Organic Parade

This is what i bought over the weekend. Matt of eJabs.com wrote an article on “Can exercise help cure Insomnia?” where i was invited to provide some opinions on it. I’m another one that hardly get enough sleep due to obligations as a breastfeeding mother and blogging activities. My 7.5mth old still wants to nurse every 3 - 4hrs everyday and i have 5 blogs to maintain and update myself. Couple that with a boisterous and active 3.5yr old toddler, my hands are REALLY full super-multitasking during the day.

It’s indeed true that if one does not keep regular sleeping hours, over time, it gets harder falling asleep. I’ve been experiencing that myself. One way i found to be really helpful is to deep-breathe. That’s to slowly draw your breath in and expanding your chest cavity, filling it up, holding it for about 5 seconds or so before releasing it slowly again. It’s a wind-down routine i do in bed to aid falling asleep.

I know that Lavender is very good for insomniacs like me. I have an aromatherapy oil diffuser in my bedroom but i’ve run out of Lavender oil and did not replenish my supply. So, i bought this bottle of Lavender flowers from a Tea Gallery over the weekend. I’ve personally tried steeping tea using a small teaspoonful of these Lavender flowers in a small teapot (about 300ml) and drinking it as i blog AFTER my baby’s last feed for the night.

I was surprised the next morning that i slept soundly throughout the night. No problem with falling asleep. And i was fresh the rest of the day too. Maybe it’s because i got a good sleep due to the calming, relaxing and sedative effect of the Lavender flowers. You can also put some in a small pouch and put it inside your pillowcase. Lavender flowers is also a natural anti-bacterial agent. Put some in muslin bag and hang it on the air-conditioner to deodorize and sanitize the room at the same time.

Pregnant and breastfeeding moms should refrain from using lavender in all forms. Consult your medical practitioner as it’s a herb with active substances, and may interact with the medications and supplements that you may be taking. As for breastfeeding moms, it’s a well known fact that whatever you eat goes into your milk and into your baby’s system. So, if you drink Lavender Tea before you breastfeed your baby, you may find that he sleeps a tad longer than usual. IMHO, good for a cranky baby. But dont do it so often, k.