These are My Favorite Diffuser Blends for Sleep, Ya’ll!
I’ve been studying and using essential oils for a little over a year now, and a diffuser is still my favorite way to use my oils, especially when I’m using them to promote my sleep and relaxation.
I’m super bummed thought because I haven’t been able to use my favorite diffuser blends for sleep in about a month. Hurricane Irma caused serious flood damage to my house and we’re temporarily living in an RV till we get it fixed. I’m nervous diffusing essential oils around my three fur babies because we’re in such a small space here in the RV.
So since I can’t enjoy my favorite diffuser sleep recipes, I thought it would be nice to share them with ya’ll. Hey, if I can’t relax and enjoy them, then at least I should share so you can though, right? 🙂
I really like these blends because there’s no super rare or hard to find oils in them. For the most part this makes them budget friendly. Plus, if you’re already into oils you’ve probably already got at least some of them on hand anyway.
Which Brands of Essential Oils are Best for Sleep?
Just an FYI, I am listing the latin genus name of each oil. You may be wondering, what difference does it make, an oil is an oil, right?
Well, there can be multiple varieties of a plant. For instance, there’s two different kinds of lavender, lavandula latifolia, and lavandula angustifolia. But only lavandula angustifolia is the most conducive to sleep. If you used spike lavender, lavandula latifolia, it would make you feel revitalized instead of relaxed and sleepy.
So I’m not going to tell you to buy an MLM brand X or brand Y because there is no one brand that’s any purer than others. There are a lot of brands that sell pure, unadulterated oils that’s identified properly. I’m only going to recommend you buy oils that specifically lists essential oils by their latin names on the bottle so you can make sure you’re buying the right variety. In this post, I’ve listed brands I personally use because I know what I’m getting.
Gentle and Relaxing Diffuser Blend for Sleep
I really love this blend, so much so that I used it in a soap recipe I made so I could start promoting sleep while I was in the tub! This is a simple recipe but it’s uber relaxing. (and smells heavenly, too)
The first ingredient in this blend is cedarwood cedrus deodara. If you’re really into earthy fragrances, this is one you’ll really like. It’s a really grounding and calming oil and acts as a sedative. It’s also an oil than men tend to gravitate too because it’s got a masculine smell. My husband really likes the smell of cedarwood, so I often add it to our nighttime diffuser blends for sleep.
Next up it’s lavender, lavandula angustifolia to be exact. I don’t really have to tell you too much about lavender, because even if you’re not that into oils you probably already know how relaxing and calming it is. But it’s also a good oil to use if you’re looking for something to help your racing mind to calm down enough to sleep.
Related: How to Use Lavender Oil to Get your Best Sleep Ever!
The last ingredient is actually a blend from the same plant, neroli pettigrain. It’s A LOT cheaper than plain neroli, plus I actually think the blend is even more effective than neroli on is own.
Neroli/pettigrain is a strong sedative and relaxes the nervous system. If I’m going through a really nasty bout of insomnia, I add this oil to my aromatherapy sleep recipes.
Gentle and Relaxing Diffuser Recipe
Add the following oils to a cool mist diffuser.
- 2 Drops Cedarwood (cedrus deodara)
- 2 Drops Lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
- 1 Drop Neroli/Pettigrain (citrus aurantium var amara)
Plant Therapy Cedarwood Himalayan Essential Oil. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade
Edens Garden Lavender 10 ml Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil GC/MS Tested CPTGPetitgrain Essential Oil. 10 ml (1/3 oz). 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.
If you try this blend and it’s one that you find really effective, you can make it in bulk. You just need an empty 5ml essential oil bottle with a stopper or dropper. Add 50 drops cedarwood, 50 drops lavender, and 15 drops neroli/pettigrain and shake well. Then just add 5-6 drops of your blend to your diffuser!
Aromatherapy Sleep Blend if you’re Stressed
If you’ve had a rough day and you’re stressed out, this is a good blend to diffuse in your bedroom. You know how you feel when you’re so stressed out so much it’s making you feel anxious and worried? Sometimes I get so uptight I freak myself out, and this really calms and grounds me.
The major calming factor in this recipe is – big surprise!- the Roman chamomile or chamaemelum nobile. Just like a cup of chamomile tea can calm your anxieties and relax you, Roman chamomile essential oil does, too. Except you don’t have to taste it. (I hate the taste!)
The second oil is sweet marjoram or origanum marjorana. This is an awesome oil if your brain is like mine and goes into overdrive the minute your head hits the pillow. Plus, it’s a good muscle relaxer and has been known to help if you have restless leg syndrome. This is another essential oil that men tend to like because it has a really woodsy smell.
And, of course, the last ingredient in this aromatherapy sleep recipe is the sleep cornerstone, lavender essential oil.
Stress-Less Sleep Blend for the Diffuser
- 4 drops of Roman chamomile (chamaemelum nobile)
- 3 drops of sweet marjoram (origanum marjorana)
- 3 drops of lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
Add these oils to a cool mist diffuser that’s placed by your bedside and get some zzz’s!
Aura Cacia Essential Oil, Roman Chamomile, 0.5 Fluid OunceSweet Marjoram 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil by Edens GardenEdens Garden Lavender Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil GC/MS Tested
Looking for a Sleep Blend that Helps Waking up at Night?
I guess it’s because I’m getting old or something, but sometimes I seem to have a hard time staying asleep. And even if I happen to sleep through the night, it’s not a deep restful sleep. I’m such a light sleeper anymore it’s not even funny.
This blend is what I use if I start to get in that light sleep/intermittent sleep rut. It’s helpful because it promotes the restful REM sleep you need to feel rested and restored.
Bergamot (citrus bergamia) is an oil I used before I knew anything about essential oils just for its citrusy smell. Now I know it’s really good for promoting sleep. It’s relaxing, calming, and may help lessen feelings of anxiety. I’m a big fan of citrus aromas, but most citrus oils are invigorating and uplifting and you shouldn’t use them before bed. I like bergamot because I get my citrus scent and my sleep, too.
The second ingredient is lavender. It’s a no brainer by now. 🙂
The last ingredient is Sandalwood. (santalum album) To be honest, this isn’t an oil for everyone because it has a distinct woodsy/sweet aroma. I find it a little strong, which is why I only have one drop in this diffuser sleep blend. But if you like it, use it. Sandalwood is very grounding and relaxing, and calms the mind.
*If you’re worried about sandalwood’s strong odor, you can replace it with cedarwood.
Deep REM Sleep Diffuser Recipe
- 4 drops bergamot (citrus bergamia)
- 2 drops lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
- 1 drops sandalwood (santalum album)
Bergamot Essential Oil. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic GradeEdens Garden Lavender Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil GC/MS TesteddoTERRA Sandalwood (Indian) Essential Oil – 5 mL
A Great Sleep Blend Recipe to Use if You’re Tense
Seriously, I think I hit 40 and it was all downhill from there. The past couple of years I have had severe tension in my neck and right shoulder. The muscles never seem to relax and it aches so bad it keeps me awake. I end up tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position.
Enter Frankincense. (boswellia carterii) It’s a muscle relaxer, but it also has a calming aspect to it too that makes it a great sleep promoter. Plus, it is also good for stress. So if you’re stressed and tense you’re good to go.
The second essential oil in this blend is a lesser known one, fragonia. (agonis fragrans) If you have insomnia and you have a lot of tension, it can improve the depth of your sleep as well as relax your muscles and help with the pain.
Again, our friend, lavender rounds out this calming diffuser insomnia blend.
*If you’re having a lot of pain, you can also use this recipe as a massage oil and rub it into wherever you’re feeling tension. Just add this blend to 2 oz of organic jojoba oil and shake well before each use.
Relax my Mind and Body Diffuser and Massage Oil Sleep Recipe
- 5 drops frankincense (boswellia carterii)
- 5 drops fragonia (agonis fragrans)
- 5 drops lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
Edens Garden 100% Pure Lavender Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil GC/MS TestedEdens Garden Frankincense Boswellia Carterii 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil, GC/MS Tested, 10 mLPlant Therapy Fragonia Essential Oil. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade. 10 ml
What are Some Other Good Diffuser Blends for Sleep that Calm the Mind and Body?
These blends I’ve shared with you are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to different aromatherapy sleep blends. If you’re a beginner like I was a couple of years ago, it can be really confusing and intimidating when it comes to knowing which essential oils are helpful to sleep.
If you’re nervous about making your own blends, you can buy premixed sleep blends. They’re great because all the work is done for you. They’re already blended so all you have to do is add 4-5 drops to your diffuser. I really like this blend. It works really great and it has a smell I can tolerate.
But if you’re feeling froggy and want to do it yourself, go ahead. Using diffuser blends for sleep instead of, say, a topical massage oil are nearly goof proof. They’re hard to mess up because you’re not putting anything on your skin to cause irritation.
To get you started, I’ve written a few posts you can use as a guide. What Essential Oils are Good for Sleep covers five, what I call, cornerstone bedtime oils and includes more diffuser blends/recipes for sleep.
If you’re looking for a few more recipes, check out 5 Easy and Effective Essential Oil Recipes for Sleep. And if you’re a complete novice when it comes to essential oils and sleep and want more direction, How to Use Aromatherapy Oils for Sleep and The Best Essential Oil Sleep Recipes (and how to use them) are a must read.
Try Essential Oils for a Sleep Aid and See if They Work for You
As someone who has deal with insomnia on and off for over ten years, I have tried my fair share of natural sleep aids. Some have worked and some I’m ashamed to say have been downright weird. (Hey, I was desperate, okay?)
I was skeptical about using diffuser blends for sleep because I didn’t think they would work. I have to admit they turned out to be some of the best natural ways to get to sleep I’ve tried. These recipes I’ve shared are some of the first aromatherapy diffuser sleep blends I tried and still use because I’ve found they’ve really helped improve my sleep.
And if you’d like more in depth instructions to using essential oils for sleep, plus over 40 more recipes, check out my Insomniac’s Essential Oil Guidebook.
What about you? Have essential oils been helpful you get your zzz’s at night?
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