Best Essential Oils for Sleep

Incorporating an essential oil into your nightly routine may be the answer to keep you from tossing and turning at night, and even work to fix a skewed sleep schedule. Essential oils are a natural alternative to sleep medicines as they offer an array of therapeutic benefits for relaxing the mind and body. Not to mention, their powerful aromas work to ease sleep disruptions, such as snoring, sleep apnea, and nighttime stuffiness.

In our article, we discuss some of the most popular essential oils for inducing sleep. We’ll also dive into some ways you can incorporate essential oils in your bedtime routine.

Lavender Oil

Lavender is the most researched herb for sleep and is revered for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. As an essential oil, it’s known to relax the body’s muscles to promote restfulness, leading to more slow-wave sleep, and slow-wave sleep is the most restorative kind of rest and allows your brain to recover from daily activities.

Chamomile Oil

Chamomile is a plant extract containing apigenin, a chemical compound that can induce sleepiness when it binds to the brain’s receptors. Additionally, apigenin increases levels of serotonin, a chemical responsible for regulating your body’s internal clock. Your body uses serotonin to produce the sleep hormone melatonin as this helps with fighting against restlessness.

Bergamot Oil

Bergamot oil is an extract produced from prickly trees called citrus bergamia, originating in the tropical climates of Southeast Asia. While some citrus oils may be too stimulating for sleep, bergamot is unique as it relaxes the body by lowering blood pressure. These calming qualities ease racing thoughts and allow sleepers to rest peacefully without feeling anxious.

Ylang-Ylang Oil

Ylang-Ylang oil is an extract from the fruit of Indonesian Canaga trees. It is a beautifully fragrant oil known to enhance the health of the nervous system by reducing tension exerted on nerves and stabilizing heart rate. This is not only beneficial in promoting restfulness, but it also reduces the risk of hypertension and other heart-related diseases.

Jasmine Oil

Jasmine is another popular essential oil used to tackle sleep disruptions. Its powerful fragrance stimulates the limbic system by promoting feelings of tranquility and helping individuals fall asleep faster. What sets this essential oil apart from others is its molecular structure, which is similar to medications for insomnia. Research suggests jasmine is just as effective as prescription remedies for sleeplessness.

Peppermint Oil

The anti-inflammatory qualities in peppermint are useful for reducing obstructions such as nasal congestion and inflammation. Peppermint oil can be beneficial for those who suffer from allergies because the stimulating fragrance clears the nasal passage and allows for more airflow.

Peppermint contains the organic compound menthol. When menthol is inhaled, it stimulates the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for mental clarity, and may enhance memory for some individuals.

Geranium Oil

Geranium oil’s light floral fragrance acts as an antidepressant to ease stress brought on by insomnia. Struggling to fall asleep each night can increase levels of cortisol, a hormone responsible for regulating stress. However inhaling, geranium can lower cortisol in the body and keep your nerves calm. This way you can get a good right of rest without thoughts of worry plaguing your rest.

Cedarwood Oil

Cedarwood is known for its woody aroma and has been characterized as warm and comforting sedative. Like lavender, cedarwood oil also eases pressure on the joints to provide you with a more peaceful sleep experience. Furthermore, this essential oil stimulates blood circulation and helps prevent numbness, tingling, and muscle cramps while asleep.

Vanilla Oil

As one of the most recognizable fragrances, vanilla is a powerful antioxidant and relaxant. Vanilla contains anti-inflammatory properties proven to help individuals breathe easily at night, making it an especially good choice for those suffering from sleep apnea and snoring.

Why Are Essential Oils Sleep Inducing?

Essential oils are the liquid compounds extracted from plants, acquired through distillation with steam or other mechanical methods, such as cold pressing. While in oil form, the plant’s scent becomes more prominent and is effective in preparing your body for rest.

The powerful aromas from essential oils stimulate parts of the limbic system, a sector of the brain responsible for emotions, behaviors, sense of smell, and long-term memory. Some essential oils have relaxing effects, so when you smell these fragrances, your body’s receptors send calming signals to the brain to help your body decompress.

How to Use Essential Oils at Bedtime

Essential oils are incredibly versatile, and you can incorporate them into your bedtime routine by adding them in a hot bath or even into a diffuser. In this next section, we highlight some of the ways you can use essential oils to improve your sleep.

Make Your Mist

To create an essential oil mist, add 4 to 5 drops for every ½ cup of water and combine it into a glass spray bottle. If you want a more subtle scent, use more water to dilute the fragrance. We also recommend lightly misting the undersides of your sheets and pillowcases to avoid any skin irritations from occurring.

Use a Diffuser

Adding essential oil to a diffuser will allow it to disperse the fragrance into your room. Typically, you should place 1 to 2 drops of oil inside the diffuser and combine it with 100 milliliters of water. Be sure to follow the manufacturer instructions when using, so you produce the best results.

Apply Directly to The Skin

Many people find it soothing to rub a few drops of oil on their chest, wrist, neck, forehead, hands, or feet. Before you apply your essential oil, mix it with a carrier oil like olive, grapeseed, or coconut oil because the skin is sensitive to undiluted essential oils, and irritations may develop.

Add Oil to Your Bath

Another way you can take advantage of essential oils’ relaxing benefits is by placing them into a warm bath. Most individuals combine 5 to 20 drops with a tablespoon of carrier oil before adding the blend into their bathtub. As you soak, the oils absorb through your skin to help you decompress and release tension. Not to mention, they offer a pleasant aroma to enhance relaxation.

FAQS

Can I mix different essential oils for better sleep?

You can easily mix essential oils to create a unique therapeutic scent for improved sleep quality. While there is no wrong way to blend your oils, mixing oils within the same fragrance family or complementary categories is a good starting point for beginners. For example, geranium, lavender, and ylang-ylang are all floral fragrances with sleep-promoting qualities and will most likely complement one another. Also, keep in mind, you want your blend to relax you and decompress your mind, so stay away from stimulating oils as they may have the opposite effect.

How many times a day can you apply essential oils to the skin?

Even when diluted, essential oil can cause a bad reaction if you use them too much or too often. Essential oils are highly concentrated substances, and excessive use may increase the risk of adverse reactions. It’s best to apply essential oils to the skin 1 to 2 times a day. However, some oils, such as jasmine and chamomile, are gentle and can be used 3 to 4 times a day.

How do you dilute essential oils with carrier oils?

Some common carrier oils used for dilution include olive oil, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil. When you use carrier oils to dilute your essential oil, a good rule of thumb is to use 15 drops of essential oil per 6 teaspoons of carrier oil. Once you have blended your oil, store it in a cool, dark place.

How do I prevent essential oils from irritating my skin?

Essential oils are photosensitive and evaporate quickly, which means they can cause reactions, so they need to be diluted with a carrier oil to prevent skin irritations. Carrier oils do not evaporate, but rather help your skin absorb the therapeutic qualities of essential oils. Furthermore, carrier oils are unscented or lightly scented and reduce the potency without diminishing its fragrance.

What is the most popular essential oil for reducing anxiety?

Several essential oils are proven to help with anxiety, but lavender is the most popular fragrance for reducing stress. Many people find the lavender scent relaxing and praised for its ability to relieve pain. Additionally, researchers believe lavender is useful for treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and restlessness.

Conclusion

Essential oils are a natural way to relax before bedtime and fight against restlessness. There are several types of essential oils for improving sleep disruptions and rest, including lavender, jasmine, chamomile, and vanilla. These fragrances tackle insomnia while providing sleepers with a pleasant aroma to relax the body and mind. However, it’s important to remember many essential oils are adaptogens, meaning they adapt to people differently. Some fragrances, like peppermint or citrus oils, might be too stimulating for sleep and can keep you from falling asleep. It’s best to test out your oil for a couple of nights to ensure your body is relaxed and your sleep quality is enhanced.