Go the F*&k to Sleep!

 Many of you know I am not a great sleeper!  I plan, I try, I take "the stuff".  I go to bed early so I can wind down and go to sleep before I have to get up.  Everything works great for a little while - until it doesn't any more.  There are a couple of times a year when I have nightmares, or when sleep just isn't going to happen just because it is that time of the year.  New Years is one of those times, and I have been especially struggling during this time of Covid lockdowns and the fear that has created.

I have been told that I do a little dream travelling at night - a few of my magical friends have asked if I can go "out of body" at will - at this time I cannot, but apparently I do it in my sleep sometimes.  I have woke up their chickens so to speak.  I always thought it was a dream until one of my friends described exactly how our visit went to me?!? Yikes. I have also had full conversations and fights in my sleep.  So far no sleepwalking and I hope that never happens!

Sometimes I feel like I am so tired that I won't need anything to sleep - but as soon as I hit the pillow, the brain turns on, or the dogs bark, or I fall asleep for 20 minutes and then the neighbors shoot fireworks, or work on a snow machine, or..... any number of things that are not in my control.  

I accidentally found a recipe that will knock me out - at least to get to sleep and have a few hours of restful sleep!  I say accidentally because I wasnt trying to use this recipe as a sleep aid, just a bath tub pain relief.  It was a bonus round that they also help with insomnia!

One of them was this lovely Vervain oil in a carrier of light jojoba oil.  I had been using it on my feet as a pain reliever and moisturizer for my feet and ankles.  Hands and knees too when I needed to.  I have a bit of arthritis from some broken bones and missing cartelage.  It worked wonders for that.

I also had some Vetiver bath salts that I was down to the last little teaspoon of that I had been using for the same purpose, and it is also purported to be a help for anxiety and insomnia.  So, I was at wits end one night and hurting, and cold so my joints were hurting.  I decided to take a hot bath to warm up and to help me hopefully sleep.  So I mixed the bath salts and some the Vervain oil with a little extra Epsom salts and had a hot warming soak.

My head hit the pillow and I was out for the count!  I think I slept for six whole hours without waking, which is a long time for me!  I use this when I am desperate for sleep - I cant always take a soak at night.  Lots of reasons why.

So I mixed some of it up as a bath salt (I did not use the kind with the jojoba oil - it makes the tub slippery), to give as gifts for Christmas for my peeps who don't sleep!  Super simple to mix up and it works great!  I tried it a second and third time to make sure.

Start with a glass bowl, some coarse epsom salts, and some Vetiver, Vervain, and Lavender oils.  Mine are all DoTerra except the Verbena which is by Edens Garden.  You will also need a small glass dish, toothpick, and I use a plastic bread paddle to stir the products together.  I use a couple of glass iced tea jars for the bath salts, they have great lids and they look nice when full.  Ziplock bag works just fine for storage too.

In your glass bowl place about 3 cups of the Epsom salts.  Some folks also like to add baking soda also but my skin does not love that so I dont use it - feel free if you would like to.  You can also use the fine and coarse salts mixed too.

In your small glass dish, mix 10 drops each of the oils and mix them with the toothpick.

Drizzle the oils into the epsom salts and stir with the paddle.  I scoop the salts into the small glass dish also to get every drop!  No sense in letting it go to waste!

Once the salts are mixed well, I use a funnel to pour the salts into the jars - makes less mess on the countertops!  Also less spilled salt to throw over your left shoulder!

Any jar will work - even a mason jar that you can seal well.  This little jar is some extra that wouldn't fit into my tall "giveaway" jars.

I put on a "fancy" label, including the ingredients and the uses of the oils - in this case sleep and pain relief, and also just in case there are allregies for the receiver of the gift.

Dress them up with some ribbon and they are ready to gift!  Make sure you keep some for yourself too!

Blessed Be - now go the f^&k to sleep!