There’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep. But what happens when you have difficulty going to sleep and staying asleep? Poor sleep is a recipe for disaster as it negatively affects your energy levels, mood, and focus throughout the day. In this article, I will discuss several essential oils for sleep that may help you feel more rested. Use these essential oils as a natural remedy for better sleep. They may be just the thing you need to get some quality shut-eye!
Essential Oils for Sleep: Natural Remedy for Better Sleep
I have a confession to make: I’m an essential oil addict. There, I said it. The thing is, I have a feeling that you will be too once you begin using them. And if you’re already knee-deep in the essential oil world, you understand the obsession. It’s difficult not to love a product that helps you feel amazing.
Essential Oils for Sleep and Anxiety
One of my favorite things about essential oils is that each oil has multiple uses. You are probably reading this article because you are looking for natural remedies to get better sleep. Don’t worry–I promise to share those remedies with you. The amazing thing about the essential oils that can help improve your sleep is that they can also improve feelings of anxiety. That’s because many essential oils have a calming effect. That means that not only can you get better sleep, you can also feel calmer when you’re awake. I call that a big fat win! Now that you know how awesome essential oils are, let’s discuss the specific oils that can help you get epic sleep fast.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is known as the “Swiss Army Knife” of all essential oils! It may help to improve a wide variety of ailments. However, it is most commonly used as a natural remedy to improve sleep. According to Dr. Josh Axe, lavender essential oil may possess many benefits including its ability to improve:
- emotional stress
- the appearance of skin abrasions
- poor sleep
- the complexion and reduce mild acne
- signs of aging
How to Use Lavender Essential Oil for Sleep
In order to use lavender essential oil as a home remedy for better sleep, you can:
- Diffuse 2-4 drops into the air.
- Add 1-2 drops to the bottom of your pillow before sleeping.
- Add 2-5 drops to approx. 1 ounce of water in a glass spray bottle and mist into the air and onto linens before sleeping.
- Apply 1-2 drops to the bottoms of feet before sleeping (Modern Essentials, 2015).
Geranium Essential Oil
Geranium essential oil is one of the best essential oils for sleep. While this essential oil may aid in better sleep, it also has many other uses. According to Dr. Mercola, geranium essential oil may help to improve:
- occasional skin problems
- occasional sore muscles (visit www.mercola.com)
- Mild stress
How to Use Geranium Essential Oil for Sleep
In order to use geranium essential oil as a natural remedy, try:
- Combine 5 drops of geranium essential oil and 5 drops of lavender essential oil with 1/4 cup bath salts. Dissolve in warm bath water and bathe before bed to help you rest better.
Cedarwood Essential Oil
Cedarwood essential oil can be used to help with many different issues including stress relief, flaky scalp, and mild acne. It has a calming effect which is why it helps to promote restful sleep. Cedarwood just so happens to be my favorite choice when it comes to natural home remedies for better sleep!
How to Use Cedarwood Essential Oil for Sleep
You can use cedarwood to promote better sleep by:
- Diffusing 2-4 drops into the air before bed.
- Inhaling directly from the bottle.
- Diluting with coconut oil and massage 1-2 drops across the forehead.
- Placing 2-4 drops on the underside of your pillowcase before bed. I recommend using an old pillowcase as the oil may cause discoloration of the fabric.
Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
Roman Chamomile essential oil may be helpful in promoting a good night’s sleep due to its ability to promote a calming effect. This oil is especially effective for those individuals who have a difficult time “turning off” their minds before bed. This oil can also be used to improve seasonal threats, skin abrasions, muscle tension, and leg discomfort that occurs during the night (Modern Essentials, 2015).
How to Use Roman Chamomile Essential Oil for Sleep
Here’s how to use roman chamomile essential oil for sleep:
- Apply directly to the skin (dilute with a carrier oil for sensitive skin and children). Place 1-2 drops to the spine, bottoms of feet, or back of the neck.
- Add 1-2 drops to warm bathwater before bed.
- Add 5-10 drops to 1 tablespoon of fractionated coconut oil and massage on back, arms, legs, and feet (Modern Essentials, 2015).
Marjoram Essential Oil
Marjoram is another one of the essential oils for sleep that may promote feelings of calm. It can help to promote adequate rest due to its power to improve feelings of relaxation. According to Modern Essentials (2015), marjoram essential oil can also help alleviate mild digestive issues and muscle fatigue.
How to Use Marjoram Essential Oil for Sleep
Here’s how you can use marjoram essential oil as a natural remedy for better sleep:
- Apply neat (directly to the skin) on the back of the neck or bottoms of feet before sleep. Dilute with coconut oil for skin sensitivity.
- Diffuse 2-4 drops into the air before bed.
- Inhale directly from the bottle before sleep.
Bergamot Essential Oil
Bergamont is also known as one of the best essential oils for sleep. It can be used to help promote feelings of rest and relaxation. It can also aid in alleviating mental stress and feelings of sadness (Modern Essentials, 2015).
How to Use Bergamot Essential Oil for Sleep
Bergamot is one of my favorite essential oils! In order to use it as a home remedy for sleep, you can:
- Apply neat (dilute for sensitive skin) to forehead and temples before sleep.
- Diffuse 2-4 drops into the air before bed.
- Place 1-2 drops on bottoms of feet.
Vetiver Essential Oil
Vetiver essential oil may help with sleep issues because of its power to promote stress relief and its natural tranquilizing properties. It may also help mild acne and promote feelings of calmness (Modern Essentials, 2015).
How to Use Vetiver Essential Oil for Sleep
A great home remedy for improved sleep, you can use vetiver in the following ways:
- Diffuse 2-4 drops into the air before bed.
- Inhale directly from the bottle before sleep.
- Place 2 -4 drops in warm bath water and bathe before bed.
Orange Essential Oil
Besides its amazing scent, orange essential oil may be helpful for fighting poor sleep as it possesses sedative and antidepressant properties that could possibly contribute to better rest. It is calming and uplifting to the body (Modern Essentials, 2015).
How to Use Orange Essential Oil for Sleep
Who doesn’t love the smell of citrus? Orange essential oil combines well with cedarwood essential oil as a great natural remedy for rest and relaxation!
- Diffuse 2-4 drops with 2-4 drops of lavender before bed.
- Place 1-2 drops under the tongue.
- Apply 1-2 drops to bottoms of feet.
Cypress Essential Oil
Cypress is also known as one of the essential oils for sleep. It has relaxing properties, which may make it effective for restful sleep (Modern Essentials, 2015).
How to Use Cypress Essential Oil for Sleep
- Diffuse 1-2 drops with 1-2 drops of Bergamot essential oil and/or 1-2 drops of orange essential oil.
- Inhale directly from the bottle.
- Apply neat (dilute for skin sensitivity) to bottoms of feet.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang essential oil may be good for promoting restful sleep as it possesses sedative properties (Modern Essentials, 2015).
How to Use Ylang Ylang Essential Oil for Sleep
Diffuse 2-4 drops into the air. Can be diffused with 2-4 drops of either Bergamot, Geranium, Marjoram, or Vetiver essential oil.
A Word About the Safety of Essential Oils for Sleep
Clearly, there are many amazing essential oils for sleep. When using essential oils as a natural remedy, it is very important to understand that all oils are not created equal. Please be sure that you purchase quality essential oils that are certified pure from a reputable source. Many oils found in stores and online are filled with cheap filler oils and some are even toxic. Please do your homework before using any essential oil brand. Please note that all essential oils are not intended to be used internally and some may cause sun sensitivity.
Reference:
Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils (6th ed.). (2015). Orem, UT: Aroma Tools.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product/website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.
