Anyone else planning a quiet night in for New Year’s Eve?
(Sounds pretty legit to me, TBH)
After a long Christmas holiday – possibly spent entertaining family from out’ve town – going out on the town may sound less than stellar to you. No, ma’am. You wanna stay in with your dog, toddler, lover, or all three – and binge watch Westworld. Right after a nice bath. And right before a deep, restful slumber. Only problem? You’re having trouble getting into that nice, relaxed pre-snooze state ’cause you’re still wound up from the madness of a bewildering year culminating in typical holiday craziness.
So, what to do? I mean short of champagne-ing the aches and pains away?
Why, perform a perfumey self lubing session, of course.
And by that – I mean a sweet, sleep salve.
What a sleep salve is, essentially, is an essential oil and herb elixir you warm up and apply to your body. And many can attest to its restful benefits. Sounds pretty simple (not to mention too good to be true). And, admittedly, the research on actual salves is minimal. (Mostly because no one can make money off DIY sleep solutions like they can cannabinoids or Ambien, so no one’ll fund the research.) However, if you break down the this sorcerous concoction into its individual bits, there’s really little mystery as to why it works.
First, there’s the scent.
Whether it’s lavender or peppermint, scents have a very unique effect on mood.
Once inhaled, these aren’t benign molecules bobbing around in the atmosphere anymore. They’re official chemical messages being beamed straight to your brain. The reason that’s such a big deal is because the primary target these scents get sent to is your limbic system. And that badboy helps determine your moods, emotions, and even some of what your body does in response to whatever mood modifications you’re experiencing. That’s why a tranquil, floral whiff can induce downright bliss at downtime. Second, there’s the fact that essential oils get absorbed into the skin. Granted, this’s a comparatively slower route of entry than your flowery snortable feels. However, it can still have a a drastic effect – especially when coupled with the effects of inhalation.
(*Reads image. Pauses briefly. Dunks whole head in vat of salve.*)
Then, thirdly (and finally), there’s the warmth. Ever take a warm bath (and wanna fall asleep)? Ever sip a warm mug’ve tea (and wanna nod off)? Ever warm yourself by the fire (and wanna zonk out)? You might notice a common, calming theme here: heat. And if you’re not sure how that translates – how about this: ever notice the difference between getting a massage with cold lotion versus warm oil? There’s a glaring disparity between the two, isn’t there? The latter’s relaxing – while the former’s far less so. And the reason why is simple. Heat’s cathartic. It increases elasticity in tissues, takes tension levels down, and ups blood flow to any achey areas (or stress knots) you’ve been dealing with all week. And that sanguine parade toward your miscellaneous aches means that any toxins or injury related debris get flushed out.
But, really. On a night like this, after the month (or year – if we’re being honest) that you’ve had, who wants a science lesson? Especially when we’re just trying to rest? All you need to know is that this shiz works when you wanna move from work mode to your sleep setting. So, if you’re trying tirelessly to unwind your way into the New Year, fear not. Try out one of the popular recipes (like this one – which I’m doing tonight), and let this blissful sleep salve save the day night.
Apologies in advance, though – when you fall asleep long before the ball falls.