July 8, 2022
Written by Annika Carroll Sleep Expert, CEO of Sleep Like a Boss
Medically reviewed by: Sherri McKnight DCHomMed and Melanie Swackhammer. B.A.
Est. reading time: 12 minutes.
3 Ways Castor Oil Packs Can Help You Sleep Better
Are you struggling to find support for sleeping problems?
Does it take you forever to shut your eyes?
Do you wake up between 1 and 4 am with a racing mind and it takes you forever to fall back asleep? Keep reading because we’re going to explore the 3 ways Castor Oil Packs can support you and your sleep.
So, you’re exhausted and can’t keep up with your kids because you have nothing left at the end of the day, right?
Has your performance at work and your relationships started to suffer?
You’ve Googled “sleeping problems” and “sleeping solutions” and tried everything you could find to help you sleep.
All you want is to:
- Fall asleep faster
- Get a good night’s rest
- Start your day full of energy
- And have your kids get tired before you do
My name is Annika Carroll, I’m the CEO of Sleep Like a Boss and a certified sleep & health coach helping women get their sleep and energy back.
I also have ample personal experience with burnout and sleep anxiety.
May I share my story?
I was a very successful Senior HR Manager in the corporate world for 15 years.
Sleep was my superpower. My colleagues and friends called me the energizer bunny.
When my son was born extremely prematurely, I experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
But I didn’t know that at the time.
I ignored all my symptoms, pretended to be strong, went back to work after a year, and gave it all I had.
I never really asked for help – because that was not anything I would do.
I all of a sudden got sick a lot with everlasting ear infections, bloating every night, and couldn’t eat anything anymore without digestive issues.
I kept going.
Until one morning when I just couldn’t anymore.
My husband had to take me to the doctor – burnout!
And with that, my sleep problems started.
I would go to bed at night, fall asleep and then lie awake between 1 and 4 am EVERY single night for months.
I started being afraid of going to bed. I was afraid of having to deal with another bad night and another dreadful day.
It took me 2 years, multiple doctors, 2 naturopaths and a functional practitioner.
And I can proudly say that today, I have my sleep & energy back!
That is how I came to help women struggling with sleep problems.
Because it doesn’t have to take that long.
Chronic sleep deprivation is a major problem in today’s world.
And it is not talked about enough.
Working to exhaustion is still ingrained in a lot of us, agreed?
Throughout my journey and studies, the one thing I have learnt about sleep is…
The ability of the body to get a good night’s sleep depends on two things:
A rested mind and a healthy body.
And that is where I have found Castor Oil Packs to be a great addition to my personal and my clients’ toolbox.
So, let’s explore 3 ways Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs for Liver and Castor Oil Eye Compresses can be used to…
- support your nervous system,
- reduce inflammation &
- support your liver health.
1. Can Castor Oil Packs Calm Down your Nervous System?
Are you stressed to the max?
Falling asleep in a stressed state is impossible.
You see, our bodies need to feel safe to calm down and fall asleep.
If we are stressed, our body releases cortisol – a stress hormone also known as the “awake hormone”.
We need good amounts of cortisol to get going in the morning and have energy throughout the day.
However, cortisol signals the brain to suppress melatonin – the hormone that makes us feel sleepy.
So if our cortisol levels are too high at night, we might have sleeping problems like falling asleep.
And how can Castor Oil Packs help with this?
Well, the connection of the organic cotton sherpa to the skin of a Castor Oil Pack for Liver has a calming effect on your nervous system which promotes the production of your “feel good” hormones:
Dopamine and oxytocin.
It’s like when someone gives you a hug or a cuddle.1-2 Sounds wonderful, agreed?
The release of oxytocin creates a feeling of trust and safety in the body and reduces stress.³
This lowers cortisol and allows melatonin to be released and that helps us fall asleep.
How about a Castor Oil Pack for your eyes?
I’m talking about a Castor Oil Eye Compress.
Research shows that wearing a Castor Oil Eye Compress naturally reduces anxiety14 and increases melatonin15-16-17 so you can fall asleep and stay asleep. Amazing, right?
2. Castor Oil Packs Reduce inflammation in your body
Inflammation is your body’s response to an invader such as bacteria or viruses, infections or injuries.
Think of a paper cut on your finger.
That’s an acute inflammation your body is trying to heal.
Symptoms like leaky gut, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, joint pain & fatigue can be symptoms of a so-called chronic inflammation.
But how does your body fight this inflammation? With cortisol!
Cortisol is not only a stress hormone, it’s also an anti-inflammatory.
So, whether you have a paper cut or leaky gut, your body uses cortisol to fight inflammation to help you heal.
In an acute case (the paper cut) this is great.
But, chronic low-grade inflammation can become one of the saboteurs of good sleep.
In this case, the body releases cortisol to fight inflammation during the day and night.
This suppresses the release of melatonin leading to sleep problems.
How do Castor Oil Packs help regulate inflammation?
Research shows that Castor Oil works as an anti-inflammatory when applied to the skin, because of the ricinoleic acid component4.
This way it can help lower inflammation5-6, which leads to less cortisol being released at the wrong times.
So, by applying Castor Oil Packs before you sleep you’re regulating inflammation by…
- Promoting lymphatic drainage12-13 with your Liver Pack & Eye Compress.
- Reducing stress7-8-9-10 that creates inflammation in your body.
- Supporting gentle liver detox11 with your Castor Oil Pack for Liver.
3. How does my liver impact my sleep?
Another sleep saboteur can be an overburdened liver.
The liver’s job is to rid our body of toxins.
What kind of toxins?
- Alcohol
- Pesticides
- Medication
- Synthetic and used-up natural hormones
- BPAs from plastics
- Chemicals in body lotions and cleaning products
- Food additives, and and and…
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), our liver is most active between 1 and 3 am.
Are you waking up at this time on a regular basis?
Well, your liver might be in need of some love.
If the toxic load the liver needs to clear gets too high, the liver can become overtaxed.
Contributors can be excess hormones, especially estrogen and cortisol, and/or toxins released from a pathogen in your gut or food sensitivities.
When the liver needs support, it triggers your body to release cortisol.
And elevated cortisol levels at night cause – again – sleeping problems.
Castor Oil Packs can help your liver!
A Castor Oil Pack for Liver worn overnight can work wonders for sleep solutions.
This technique has been around since the late 19th century and is widely used in the naturopathic community.
First the action of ricinoleic acid penetrating the skin to support the liver in its efforts to get rid of toxins while you sleep!
Then, the combination of both the Liver Pack and Eye Compress naturally enhances nightly melatonin production for a deeper sleep.
And the application of the Castor Oil Packs weighted with Castor Oil help with anxiety relief and promotes calm.
So you can sleep better! Sounds good, right?
“But Annika, I am so tired, I don’t really want to try anything new and messy.”
I hear you. And I had similar concerns.
I discovered Castor Oil about two years ago.
I was intrigued and willing to try almost anything to get better sleep.
But when someone on social media ruined their couch by staining it with Castor Oil, I kind of lost my excitement.
This oil is so rich and sticky, that it can be really messy.
But I had read about it and after my osteopath recommended it for my c-section scar I started researching it.
It just seemed so much work to buy organic flannel, sit there with a towel wrapped over it – and get everything all messy.
And then I came across Queen of Thrones® Castor Oil Packs for Liver.
The easiest, fastest and cleanest way to do Castor Oil Packs.
Yes, they can still stain a little, so I wouldn’t sleep in my favorite nighties when I wear the pack.
I use my liver packs most nights and a lot of my clients use them too with great success.
Most of us have livers that can use a little bit of love.
And just that is sometimes enough to get better sleep.
So if you’re looking for a sleep solution tool that can help calm nervousness or anxiety and support your sleep, try a…
- Queen of Thrones® Castor Oil Pack on your liver.
- Plus a Queen of Thrones® Castor Oil Eye Compress on your eyes.
Here’s to a good night’s rest and to your kids getting tired before you do.
To learn more about “How to support the rhythm of your day and night detox cycle” read here.
Annika Carroll Bio
Annika Carroll is the CEO of Sleep Like a Boss, an international network of Sleep Coaches who help insomniacs who want to sleep but can’t.
Annika is a former HR Manager and a special needs mom, who has recovered from burnout and anxiety twice in the last 5 years. She was a Type A stress addict, who rode on adrenaline and cortisol for years ignoring her body’s signals like a pro. Today she helps ambitious women as a Sleep and Health Coach to get their energy & sleep back and avoid burnout.
Social links:
www.instagram.com/_annikacarroll/
Website:
Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice in clinic or online with the people you serve, contact us at: royalty@queenofthethrones.com
References:
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