Understanding your teenagers and their sleep…
For those of you that are starting to or have been making sleep is a priority is fantastic. The hard part can be to have the family follow this priority as well, because when it comes to your teenage children there may be a bit of a bump in the road.
After reading a brilliant book ‘The Circadian Code’ written by Dr Satchin Panda along with another interesting book about chronotypes by Dr Michael Breus ‘The Power of When’ – I learnt alot about teenages and their sleep patterns…
Teens are especially susceptible to light and breaking the circadian code (24 hour internal body clock).
Not only are they more likely to stay awake in the evening because of homework or their activities, there are also studies showing that teens are very sensitive to light.
That means exposure to bright light in the evening delays their sleep and lowers their melatonin production.
We can do at least a few things to help our teens:
- we can prepare an early dinner in the evening so that they have an empty stomach before they go to sleep. They are most likely to fall asleep 3 to 4 hours after dinner.
- we should also educate them by telling them about the importance of darkness and sleep.
- we can establish a sleep friendly environment for them to do their homework, including a table with a spotlight or lamp that illuminates the table but not their eyes.
- Diffusing Lavender and Clary Sage essential oils helps them to relax more before bed
- Turn off technology at least 30 mins before bed (45 mins is ideal)
- Keep iphones out of their rooms – charge in a different room, buy them a manual alarm clock.
Some blend ideas to make a in a rollerball bottle to help them sleep:
Mental Chatter Silencer:
5 drops Lavender essential oils
5 drops Clary Sage essential oils
5 drops Vetiver essential oils
Soothe me to sleep:
5 drops Lavender essential oils
5 drops Vetiver essential oils
4 drops Bergamot essential oils
4 drops Marjoram essential oils
Quiet your mind for sleep:
10 drops Lavender essential oils
5 drops Vetiver essential oils
5 drops Frankincense essential oils
4 drops Ylang Ylang essential oils
Use a 10 ml rollerball bottle, blend, top up with your preferred carrier oil – then apply to temples, and soles of feet before bed.
Alternatively you can diffuse in their room before bed (half the amount of drops)
