Essential Oils: Probably the Most Natural Sleep Aid on the Planet!
I’ve had trouble sleeping off and on for like, ten years or so. I’ve gotten desperate at times, even trying some really wacky ways to get to sleep, like sniff a jar of chopped onions before bed. (no joke!)
Essential oils can be very effective when it comes to getting a good night’s rest. In fact, the first night I used essential oils, I really noticed a difference in the amount of time it took me to fall asleep. I was actually drowsy and had a more restful night.
More than half the population suffers from insomnia. (me included!) Aromatherapy is becoming one of the most popular natural sleep remedies a lot of us insomniacs are turning to to help us sleep. If you’re looking for natural ways to get to sleep, then try our essential oil sleep recipes.
Can Essential Oils Help Me Sleep Better?
Once I learned how to use aromatherapy to help me sleep better, I was hooked. You may think that essential oils are just fancy room fresheners, but they may have therapeutic sleep promoting properties. Essential oils’ molecules easily pass through cells to deliver those therapeutic properties to the areas of the brain that are responsible for sleep.
There have been many successful studies about the effectiveness of essential oils for insomnia, particularly lavender, to improve the quality of sleep and reducing the time it takes to fall asleep. One study in particular found that lavender essential oil actually improved insomnia symptoms in 100% of the participants immediately!
That being said, it’s important to remember that everyone metabolizes essential oils differently. What may knock me out may rev you up. That’s why I always recommend trying several different sleep promoting essential oils before giving up on essential oils.
Benefits of Using Essential Oil Sleep Recipes
- Customize to your Symptoms: What I love most about making essential oil sleep recipes is that I can target what’s keeping me up. So if I’m feeling restless, I use a recipe with jasmine in it. If my mind is racing, then a recipe that contains cedarwood is on the menu.
- All Natural: Since essential oils are just extractions from plants with no additives, you won’t find a more natural sleep aid. Harmful sleeping pills depress the central nervous system to induce sleep. Essential oils help the body fall asleep naturally by stimulating the areas of the brain responsible for initiating the sleep response.
- Fast Acting: Whether you use essential oils topically or in a diffuser, essential oils are easily absorbed into your body. Unlike sleeping pills that have to be swallowed and digested to enter your system, essential oils enter your system almost immediately.
- Morning after Grogginess: Essential oils won't give you that morning after hungover feeling like OTC sleep aids can cause.
- Easy to Use: The beauty of using essential oil sleep recipes is they're so easy to use. It only takes adding a few drops of oil to your diffuser, bath, or carrier oil to help yourself get a good night's sleep.
- No Taste: The best thing about using essential oils to promote sleep is you don't have to drink anything. Don't get me wrong, I love my natural sleep drinks, but sometimes you try a dud and it's just, well, nasty. (vinegar and honey tea, anyone?)
How do I Use Essential Oils to Sleep?
I was kind of intimidated when I first started using essential oils to sleep. There were so many and I had no clue how to use them properly. I was like, "what the heck do I do, just open the bottle and take a whiff?"
Well, sniffing the bottle is an okay method, but not it's not really effective when you're using essential oils as a sleep aid. Although you can use essential oils many different ways, there are two popular ways to use these essential oil sleep recipes:
This is the easiest way to use essential oil sleep recipes because all it requires you to do is breathe.
The potential sleep promoting properties are inhaled, which stimulates the olfactory nerves in your nose. This causes neurochemicals to be sent to the areas of the brain that is responsible for sleep.
Use these essential oil sleep recipes in a large capacity ultrasonic diffuser or even a cotton ball.
Using these essential oil sleep recipes topically is oh-so-relaxing. I like to use this method if I've had a particularly rough day.
When you use essential oils topically, the essential oils' properties are absorbed through your skin and enters the bloodstream quickly. There's also a double benefit to using essential oils topically because they're absorbed through your skin AND your brain.
Use these essential oil recipes in massage oils, bath soaks, and homemade sleep balms.
Want to find out more about essential oils and sleep? The Insomniac's Essential Oil Guidebook delivers an in depth look into essential oils, sleep, and 40 + recipes.
Using the Aromatic Method:
If you've never bought a diffuser before, you might not be sure what kind to buy. I've used several different diffusers, and they're bascially all the same so I wouldn't stress too much over which one to buy. However, when choosing a diffuser for the bedroom, keep these things in mind to get the maximum benefits from your essential oil sleep recipes:
- Choose a cold air diffuser
- Choose one that will run for at least 4 hours, preferably 8-10
- Be sure it doesn't light up, or that the light can be turned off so it doesn't disrupt your sleep.
- Choose a diffuser with a timer if you're uncomfortable with it running all night while you're asleep. Quality diffusers often have 30, 60, 120, or 180 minute timers.
I probably made you do a double take when I said you could use a cotton ball with these essential oil sleep recipes!
No, I haven't lost my mind. If you don't have a diffuser, a cotton ball works just as well in a pinch. Instead of adding drops to a diffuser, drop them onto a cotton ball. Slip the cotton ball inside your pillowcase so you can breathe it in all night.
Warning: If you suffer from breathing problems, don't use the cotton ball method. Breathing in the oils directly from your pillow could cause lung spasms.
Using the Topical Method:
Using these recipes topically is the most versatile, and probably the most relaxing way to use essential oils. However, there are a few safety tips to keep in mind before using essential oils this way:
- Never apply essential oils to your skin without diluting it in some way. (some oils can actually burn skin)
- Never use essential oils near your eyes
- Never apply essential oils near your nose if you have breathing problems
One of my favorite ways to use essential oils is in a bath soak. Umm...relaxing in a warm bath for 30 minutes that smells amazing? Yes, please!
I love to add my essential oil sleep recipes to a cup of Epsom salt to my warm running bath and soak for a half hour. This is a really simple recipe that works. You can also add mineral salts for added therapeutic benefits if you want to, but it's not necessary.
Essential oil infused massage oils are awesome because, seriously, who doesn't love a massage? I have to admit I'm lazy though. I usually only use this method if I have someone to massage me.
If you're more motivated than I am, the best places on your body to rub massage oils is the soles of your feet, the nape of your neck, and the inside of your wrists.
You can see how easy it is to use aromatherapy to help ease your insomnia symptoms. If using essential oil sleep recipes is something you'd like to try, check out the top recipes below from my Insomniac's Essential Oil Guidebook to help you sleep better all night every night.
Related: Make Relaxing Diffuser Blends for Sleep with Just 3 Oils
Unsure about mixing your own sleep recipes? I recommend these premixed sleep blends. Everything's all in one bottle!
Use When: You have trouble falling asleep and are feeling restless
Scent: Flowery with a hint of citrus notes
Use in: Diffusers, massage oils, and bath soaks
If you're wide awake when you should be sleepy, definitely give this sleep essential oil recipe a try. It can also be helpful if you feel like you can't settle down and sleep. I like to use it when I'm having a night where I'm tossing and turning.
Even if you're not that familiar with essential oils, chances are you know lavender is good for sleep and relaxation. And it's true! Lavender calms the mind AND the body, which helps you to have a deeper and more restful sleep. And when it's paired with the ylang-ylang, it really helps to increase a sedative effect.
Orange oil and cedarwood are really good for calming the nervous system and promoting feelings of relaxation. Cedarwood also has the extra benefit of helping calm an overactive mind.
- 4 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 drops orange essential oil
- 2 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
- 2 drops cedarwood essential oil
Diffuser Method: Fill your diffuser with distilled water up to the fill line, then add the essential oils.
Massage Oil Method: Pour 2 oz fractionated coconut oil into an amber glass bottle. Add the essential oils, screw on the cap, and shake to mix well.
Fun Fact: Lavender essential oil helps sleep and memory. Researchers have found that lavender oil increased slow wave sleep. In other words, deep R.E.M. sleep where your heartbeat slows and your body relaxes. During this period of sleep, it's thought the brain organizes your memories for the day, too.
Use When: Stress and worry are keeping you awake. Also good to use if you wake up in the middle of the night.
Scent: Woodsy and very earthy.
Use in: Diffusers and massage oils
Men often think that essential oils aren't for them because so many are floral scented. I know my husband was hesitant at first because the smell was too feminine
This is a good essential oil sleep blend for men because it doesn't smell flowery and pretty. And even though this recipe doesn't contain the most popular sleepy essential oils, it can be just as effective.
Sandalwood essential oil may help you to reach deep R.E.M. sleep faster and stay there longer. And both the clary sage and cedarwood are known for their sedative and calming properties.
- 4 drops clary sage essential oil
- 3 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 1 drops sandalwood essential oil
Diffuser Method: Fill your diffuser with distilled water up to the fill line, then add the essential oils.
Massage Oil Method: Pour 2 oz virgin olive oil into an amber glass bottle. Add the essential oils and shake to mix well.
Fun Fact: A Japanese study found that a particular component found in sandalwood essential oil caused a decrease in awake time, but an increase in R.E.M. sleep time. Their study also found its effects were greater in those who inhaled sandalwood, rather than those who used it topically.
Use When: Your nerves are shot, stress levels are high, or if you have feelings of anxiety.
Scent: A heady, floral scent.
Use in: Diffusers and Bath Soaks
Extended periods of stress causes the body to produce high levels of the hormone cortisol. This is not good when it comes to sleep. Cortisol is a hormone that's released in the mornings that tells the body it's time to "wake up" and be alert.
This is a great essential oil sleep blend if you're experiencing stress on a regular basis or even if you're just feeling stressed out and on edge that night.
Just like that proverbial cup of hot chamomile tea is known to calm nerves and help sleep, its essential oil form is, too. In fact, it's even more potent. Its perfect stress-busting partner is marjoram, which is known to relax both the mind and the body and to promote feelings of happiness and calm.
- 4 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
- 2 drops sweet marjoram essential oil
- 2 drops lavender essential oil
Diffuser Method: Fill your diffuser with distilled water up to the fill line, then add essential oils. Diffuse 20 minutes before and continue after you've gone to bed.
Bath Soak Method: Double this recipe and add it, along with 1 cup Epsom salts and 2 tbsp coconut oil, to warm running bath water. Soak 20-30 minutes
Fun Fact: Chamomile has been used for stress and nerves for centuries, and for good reason! Chamomile essential oil has sleep-promoting properties and can reduce levels of ACTH in the body, a stress hormone.
Use When: Your brain is running a mental marathon at 100 MPH on autopilot.
Scent: Sweet and floral, with a hint of earthiness.
Use in: Diffusers, Massage Oils, and Bath Soaks
Don't you just HATE it when you're tired, you actually feel like you could sleep, but your brain has decided this is a great time to think about everything. I mean EVERYTHING!
This is one of my favorite essential oil sleep recipes because a racing mind is the number one thing that keeps me from sleeping. And while I've learned ways to turn my brain off and sleep, sometimes my brain is a little stubborn and needs a kick in the pants to shut down.
This blend is perfect for you if your brain likes to do mental gymnastics at 2 a.m. It contains vetiver, an oil that's well known for its calming effects on the mind. It works in conjunction with jasmine to relax the brain, reduce stress, and induce sleep.
And just in case you're the type who lays in bed mentally arranging your pantry in alphabetical order, backwards, the cedarwood in this recipe will help to stop over thinking and over processing.
- 4 drops jasmine essential oil
- 2 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 2 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
- 2 drops vetiver essential oil
Diffuser Method: Fill your diffuser with distilled water up to the fill line, then add essential oils. Diffuse 20 minutes before and continue after you've gone to bed.
Massage Oil Method: Pour 2 oz sweet almond oil into an amber glass bottle. Add the essential oils and shake to mix well. Rub it in all over your body, particularly the soles of your feet.
Bath Soak Method: Double this recipe and add it, along with 1 cup Epsom salts and 2 tbsp coconut oil, to warm running bath water. Soak 20-30 minutes
Fun Fact: Vetiver is so well known as a mind relaxant that even doctors have taken notice. In 2001, it was used in a study involving children with ADHD. 100% of the children in the study experienced a reduction of symptoms.
Use When: You wake up in the middle of the night and/or you're a light sleeper.
Scent: Light citrus with a touch of earthy floral notes,
Use in: Diffusers
You're in bed, having the best sleep of your life and then....you're awake! So awake you can't go back to sleep. Well, that is until about 30 minutes before your alarm goes off.
If you don't get enough R.E.M. sleep every night, your health will really suffer. And even if you are sleeping at night, if you don't reach R.E.M. sleep , you'll always feel like you're not getting enough sleep.
I've already explained how sandalwood helps to improve R.E.M. sleep. This recipe also contains bergamot, another essential oil that may help to induce deep sleep and it's considered a natural sedative.
- 4 drops bergamot essential oil
- 2 drops sandalwood essential oil
- 2 drops lavender essential oil
Diffuser Method: Use this recipe in a large capacity diffuser that will run 6-8 hours. Fill it with distilled water up to the fill line, then add essential oils.
Diffuse throughout the night to help you stay asleep.
Fun Fact: Bergamot is the star of this sleep blend recipe, but it's for good reason! It stimulates the release of seratonin, a sleep hormone, and promotes a feeling of sedation and relaxation.
Get 7 bonus recipes when you sign up for your free copy of my Sleepy Essential Oil Mini Guide!
Try Essential Oils for a Good Night's Sleep
There are definite benefits to using essential oils sleep recipes if you suffer from insomnia. You can use different recipes to target your specific insomnia symptom, without the ugly side effects of dangerous sleeping pills.
If you've tried other natural sleep remedies that didn't work out for you, then essential oils could be what helps you sleep better. However, it's important to remember that there is no magic sleeping bullet. If you have poor sleep hygiene, like drinking caffeine six hours before bed or using tech devices before bed, even these essential oil sleep recipes probably won't help your insomnia.
These recipes are good starters if you're thinking about using essential oils to sleep better, and you can even find a few more over at this post. You can even make your own recipes once you know which essential oils promote sleeping.
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.
Sleep is so, so important and so precious. I will try anything to get more!