoid artificial sweeteners (they can cause insomnia!)

👉 Natural Sleep Supplements – Support a healthy night’s sleep with either YL’s Immupro chewable tablets or Sleep Essence capsules

Taking Action Against Chronic Stress

Understanding chronic stress effects is the first step toward better health. Next week I will cover additional strategies for coping with chronic stress and building resilience in our daily lives.

Remember, prioritizing sleep quality and stress management isn’t selfish — it’s essential for your long-term brain health, immune system function, and overall well being.

xoxo~ liz

Assessing Stress Quiz

#sharingiscaring #takecareofyourself #ThanksYL #stressmanagement #sleepquality #brainhealth



September 2024 Young Living Extras

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September.
It’s one of the month’s of change that we can expect every year without fail.
Kids go back to school 👦👧 At some point in the month, those of us in the south will catch a break with cooler crisper morning temperatures, and Autumn 🍂 is officially ushered in, and you can even smell a change in the air!
I love Young Living’s gifts with purchase picks for us this month!
I mean, who doesn’t love Vanilla ?? (and frankly, I can’t believe it’s free with a 100PV (Loyalty Rewards) order… it’s $34.50 to purchase). Vanilla is known for making everything smell amazing, and like all of our YL essential oils, it has health benefits too, not the least of which is helping create a calming relaxing environment. I did a quick pubmed.gov search to see what studies I could find about vanilla, and there were some interesting finds there (go do a deep dive if you are curious! 🤓). One of those studies suggested that smelling vanilla at night helps with sleep, and may actually also reduce the frequency of urination at night. This is a top complaint for many people over the age of 50, so it may be worthy of doing your own “at home” study to see if it works for you if this is something that is a problem for you.
Cinnamon Bark… do you use it? And if so, how? This is a staple for “Fall is in the air” diffuser blends. Don’t leave it there tho….. cinnamon bark isn’t just another pretty scent, it has many health benefits (one of the reasons it’s a key ingredient in Thieves). Again, I encourage you (even if you scientific words aren’t your jam) to let your fingers do the walking in pubmed.gov. Look up “cinnamomum zeylanicum” and see what I saw 👀😲🤓. In less than 2 minutes, I found that our YL (true) cinnamon bark oil has potent activity on no less than 15 different health concerns. Remember that Cinnamon Bark oil is a “hot” oil, so you’ll always want to use/dilute heavily with a carrier oil if you choose to use topically….. and that diffusing is extremely effective in helping people around you be healthy without them even knowing it! 🤪 It’s also a key ingredient in the entire Thieves Household Cleaner line….. I mean, if you aren’t using THHC as your main cleaning supply, you’re missing a VIP way to keep your immune system supported and your house clean! (I don’t know of another household cleaner that actually improves your health while you use it! )
Immupro is one of my monthly faves, though I’ve been experimenting (and loving!) the new YL Deep Night Essence for sleep. Both products enhance my sleep (I tend to be a VERY light sleeper. I have no trouble going to sleep or going back to sleep if I get up, but I do tend to be easily awakened by light and any noise). Both Immupro and Deep Night Essence have proven to be helpful to me in that regard. One of the extra benefits of Immupro is that it helps with sleep AND it is immune system supportive. Immupro has zinc and selenium (important factors in immune system function), along with a bit of melatonin, orange essential oil, wolfberries and other ingredients. With the advent of the Fall season comes a need to be especially mindful of keeping a healthy strong immune system, because well…. we all know that Fall also usually signals “the sugar season” which drops everyone’s immune system when indulged. (Fall also signals that time of year when other “things” tend to trigger a drop in health…. IYKYK. Remember, God gave us a body that has the capacity to take care of itself when given the right tools: exercise, healthy whole foods, proper stress management, hydration, a great circle of friends/community, etc!)
Happy Sunday friends! xoxo ~ liz
( If you are not yet improving your health using YL products, I’d love to help you find your own unique healthy way to improve your health! )

Sleep Essentials

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“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
One of the most important parts of the health equation is sleep. As you are learning to navigate your individual health journey in the 14 Day Reset community, do not underestimate the importance of 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night! If this is a struggle bus 🚌 topic for you, you are not alone.
Roughly 70 million adults in the USA experience sleep disorders, and 45% of Americans claim that poor sleep makes a negative impact on their daily life at least once a week. If you are an employer or are self employed, consider this…… insomnia costs the workplace an estimated $63.2 BILLION dollars a year 😬.
We all have someone in our immediate circle of “framily” who has been sorely affected by lack of sleep. If you struggle with losing weight efficiently and clearing toxin loads in the body, this might even pertain to you. Other effects of chronic sleep deprivation (anything less than 7 hrs falls into the deprivation category 😉) include decreased mental aptitude and decision making, a lowering of resting metabolic rate, increased risk of anxiety, depression and irritability, increased inflammation, an increased toxin load in the brain, decreased immune system function, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, decreased insulin sensitivity (a marker for type II diabetes), and increased evening cortisol levels.
Ouch. 🥺
Big Pharma has some very popular solutions for sleep which frankly also come with interesting side effects. One of the most common prescription sleep meds contains a possible side effect profile including: insomnia, dependency/addiction, “sleep driving”, worsening of depression, dementia, panic attacks, gout, menstrual disorders and about 150 other potential side effects. While an equally popular over the counter pharma option touts some of these possible side effects: liver damage, vision problems, difficulty urinating, restlessness, dry mucosal membranes.
(Side note: as a pharmacist, I have seen all of these side effects mentioned happen to pharmacy clients over the years. They are more common than you would imagine.)
While it’s not ok to to not get enough quality sleep, it’s also not ok to acquire new “medicate-able” health problems 😳 while you’re trying to fix your poor sleep cycle! #ourhealthisacommodity
Thankfully, there are healthy options to remedy this situation, and it starts with good sleep hygiene. (We can choose to either be our own worst enemy or our own best friend!) Here are some ways to set yourself up for a good night’s sleep:
😴Stop screen time well before bedtime and keep electronics out of the bedroom
😴Get 10-20 minutes of full sunlight per day
😴Keep sleeping temperatures cool
😴Take an epsom salt bath before bed ( add in Lavender, Frankincense, Peace & Calming, Cedarwood, or Sandalwood) to the salts…. Or use them in the diffuser beside your bed!
😴Consider rigorous exercise earlier in the day, and use pre bed time for prayer, meditation, or gentle stretching exercises.
😴Stop eating 4-5 hours before bedtime.
😴Avoid artificial sweeteners (they can cause insomnia!)
😴Support a healthy night’s sleep with Young Living’s Immupro (chewable and contains melatonin) or Deep Night Essence (capsules loaded with sleepytime plant goodness!)
😴Use your magnesium! YL’s Super Magnesium is a stellar option (there are several types of magnesium and not all of them are highly bioavailable and there are others that can GI disturbances).
😴Make sure your mattress and your pillow are not contributing to the problem! We should be spending an average of ⅓ of our life in bed…. Make it comfy!
If quality sleep has been eluding you, what might you see changing when you pair a regular good night’s sleep with a NingXia Red Reset lifestyle?
What?? You haven’t entered into the 14 Day Reset Community lifestyle yet? You are missing out on being part of a close knit community who are committed to supporting one another, educating, and improving health in a sustainable lifestyle way.🙌🙌
Little habit changes add up to big wins over time!
If you’d like to join the Resetter Community, you’ll need enough NingXia Red for a 2 week run. (The Reset NR Kit supplies the number of packets you need for this). https://bit.ly/resetyourhealth14
xoxo~ liz
 
 

August Young Living Gifts Plus College Kids Support

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August is here, and so is Back To School! Whether you have littles heading to school for the first time, or young adults heading off to college (who doesn’t need the survival tools to energize, relax, focus, and stay well with all of the things life hits all of us with on the regular🥴??), start ’em off right with all the right tools!
Gifts with purchase this month are perfect for helping the littles (ahem, everyone) step into the stressors of a new situation with grace, ease, and a good night’s sleep.
SleepyIze is a great option to help relax and prepare the body for bedtime. Add a little foot rub with this amazing oil to your kiddo’s bedtime routine. Not only is this a good time to talk to them about their day, it’s also a way that you both receive the benefits of SleepyIze. Gentle enough for littles… it’s also effective on biggies too 😉.
KidPower (I know several adults who have said this is in their “top favorites” category) is a fantastic-smelling tool for the school year. Stepping into new and uncharted territory can be the source of doubt, fear, and worry. There’s solid science behind the oils in this blend….. KidPower doesn’t just smell AMAZING….. amazing is as amazing does! It’s designed to support feelings of emotional balance. Try it on yourself too….. it may just become a family favorite!
Does every bedroom have a diffuser? Sleep is arguably the most important part of our 24-hour day whether you’re big or little. Without a good night’s sleep, daytime activities can get pretty overwhelming pretty quick! Feather the Owl is a fun diffuser for the littles. Load it with sleepy oils at night, focus oils for homework, and calming oils when the chaos needs some help! (I have two baby showers coming up and will be giving diffusers as gifts. This freebie helps me out in that department!)
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Don’t forget your college kiddos! As you plan your needs this month, if you’ve got young adults heading off to college, send them off with the right tools for success!
Have a great day friends and Happy August!!
xoxo~ liz
 
 
 

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