POST #6.0 - THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
Sleep makes you ready to take on your day. A good night's sleep gives you energy and focus to stay awake and accomplish your daily tasks. On the flip side, when we don’t get enough sleep, it can negatively impact our day in many ways. Most of us think this stops with being tired, lacking focus, and being irritable; however, lack of sleep impacts us in many more areas. Let’s explore those now.
IMMUNE SYSTEM - Not getting enough sleep prevents the body from strengthening the immune system and producing more cytokines to fight infection. This can mean a person may take longer to recover from illness as well as have an increased risk of chronic or respiratory illnesses.
WEIGHT & METABOLISM - A lack of sleep can affect body weight. Sleep deprivation causes the release of insulin, which leads to increased fat storage and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, two hormones in the body, leptin and ghrelin, control feelings of hunger and satiety (fullness). The levels of these hormones are affected by sleep.
HEART HEALTH & INFLAMMATION - Not sleeping enough increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Sleep helps the heart vessels to heal and rebuild. It affects processes that maintain blood pressure and sugar levels as well as control heart inflammation.
HORMONES & SEXUAL HEALTH - Insufficient sleep can affect hormone production, including sex drive, growth hormones, hormones that regulate women’s cycles, and testosterone in men.
As you can see, sleep is important for many of the critical functions of the body. It’s not just for getting through your work day. There are many doTERRA oils and supplements that can support restful sleep. Balance, Frankincense, and / or Lavender are great places to start.
Which of these three oils smells best to you right now? What oils are you using nightly in your diffuser?