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7 Best Natural Essential Oils to Help You Sleep Better

Whether battling insomnia or seeking a more restful night, the aromatic appeal of essential oils can transform your sleep.

Author avatar: Andrew Jolie Andrew Jolie October 14, 2024 7 min read

Are you looking for a natural way to ease into a deeper, more restful sleep? Essential oils could be the solution you seek.

Known for their calming and restorative properties, certain essential oils have proven particularly effective in promoting better sleep.

Whether battling insomnia or seeking a more restful night, the aromatic appeal of essential oils can transform your sleep.

Key Findings on Essential Oils and Sleep

  1. Natural Sleep Aids: Lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood are among the top essential oils known for their calming effects that promote better sleep.
  2. Effective Usage: Essential oils can enhance sleep quality by being inhaled through diffusers or directly applied after dilution with a carrier oil.
  3. The Perfect Synergy: Combining essential oils with sleep technologies like the Bía Smart Sleep Mask can enhance the benefits, providing a comprehensive approach to improving sleep through adaptive lighting and personalized sound therapy.

Do Essential Oils Help You Sleep Better?

Inhaling or blending essential oils with a carrier oil and applying the mixture topically can offer specific health benefits. Certain essential oils promote a sense of calm or relaxation, which helps you achieve a better night's sleep.

Essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood stimulate the brain's parts responsible for emotions. They ultimately reduce stress and anxiety, which are common culprits of sleeplessness.

Incorporating these soothing scents into your bedtime routine can prepare your mind for a deeper and more restorative sleep.

7 Best Natural Essential Oils to Help You Sleep Better

Here are 7 best natural essential oils to help you drift into a peaceful sleep:

  1. Lavender: Known for its calming and relaxing properties, lavender oil is a staple for promoting better sleep. It reduces stress levels and eases you into a deeper sleep.
  2. Chamomile: Often used in teas for its soothing effects, chamomile oil is equally effective for sleep when used aromatically. It helps soothe the nerves and calm the mind.
  3. Sandalwood: With its rich, woodsy scent, sandalwood is great for calming the mind and harmonizing emotions, paving the way for a peaceful night’s rest.
  4. Bergamot: Unlike other citrus oils that can be stimulating, bergamot is known for its ability to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality due to its calming effects.
  5. Ylang Ylang: This floral oil is excellent for inducing feelings of comfort and easing stress, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
  6. Marjoram: Often used to treat sleep disorders, marjoram oil soothes the nerves and relaxes the muscles, helping to induce sleep.
  7. Vetiver: Known for its grounding qualities, vetiver oil helps stabilize emotions and promotes tranquility, essential for a restful night's sleep.

These natural essential oils can transform your sleep experience, helping you wake up refreshed and rejuvenated. A few drops in a diffuser or mixed with a carrier oil for a nighttime massage can make all the difference.

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Source: Pexels

How to Use Essential Oils for Sleep?

Here are several methods and tips on how to use essential oils effectively:

Inhalation:

Diffusers: Before bedtime, add a few drops of your chosen essential oil (such as lavender, chamomile, or bergamot) to a diffuser. This method disperses the aroma throughout the room, creating a calming environment conducive to sleep. Studies have shown that inhaling lavender oil can significantly improve sleep quality and increase slow-wave sleep (SWS).

Direct Inhalation: Place a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball or tissue and inhale deeply before bed. This method allows for immediate exposure to the oil's aroma.

Topical Application:

Dilution with Carrier Oil: Mix essential oils with carrier oil (like coconut or almond oil) before applying them to the skin. Common application areas include the wrists, temples, or the back of the neck. A study found that aromatherapy massage using diluted essential oils improved sleep quality among night shift nurses.

Pillow Sprays: Mix water with a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle to create a pillow spray. Lightly mist your pillow and bedding before sleep to enjoy the calming scent throughout the night.

Bathing:

Aromatherapy Baths: Add several drops of essential oil to your bathwater for a relaxing soak before bed. The warm water helps to diffuse the scent, promoting relaxation and preparing your body for sleep.

Sleep Masks or Sachets:

Fill a small sachet or sleep mask with dried lavender flowers or cotton balls infused with your favorite calming essential oils. Place it under your pillow or wear it while sleeping to enjoy the soothing aroma throughout the night.

Aromatherapy Devices:

Use an aromatherapy inhaler or personal diffuser to carry your favorite essential oils, providing on-the-go relaxation whenever needed.

How to Mix Essential Oils for Sleep?

Here’s a simple guide to creating a sleep-inducing blend:

  1. Choose Your Base: Start with a soothing base oil—lavender or chamomile are popular for their relaxing properties. Lavender helps reduce anxiety, while chamomile calms the mind.
  2. Add a Support Scent: Include a secondary scent like bergamot or ylang-ylang, which enhances the base's relaxing effects. Bergamot is great for easing stress, and ylang-ylang can help lower blood pressure.
  3. Include a Unique Note: Add a drop of an unexpected oil, like vetiver or sandalwood, for a special touch. This will ground the blend and deepen the relaxation effects.
  4. Mix and Dilute: Combine 10 drops of your essential oils per ounce of carrier oil (like jojoba or sweet almond). This dilution is safe for skin application and strong enough for diffusion.
  5. Test and Adjust: Everyone’s response to scents is different, so test your blend to see how it affects your mood and sleep. Adjust the amounts based on what works best for you.

Whether diffused, applied topically, or sprayed onto linens, your custom blend can become a major part of your nightly routine, setting you up for a restful night’s sleep.

Does Aromatherapy Work for Sleep?

Absolutely! Essential oils used in aromatherapy, like lavender and chamomile, have been shown to relax the mind and prepare the body for sleep by lowering heart rate and blood pressure, making it easier to drift off.

Here’s how it taps into our senses to foster better sleep:

  1. Scent Association: Scents like lavender and chamomile become signals that tell your brain it's time to wind down.
  2. Natural Sedative Effects: Certain oils contain compounds that act as natural sedatives, helping to soothe the nervous system.
  3. Stress Reduction: Aromatherapy reduces stress and anxiety, which are common culprits behind sleepless nights.

While essential oils can significantly improve sleep quality, combining them with advanced sleep technology like the Bía Smart Sleep Mask can enhance the benefits even further.

Bía employs gentle, adaptive lighting to encourage natural sleep-wake cycles and integrates personalized sound therapy. This combination can amplify the effects of aromatherapy, creating an immersive environment that optimizes your sleep from multiple angles.

Which Essential Oils Should You Avoid?

While most essential oils benefit sleep, a few could disrupt your slumber if used incorrectly.

Here’s a list of essential oils to avoid or use sparingly before bedtime:

  1. Peppermint Oil: Known for its energizing properties, peppermint can increase alertness and is better suited for morning or midday use.
  2. Rosemary Oil: Similar to peppermint, rosemary is often used to boost alertness and improve memory, which might make winding down more difficult.
  3. Citrus Oils (like Lemon or Grapefruit): These oils are uplifting and energizing, great for a morning boost but potentially disruptive before sleep.
  4. Tea Tree Oil: While it has many benefits for skin care, its potent aroma can be overly stimulating when trying to relax.
  5. Eucalyptus Oil: Known for its respiratory benefits, eucalyptus has a cooling effect that can be refreshing but may not always promote the warmth and coziness ideal for getting better sleep.

While these oils benefit overall wellness, they are not always best for nighttime relaxation. So, sticking to calming scents like lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood is more effective for better sleep.

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FAQs About Essential Oils and Sleep

Lavender oil is widely regarded as the most relaxing essential oil. Renowned for its calming properties, it helps reduce anxiety, ease stress, and promote a peaceful sleep environment. Studies have consistently shown that inhaling lavender scent can significantly improve sleep quality by increasing the time spent in deep, slow-wave sleep. It's the perfect choice for anyone looking to unwind and achieve a restful night's sleep.

Due to its soothing properties, lavender oil is highly recommended for combating insomnia. It aids in relaxing the nervous system, reducing stress levels, and increasing sleep quality. Cedarwood and valerian oils are also effective, helping to decrease anxiety and foster a deeper sleep, making them excellent choices for those struggling to achieve restful nights.

Lavender is widely regarded as the most calming scent, celebrated for its ability to reduce anxiety, soothe nerves, and promote relaxation before sleep. Its gentle, floral aroma effectively creates a peaceful environment, making it a favorite in aromatherapy for stress relief and relaxation. Studies also show that inhaling lavender can lower blood pressure and heart rate, enhancing overall calmness.

For sleep, essential oils can be applied to several key areas: the wrists, temples, back of the neck, and soles of the feet. These spots are ideal as they help the oils absorb quickly into the skin, allowing their calming effects to take hold more effectively. Alternatively, adding a few drops to a diffuser by your bedside can also create a soothing atmosphere conducive to sleep.

Citrus scents like orange, lemon, and grapefruit are best for waking up as they energize and uplift. Peppermint is another excellent choice, known for increasing alertness and enhancing memory. These scents stimulate the senses and can help jumpstart your day when used in a diffuser or applied topically in diluted form as part of a morning routine.

Both lavender and chamomile are excellent for promoting sleep, but lavender is often considered more effective for inducing deep sleep and reducing sleep disturbances. On the other hand, chamomile is praised for its calming properties that reduce anxiety and soothe the mind. Using either in a diffuser or as a pillow spray can greatly enhance relaxation and prepare you for a restful night.

Peppermint oil is generally more stimulating than soothing, making it less ideal for promoting sleep. It's often used to boost energy and alertness. However, for some people, its muscle-relaxing properties can help soothe discomfort, indirectly contributing to a better sleep environment if pain or discomfort is a factor in sleep disturbances. Oils like lavender or chamomile are typically more effective for relaxation and sleep.

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