Can’t sleep? We hear you. Recently, Annee de Mamiel explained to Dara why summertime can be a sleepless time — and what you can do to get a better night’s rest.

Dara: You’ve described the season of Summer in TCM — and how your Summer Oil addresses the skin’s needs during this time — on our blog before. But you just described the season to me in such a poetic way. Can you say that again? 

ANNEE: Summer's special gift, the energy of Fire, allows us to give and receive warmth. By giving and sharing, we build our own Fire, open our own flowers, and bring more of the summer sun to the world. The Wood element in the Spring urges movement, Fire gives this movement a reason for being, and the young energy that arose in the spring expands to its maximum potential. 

Dara: It makes it sound so exciting! Is that why so many of us have trouble with sleep during the summertime?

ANNEE: There is a real craving for excitement during this season, especially when we’re out of balance. We’re tired, but wired. And due to hormonal shifts, we often have lower blood pressure and trouble falling asleep.

Dara: I find the Sleep Series very helpful during this time of year. Can you review the best way to choose between the three formulas?

ANNEE:

Anchor is really for the 3am waker. When your quality of sleep isn’t good, or you’re constantly waking in the night, this is the one to use. You can also try the Anchor Bath Soak at bedtime for deep grounding before you go to sleep. (Note from Dara: an excellent accompanying Bach flower remedy, for extra go-back-to-sleep insurance, is the Sleep elixir.)

Soothe is the one to choose when need to still your mind. You feel anxious.
You might struggle to let go of that governing thought in your head that keeps churning around and around, whether you’re worrying about your job, or one of your children is struggling at school: there’s an undigestible thought that just stays there.
You can also try Soothe as a bath soak: there’s a sound bath that comes with it to help activate the delta brain waves and induce sleep. (Note from Dara: great accompanying Bach flower remedies are Fears and Urgency.)

Settle is the one to choose when you need to slow your mind. You feel stressed or overwhelmed.
This is when you have a constant list running through your head: I have to do this, I have to do that, this has got to get done, that has got to get done. It’s a state of constant turmoil. (Note from Dara: a great accompanying Bach flower remedy is Stress.)

Dara: How do you suggest using them?

ANNEE: I’d use them on your pulse points inside your wrists and behind the knees. Then use it in the clavicle knot — the dip in your collarbone. And on your feet: in between your second and third toe, over the mound until you fall into the dip. You’re anointing yourself, almost. 

And then I like to suggest a really simple breath exercise:

Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your tummy. Take your breath in from your tummy to your chest, and exhale.

Then, take your focus to the sides of the ribs. What you’re doing with that is you’re really sensing the gentle expansion and softening as you breathe in and out. Feel that the ribcage is moving in multiple directions, not just up and down: it’s expanding like a balloon, in all directions.

Feel a little more expansion with each in-breath, a little more softening with each out-breath.

Do 5-6 rounds of this, then return your breath to normal — but keep your awareness on your ribcage and notice its change in capacity. You’ll see you have a different way of looking at it, a different perspective, because there’s more space.

Dara: Thank you! And for those of us (like both of us!) who like to take baths during every season, you have Soothe and Anchor available in bath form.

ANNEE: Yes, there’s Anchor for deep grounding, and Soothe has a sound bath that goes with it to activate the delta brain waves and induce sleep.

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Thank you, Annee, for sharing your wisdom and for your enthusiasm about finding matching Bach Flower remedies for your Sleep Series products! To all of our readers: if you'd like Gérard to put together a bespoke blend for your specific sleep struggles, you're in luck. Find out how to get a consultation with him here.