According to studies in the US, about 1 in 3 adults gets less sleep and rest than they should. Due to life’s added demands, we are kept awake at night with anxiety, worrying about loved ones, health, finances, work and many, many other stressors. Combine these life pressures with a lack of healthy bedtime routines, and you’ve got a recipe for insomnia and sleeplessness. 

When we don’t get enough sleep at night, we are setting ourselves up for a challenging next day. Our nighttime routine directly affects the quality of our sleep and how rested we feel the following morning. The activities you engage in during the evening hours have a profound impact on your ability to fall asleep and to stay asleep. By engaging in healthy and productive bedtime rituals, you can change your sleep patterns and the quality of your sleep. Like everything, it can take practice and may require some life changes in how you spend your evenings. But in the end, the payoff of better sleep at night and more energy during the day makes it all worth it.

There are many things that you can begin to implement into your nighttime routine to help ensure better sleep and rest.

Get off all devices to reduce blue light exposure about an hour or more before you want to fall asleep. You may even want to turn off your wifi or put your phone on airplane mode to avoid the temptation of getting back on your phone. Avoid caffeine after 12pm. Try not to engage in rigorous cardio or weightlifting in the evening hours, as this affects your brain chemistry and tends to wake you up more. Attempt to go to bed and wake up at consistent times each day.

Here are some suggestions that you can begin implementing today in order to cultivate evening rituals which will greatly improve your sleep and rest each night!

• Create a comfortable and harmonious atmosphere in your space which encourages serenity, peace and tranquility. Light a candle, burn incense, spray Purification & Protection Aura Mist or Ghostbuster Aura Mist.
• Reading a book or listening to audiobooks right before bed is a great way to relax your body and mind and ready yourself for sleep. Read or listen to books with positive teachings or affirmations to help you enact positive change and transformation in your life. Set a sleep timer for 15 or 30 minutes. Most apps have that.

• Diffuse oils which are calming and promote an energy of peacefulness and quiet. Lavender Essential Oil, Chamomile Essential Oil, Clary Sage Essential Oil, Sandalwood Essential Oil and Breath of Life Diffuser Oil are all perfect oils which encourage a serene environment. You can even put a drop or two of these oils on your pillow.
• Anoint your temples, throat and heart with Peace and Protection, Letting Go Anointing Oil or Healing of the Heart Anointing Oil to help you heal and let go of what you don’t have control over.

• Listen to relaxing music or engage in prayer and/or meditation. (Refer to the blog on prayer here!) Find a meditation or song that resonates with you and do this every evening before bed. Sit down, light a candle and use Meditation & Trance Anointing Oil to elevate your time of prayer and meditation. You may even try doing reiki on yourself or sending reiki to someone else.
• Create a nighttime ritual of journaling before bed. Write about your day, what you learned, your goals and intentions for the week or the month and end with a gratitude list. If you find that you have a list of things going through your mind which keeps you awake or wakes you up, Kate suggests getting up, turning on the light and writing down whatever is giving you anxiety or keeping you from sleep. Write it all down, make lists of to do’s for the morning and just let it go and go back to sleep. 

Take a calming hot bath with oils, salt and herbs to relax your muscles and your mind. Here’s a recipe and directions for a relaxing and peaceful bath.

• Run a hot bath.
•  Light candles and/incense.
•  Pour Lavender Essential Oil or Peace & Purification Anointing Oil into the bath.
•  Add in salt and dried herbs for peace and serenity.
•  Enjoy your bath.
• Once out of the bath, cover your body, head to toe, in Tranquil Moonlight Massage & Body Oil.

Peace & Purification Anointing Oil promotes relaxation and helps counter stress. This is a comforting and calming blend that helps support us during times of anxiety, stress, and depression and instills a deep sense of calm. Peace & Purification Anointing Oil is also a great aid against headaches and migraines and supports rest and relaxation. Peace & Purification Anointing Oil is a soothing & comforting blend of floral Lavender and calming Roman Chamomile. Apply to your Third Eye for intuition, sight and visualization and to your Throat Chakra for aid in communication, self-expression, song and voice.

Quan Yin Sacred Perfume was created to inspire kindness and forgiveness. Quan Yin is the Goddess of mercy, compassion and loving kindness. Heavenly Rose evokes the vibration of the divine feminine and re-instills faith, while Sandalwood and Vanilla encourage forgiveness and help you live in the present. Call in the divine presence of Quan Yin to help with wisdom, unconditional love, forgiveness, healing, encouragement and clearing unnecessary energies or old patterns. Quan Yin brings forth her beautiful, healing energy when we pray to her.

Use Meditation & Trance Anointing Oil to aid in meditation and to enhance spirituality. This is a highly spiritual, sacred blend that's perfect for meditation, yoga, rituals, ceremonies and prayer. It increases visions and connects us to the divine while keeping a centered, grounded mind. Meditation & Trance Anointing Oil is a warm, subtle blend of Frankincense and Sandalwood. Apply to your Third Eye for intuition, sight and visualization and to your Crown Chakra for added benefits related to Higher Consciousness and connection to the Divine.

Ghostbuster Aura Mist is a ghost and monster repellent mist created to banish bad dreams and create a peaceful atmosphere. Ghostbuster Aura Mist features a blend of Sweet Orange with soft, calming Chamomile. Ghostbuster Aura Mist is a fun bedtime ritual for children and adults alike. It’s an empowering tool to help conquer nighttime fears by spraying under the bed, in the closet and on bed linens to create a soft-scented, sleep-inducing atmosphere. Ghostbuster Aura Mist ensures that both children and parents have a safe and peaceful night. Adults can use Ghostbuster to help clear the day's mental ghosts that can haunt our minds and cause restlessness. Simply set your intention, spray in a circular motion above your head, breathe deeply and embrace tranquility.

Purification & Protection Aura Mist is a cleansing aromatherapy mist created to remove negativity, relieve stress and restore balance. Purification & Protection Aura Mist features exotic Sandalwood and comforting Lavender. Use Purification & Protection Aura Mist as an instant aromatherapy treatment by spraying in a circular motion above the crown of your head. As the mist falls down all around you, breathe deeply and feel the purifying power of the essential oils as any anger, negativity or stagnation dissolves away. Take a moment for reflection and embrace your new lightness of being. This mist is also a great way to remove bad vibes and cleanse any space to create a balanced atmosphere. Make it a part of your yoga or meditation ritual to help clear the mind and set your intention for practice. Additionally, Purification & Protection Mist is a powerful alternative when you can't burn sage or other cleansing herbs.

Breath of Life Diffuser Oil is a calming blend of Lavender, Lemon, Sandalwood and Frankincense created to nurture the spirit and inspire sacred wisdom. Breath of Life Diffuser Oil is perfect oil to relieve stress and diffuse during yoga, meditation or any spiritual practice.

Tranquil Moonlight Massage & Body Oil was created for peace, relaxation and sleep. A deeply calming and relaxing oil, Tranquil Moonlight helps release tension and promotes comfort, relaxation and rest. It supports sleep and rest by inducing a state of calm and tranquility as your worries and mind-chatter dissolve away into the ether. Massage over the entire body with emphasis on the heart and solar plexus. Breathe deeply and visualize the gentle calming moonlight wash over you and cleanse any worries or burdens. Self-apply before bed and drift off into deep restorative rest. Sweet dreams! Tranquil Moonlight Massage & Body Oil is a blend of Lavender, Sandalwood, Peru Balsam and Clary Sage.

Lavender Essential Oil is good for many uses and applications. The aroma of Lavender is calming for body and mind and can help reduce anxiety, stress and promote sleep. It is an antidepressant and when applied to the temples can provide instant relief of stress or even headaches. It is also a great healing aid when applied to burns, scrapes and blemishes. Lavender can be a great help to calm and relax children.

Roman Chamomile Essential Oil is widely cherished for its soothing and calmative properties. Opening a bottle of this delightful oil is like an instant dose of harmony – from the moment you inhale the beautiful scent, you can’t help but exhale a sigh of relief. Chamomile has been used for thousands of years by numerous cultures and remains a powerful, yet gentle, healing herb. Amongst the different chamomile varieties, Roman chamomile is prized for its wonderfully special aroma. Each time you inhale the scent of Roman Chamomile, feel your spirit soften and inner-peace wash over you. Honor the interconnectivity of all beings as you embrace a renewed sense of calm.

Clary Sage Essential Oil an antidepressant and sedative. It is particularly beneficial for women as it is highly effective for balancing hormones and relieving hot flashes and PMS. Clary Sage Essential Oil (Salvia sclarea) has an herbaceous, warm, tea-like aroma and is one of the most powerful oils for promoting rest and relaxation while instilling tranquility and euphoria.

Sandalwood Essential Oil evokes sacred, wise energy and is great for meditation, vision work, prayer and spiritual rituals. It is grounding and spiritual, a wonderful aid in mediation or to create a sacred space. It is exotic and sensual and works beautifully as an aphrodisiac and to instill self-love. Australian Sandalwood Essential Oil has a rich, earthy, balsamic and sweet fragrance with delicate wood notes that add to its reputation as one of the most luxurious wood oils.

Neroli Essential Oil is a precious essential oil distilled from orange blossoms. It instills sweet joy and promotes lightness of being. It is highly spiritual and can help dispel worries and sadness. Neroli is a stabilizing oil for the psyche and helps eliminate fears, move us through grief and helps with general overwhelm.