Sarah Mourtos This week we are celebrating Sleep Awareness Week (3-9 August 2020). We spoke to Health Coach Samantha Lee Carbone and Aromatherapy Advocate Pat Princi-Jones to ensure your client’s relaxation extends well into the night.
Sleep, glorious sleep! Along with diet and exercise, it is an essential factor in leading a healthy lifestyle. Theoretically, it should be the easiest pillar of health. Close your eyes and fall asleep, right? Wrong.
Statistics show four out of 10 Australians are not getting enough sleep on a daily or weekly basis, according to the National Inquiry into Australia’s Sleep Health in Australia. Sleep Awareness Week highlights the importance of sleep as a fundamental component to a healthy lifestyle, and believe it or not, there are things you can do in your clinic to help.
The relaxation doesn’t have to end once your client steps out of the spa. There are practices you can do to encourage a state of Zen that lasts well into the night. Introducing essential oils into treatments is the easiest way to set clients up for a great night sleep says Aromatherapy Advocate Pat Princi-Jones.
“A spa environment would benefit from having a signature blend to greet clients. Create your own blend of beautiful florals, blossoms and sweet citrus,” Princi-Jones explains.
You can tailor the scent for the mood you would like to set throughout the day. For afternoon and evening appointments, diffuse scents of lavender to promote relaxation, as it contains the sedative properties of linalool. Roman chamomile, clary sage, neroli and sweet marjoram are also known for their sleep-enhancing properties. Princi-Jones recommends In Essence ie: Sleep Essential Oil Blend as an excellent all-rounder blend for sleep.
“With essential oils as part of your evening ritual, you are much more likely to get the rest you deserve. These delicate sweet notes have been hailed for centuries and traditionally used as sleep elixirs. They have an instant calming effect on the central nervous system,” Princi-Jones said.
The best way to deliver essential oils is via a diffuser. Scent particles are released into the air, reach the nostrils and travel directly to the brain for immediate effects. Health Coach Samantha Lee recommends Oil Garden’s 3-in-1 Ultrasonic Diffuser. You can also use specific blends tailored for relaxation in treatments, massages or compresses.
There are other lifestyle factors you can encourage clients to implement post-treatment. Carbone says a reduction in screen time is a helpful place to start.
“If they are someone who watches TV or is on a mobile device before bedtime, maybe suggest reading a book, or listening to relaxing music or the radio before sleep with dim or no lights on,” she said.
Carbone says the golden number for Zzz’s varies throughout our lifetime but recommends between 7-10 hours per night for an adult. We operate at our best when we hit this target. Things like sticking to a sleep schedule (yes, even on the weekends), regular exercise and avoiding certain foods before bed can all contribute to improving sleep.
Equipping clients with information on how to get a good night’s sleep can be the difference between them seeing good results from a treatment or amazing results.
