5 Essential Oils That Will Help You Sleep

Insomnia is a big issue for many of us. With our minds overstimulated and stressed from busy days and inescapable background noise, we’re left with buzzing brains and feeling wide awake. Maybe you try to doze off by reading on your e-device– but studies are showing that the light from the screen stops us from feeling sleepy. So what can we do to finally get some rest (without relying on harmful sleeping pills)?

Well, avoiding caffeine and screen time before bed can help. But if you live for Netflix-binging or iPad-reading before bed, then essential oils might be the remedy. Many essential oils can make you sleepy 100% naturally just by smelling them – and can you picture a more serene way to doze off than to a calming scent that ignites peace and relaxation?

But what exactly are essential oils? And how do they work?

Essential oils are far more fascinating than you’d imagine. They exist in plants to protect them in their natural environment. The oils are collected from the plants through cold-pressing or steam distilling, which helps the oils maintain their healing properties and passes their protective powers along to the next who uses it! While these healing oils may have a hippie-trippy stereotype, I bet you didn’t know that the two cult classics Coca Cola and Vick’s VapoRub are both based on essential oil recipes!

The science behind how essential oils works varies depending on the oil: some trigger positive emotional responses via our olfactory system (sense of smell), others can reduce inflammation by being applied topically. As far as using oils to get to sleep, we’ve collected a list of our top five oils that promote sleepiness and peaceful slumbers that last all night.

Five Essential Oils For A Better Night’s Sleep

Using an essential oil diffuser is a great way to start your journey to better slumbers. However, if you don’t have one, there are a few fun ways you can get the same effects! Our favorite methods are:

• sprinkling a few drops of the oil onto a cotton ball and dabbing it onto the insides of your wrists or behind your ears
• putting two drops of the oil onto a piece of tissue paper and tucking that inside your pillow
• sprinkling a drop or two into a steaming cup of water and taking 10 deep breaths of it

Whichever method you try, you'll be drifting off into your dreams in no time!

Lavender

Lavender is the most famous essential oil for aiding sleep because it is extremely calming on the mind and the body. This oil been heavily studied and proven to bring your brain to a more relaxed state- therefore reducing stress. So if you use lavender essential oil before bed, you’ll be mentally and physiologically preparing yourself to sleep well.

Roman Chamomile

Ever heard that drinking chamomile tea before bed will make you tired? Well, it’s true in essential oil form too and has even more benefits than just helping you wind down before bed! This fascinating oil has been proven to combat insomnia and stress during sleep- which helps reduce nightmares and night terrors.

Bergamot

Bergamot is a citrus fruit that has a calming effect, unlike most citrus fruits which are energizing. It’s extraordinarily helpful in balancing our emotions and clearing mental clutter, so you wake up actually feeling refreshed!

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is a mood-balancer- it makes you feel grounded and calm. It comes from special trees in India, Hawaii, and Africa and the oil is research-backed as an effective treatment for stress.  The traditional uses of sandalwood in ancient medicine applies to everything from the common cold to digestive disorders to promoting good sleep hygiene.

Cedarwood

The scent of cedarwood will drift you away to a remote cabin in the woods. It works to reduce stress by kick-starting the production of serotonin (our natural sleep chemical) while also elevating your mood. Its natural sedative properties help minimize insomnia. It can even overpower caffeine, if you’ve had too much during the day to wind down before bed. 

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