Several months ago I won a Fitbit at work.  At that time my main concern, heath question, was this:  Am I getting enough exercise?  Quite quickly I realized I was concerned about the wrong health issue.  I apparently get more exercise on a normal day than I ever imagined, just doing what I do:  yoga in the morning, walking around the building at work, feeding my horse, chores.  Much to my horror, however, I discovered that I was getting way less deep sleep than recommended by every article I had seen.  It became such a concern that I was getting less, not more sleep.  I decided to investigate.  If you want to track the stages of sleep, forget Fitbit.  You may be able to use it as some sort of general guide but nothing definitive.  To actually know how many hours and minutes of various stages you sleep, you must go to experts and they must measure your brainwaves.  Predictably, once I learned that, guess what, I immediately slept better.

If you have sleep issues or just want to go to sleep in a fabulous smelling atmosphere, try essential oils.  You can go online and find a list from various “experts” outlining the top ten for relaxation and better sleep.  These include lavender, myrrh, Roman chamomile, cedar wood, sandalwood, neroli–the list varies slightly depending on the site.  Plus, everyone differs so experiment to see what works for you.  Here is what I found works for me:  diffuse lavender and melaleuca in a diffuser next to your bed (melaleuca or tea tree does nothing for sleep but is good for so many other things;  I also use doTerra breathe for allergies), rub several drops of cedar wood on both feet, rub several drops sandalwood on your wrists.  This combination has improved my sleep greatly.  I read yesterday that mixing lavender with Roman chamomile is effective, but I have not tried that yet.

I would be interested in hearing from others what works for them.  Happy Dreams!!