Sleep, Stress, and the Power of Small Nightly Rituals

Why sleep matters for your health

Sleep. The universal ‘red thread’ that keeps us all connected. So many things in life are optional; you get to choose if you go to the gym in the morning, you get to choose if you eat breakfast or skip it, and try as you might, you can choose to forego sleep but the thing is, it simply won’t work. Eventually, you’re going to have to go to sleep because your life depends on it. Sleep is a biological requirement for human existence and a key part of maintaining healthy sleep hygiene and overall wellness. It's right up there with food, water, and breathing air. 

Did you know that globally, approximately 30-45% of the population are not meeting the threshold of required sleep each night? The evidence-based recommendations for sleep are 7-9 hours nightly, while the data tells us that most people are averaging 6.8 hours. This article goes on to say that “given the importance of sleep for health, efforts worth considering could include community awareness campaigns, as well as changes within organizations and society more broadly, to encourage individuals to make their sleep a priority”. The message couldn’t be clearer; our overall health and well-being is in large part predetermined by our commitment to our sleep hygiene.  

The Link Between Sleep and Overall Health

You’ve likely heard it said before that the correlation between sleep and positive overall health is determinable, but do you really know why? There are a few things we can tell you that certainly aren’t making this easy for us as a whole; we’re living in an era of short attention spans, an overexposure to screens big and small, and a constant state of stimulation and arousal - also known as a recipe for disaster. This article from the National Library of Medicine speaks at length about the link between sleep and our physical and mental health, as well as insufficient sleep as a growing problem in modern society. It shares that “sleep is essential for the homeostasis of body functions. Sleep restriction or poor sleep quality are associated with substantial health consequences, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, obesity, and immune system dysfunction, which may increase the risks of inflammation, some types of cancer, and even death.” Scary stuff, right? All the more reason to take it seriously when we say, we do have a choice. We need to invest in our sleep health.  

What keeps you up at night?

When it comes to the litany of reasons why we’re staying up later and sleeping less each night, the biggest undeniable contributor to this phenomenon is the advancement of technology. An article by Healthline references a Norwegian sleep study where it was found that just one hour of screen time at bedtime results in a 59% higher risk of insomnia and 24 fewer minutes of sleep. We’re trading sleep time for scroll time, and we’re paying the price with next-day grogginess, mood irregularities like irritability, slower decision making, and overall reduced productivity. 

Other common reasons for getting less sleep each night? Blurry boundaries between work life and home life that include staying connected deep into our evenings, a busy mind that can’t seem to turn off the day, the reliance on caffeine and other stimulants to push through the tired fog of the previous sleepless night, and on and on.  

Alas, it’s not all doom and gloom. At Saje, we’re proud to share that we want to be part of the conversation and part of the solution when it comes to prioritizing our sleep health. 

Help is on the way: nightly rituals for your best rest

Since our brand was born in 1992, we’ve been committed to creating 100% natural remedies to replace conventional synthetics in your medicine cabinet in key areas of daily need, like pain relief and recovery, stress relief and of course, sleep support. Not only are we sourcing and blending with top tier essential oils sourced from all over the world, we’re intentionally selecting well-studied and well-documented ingredients that enhance sleep hygiene and that fit seamlessly into routines and rituals meant to improve our sleep habits. 

Our new sleep diffuser blend, Sleep Well

Since its launch in 2010, Sleep Well roll-on has been a best-selling, efficacious remedy for restful sleep that our community raves about:

“I haven’t slept this well since I was a teenager!” - Catherine M.  

“Just like a weighted blanket, as the ad says. This helps my family have a deep sleep. It smells amazing too!” - Kelly L.  

“Love this product, just a little extra boost to get a great night's sleep.” - Clareen S.  

Sleep Well is licensed with Health Canada in the Natural Product Category, meaning it's been tested as safe, effective and 100% plant-powered to support restful sleep. It was only natural for us to consider an expansion to this highly successful category, (which now includes a body butter, bath salt, and personal mist which is why we’re thrilled to announce our newest sleep support product, the Sleep Well diffuser blend to help promote restful sleep by supporting the nervous system. It has the same highly efficacious ingredient profile as the Sleep Well roll-on, but with a rebalanced formula that is best suited for aromatic purposes when diffused; we've increased the lighter top notes and softened the base notes for a pleasant aromatic experience that enhances environmental wellness as part of a nighttime routine. 

The Sleep Well diffuser blend includes ingredients like valerian root, sometimes called ‘nature’s sleep aid’ that is used to encourage restful sleep and to relieve restlessness, vetiver, colloquially known as ‘the oil of tranquility’ because of its deeply grounding and calming effects, lavender, encouraging the mind and body to feel soothed and orange, a surprisingly balancing essential oil that helps encourage emotional shifts and positive transitions. This blend is encouraged as part of a nighttime routine, adding 10-25 drops to a diffuser of your choice at bedtime to help you effortlessly drift off to dreamland. 

Our new sleep support diffuser, the Aroma Tidal  

Of course, we would be remiss to not share more about our latest innovation in diffusing, the Aroma Tidal ultrasonic sleep diffuser. What does science say about diffusion? Ultrasonic diffusers use high frequency vibration to combine essential oils and water into a fine, cool mist. This mist then disperses the oils in the air, allowing them to be inhaled through the nose and mouth. The strongest evidence is that certain essential oils, when inhaled, have the ability to reach the limbic system in our brain (where memory and emotion are stored), and to illicit certain physiological responses in our body, like helping to reduce feelings of stress and overwhelm and to promote feeling calm, tranquil and balanced. It’s important to remember that benefits of diffusing are supportive not curative, which is why we’re excited to offer this new ultrasonic diffuser as part of a comprehensive nighttime routine, designed to help elevate nightly rituals in support of enhanced rest. 

The Aroma Tidal will offer a series of light features, including pure red light which has been shown to have properties that don’t suppress melatonin production in the same way as blue light (from the sun and artificially through our screens), so that our body’s internal clocks stay on track, making it a safe choice for nighttime. It will also include three internal soundscapes (ocean waves, gentle rain, and white noise), alongside a guided meditation mode. We’ve built in a series of different timer settings to meet your nighttime needs, like two and four hour continuous run times and an eight hour intermittent setting in 5 minutes on and 5 minutes off intervals. This diffuser was crafted to be a perfect accompaniment to any bedtime ritual, specifically for those looking to optimize their sleep experience. 

Top tips for good sleep hygiene 

Natural essential oil remedies for sleep pair beautifully with other habits designed to support a proper wind down each night, and here are the ones we’ve tried and tested: 

1. Consistency is invaluable. Many people find this one challenging; establishing and maintaining a similar sleep and wake time each day (including weekends!) is important because it helps send a message to your body’s circadian rhythm, your response to the natural light and darkness of each day, to stay on track. 
2. Do the digital detox. Aim for at least one hour of screen-free time before crawling into bed. We know blue light from screens can inhibit our ability to fall asleep, which means using that last hour for self-care, like skincare, reading, stretching etc. each night will do so much more for you than another scroll through Instagram reels ever could. 
3. Monitor your consumption. It’s widely understood that caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and even certain foods can be disruptive to your sleep patterns. Keep an eye on what you’re eating and drinking in the second half of the day to minimize potential disturbances.  

FAQs About Natural Sleep Support

Do natural sleep products actually work? 

The answer is yes! There are many ingredients that come to us directly from nature that are well-studied for their ability to positively impact rest at nighttime. Formulation matters and so choosing products that have been carefully crafted by a qualified formulator, with the right ratios to be both safe and effective, is very important. At Saje, we introduced the first product in our sleep collection, the Sleep Well roll-on all the way back in 2010 and have expanded the collection since then; the Sleep Well products are all best-sellers for us today!  

What ingredients should I look for in natural remedies? 

Some of the most well-researched and well-utilized plant ingredients we believe best support a natural sleep routine includes valerian root, lavender, vetiver, and chamomile. Valerian root is the most well-known herb in Western medicine used for sleep support, and is commonly offered as tea, tincture, capsule and essential oil. Recognized for its sedative properties, it encourages restful sleep and calm for both the body and mind. Lavender is the most popular of all essential oils, known as calming, soothing, and gentle for most people. Vetiver is lesser known, another earthy and potent oil more similar to valerian root, that has deep grounding and balancing properties. Chamomile, both Roman and German are widely regarded as gentle, nurturing, mild and nervine, meaning they can have a positive effect on the nervous system.  

Is it better to use a blended product instead of a single ingredient?

At Saje, we believe single notes are like a cello, and a blend is like the entire symphony. In aromatherapy, many essential oils are indicated to work in synergy, which means they work better together. You get the opportunity to receive many different benefits from each individual plant when working with a blend; we of course recognize that sometimes, a classic single note is what works best but in general, our approach is one of blended products to tackle various need states through a diversity of formulation.