SLEEP DEPRIVATION + JET LAG REMEDIES

Need a little help staying awake and feeling refreshed. These remedies are perfect for parents with under five year olds and for weary world travelers.

1. Rub your feet with oil (sesame, olive, almond) for 5 minutes. Do the same for your hands. Gently rub and tug your ears for 1 minute. All the nerve endings to your entire body are in you feet, hands, ears and solar plexus. Rubbing these areas stimulates your whole system. 

2. Bach Flower Tincture OLIVE. This remedy is for emotional and physical exhaustion. Four drops under the tongue. Available at health food stores. 

3. Place your fists under your sitz bones. Sit on your fists for 10 minutes. This is the equivalent to aerobic exercise for one hour.

4. Meditate using TM for 20 minutes. This is the equivalent to 3 hours sleep. 

5. Place your feet up against a wall for 20 minutes. For those of you advanced in yoga, do a headstand for 10-15 minutes. When we sleep the blood in our body circulates differently because we are lying down for eight hours. Inverting the body brings the blood to our upper region bringing refreshment and circulation. 

6. With a wooden or plastic spoon, mix ¼ of a teaspoon baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) in 8 ounces of water. Mix and wait till liquid is clear. Drink. This alkalizes the body. Do not use if your system is sensitive to sodium.

7. For jet lag: Take a homeopathic remedy made specifically for this purpose. Available at your local health food store. 

8. For jet lag: Take 2 capsules of dried ginger every 4 hours with food beginning 12 hours before your journey, continuing through your flight and through the day after you have arrived at your destination. If you sleep for more than four hours at a time, simply take the ginger with food after waking. Do not take if your stomach is sensitive to dried ginger. 

9. For jet lag: Sip plenty of water the day before you travel, during the flight, and the day after travel.

10. For jet lag: Before you begin your journey take a shower. When your skin is still damp, cover your body with oil (sesame, olive or almond), wait a few minutes and gently pat down your body with a towel or paper towel. Do again when arriving at your destination or hotel. This helps nourish the skin against the dehydration that comes with air travel.