13 best essential oils for sleep

How Do Essential Oils Help You Sleep

Recent research shows that essential oils can provide relief for sleep and improve sleep quality not only in adults but also in babies. What essential oil is good for sleep? A blend of sleep-promoting essential oils works effectively to improve both sleep quality and quality of life. Before trying them, you should know that the best essential oils for sleep are divided into two main categories. The first one includes oils that stave off insomnia. They calm the mind and reduce anxiety effectively. The second can alleviate snoring and sleep apnea by clearing the airways.

The Scientific Benefits of Essential Oils for Mood and Health

Essential oils can relieve stress, anxiety, low mood, and physical discomfort. They have been used for centuries to promote relaxation and mental and physical wellness.

Essential Oils for Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiousness are extremely harmful to restful sleep and good mood. People who experience stress and anxiety symptoms often have trouble falling asleep and sleep restlessly throughout the night. Therefore they are tired and fatigued the next day. Luckily, aromatherapy using essential oils can help to relieve stress and anxiety symptoms. In turn, it may help improve sleep indirectly.

Essential Oils for Depression

Depression and sleep problems often exist together. A number of studies have found that aromatherapy with essential oils helps people with depression. Moreover, aromatherapy can help improve depressive symptoms.

Essential Oils for Period Cramps

Massage with essential oils is a great way to get rid of cramps at home. Recent studies found that women who massaged their lower abdomen noticed less pain and shorter duration of pain, compared with those who used a cream containing a synthetic fragrance. The best essential oils for such purposes are lavender, clary sage, and marjoram.

How to Use Essential Oils for Sleep Aid

Many people are interested in using essential oils for better sleep, but they’re not sure how. Here are some simple guidelines to get you started:

Add Oil to Your Bath

The greatest combination ever. You will get the relaxation and sleep benefits of aromatherapy and the sleep-promoting effects of a bath. Put several drops of your favorite oil into your bathwater and enjoy. Note: you should take the bath an hour before your bedtime.

Use a Diffuser

Diffusers will disperse fragrance oils into the air in your room. Typically, you add water and oil, in amounts set by the manufacturer. Follow their instructions.

Make Your Own Mist

You can combine essential oil and water in a spray bottle or atomizer and spray around your room. Also, you can spray essential oils on the underside of your pillow. It will help you avoid any skin irritation. For every ½ cup of water, use 3-4 drops of essential oil.

Apply to The Body Directly

You can also apply essential oils to pressure points, like the wrists or behind the ears. Massage with essential oils is also a good idea. Essential oils in the undiluted form are highly concentrated and intense. Therefore, be careful to avoid skin irritation.

Which Essential Oils Are the Best for Relaxation and Sleep

The scent is a highly individual experience. Each of us reacts to smells differently. The right scents for your relaxation and sleep are the ones that make you feel relaxed and sleepy! We put together a list of the best essential oils that have the ability to promote relaxation and improve the quality of sleep.

Vanilla Essential Oil for Sleep

Vanilla has sedative effects for the body. It can reduce hyperactivity and restlessness. The best benefit of this oil is its ability to quiet the nervous system and lower blood pressure. It also helps relieve anxiety and depression. Do you like the smell of baking cookies? Then this essential oil is definitely for you. Fall asleep easily and without the excess calories 🙂

Cedarwood Essential Oil for Sleep

This oil has powerful analgesic and sedative properties that will help you sleep calmly. It is the best essential oil for a toddler’s sleep.

Wild Orange Essential Oil for Sleep

Essential oils from the citrus family are typically uplifting and stimulating. Wild Orange can relieve nervousness, fear, and a busy mind, yet still be incredibly calming.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil for Sleep

Eucalyptus is a natural expectorant that can help with respiratory congestion. This makes it a favorite during the cold winter months. As soon as you ease respiratory problems, your sleep will become much better. It will help your brain to get as much fresh oxygenated air as possible.

Mandarin Essential Oil for Sleep

Mandarin has calming effects and is very similar to lavender. This essential oil can be an awesome nighttime alternative for babies who are irritated by the scent of lavender. This oil shouldn’t cause any irritation on your skin because it is not phototoxic.

Tea Tree Essential Oil for Sleep

Tea tree is a natural antimicrobial, antifungal, and disinfectant. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to an unscented oil can help with diaper rash and fungal infections. Tea tree is a stronger oil that can be harsh on the skin, so it should be avoided for babies younger than 6 months old and carefully patch-tested on older infants.

Lemon Essential Oil for Sleep

Lemon can help improve your energy level and boost your mood. It is great for a post-nap wake-up refresher. Distilled lemon is preferable to expressed lemon for babies. Expressed lemon is a potential photosensitizer, whereas distilled lemon should not cause skin irritation.

Dill Essential Oil for Sleep

Dill is a calming, antispasmodic oil. It can soothe indigestion. Use 1 drop per teaspoon of carrier oil, blend thoroughly, and massage the mixture onto skin.

Sandalwood Essential Oil for Sleep

Sandalwood has been used for relaxation and anxiety relief for centuries. It helps ease anxiety symptoms, reduce wakefulness, and lower blood pressure.

Lavender Essential Oil for Sleep

The lavender oil is good for balancing the body system. It is our most famous sleepytime herb and oil. Lavender essential oils are an effective remedy for headaches and help calm anxiety. You can add it to your diffuser, spritz it onto linens, apply it to the soles of the feet or spine, or add it to a bath. Note: be sure that the essential oil you use is diluted and good quality.

Jasmine Essential Oil for Sleep

This sweet scent is popular because of its sleep-promoting capabilities. Research shows jasmine improves sleep quality and cuts down on restlessness. You can get all the possible sleep benefits with this magic essential oil. Moreover, it also helps to reduce anxiety.

Vetiver Essential Oil for Sleep

It is incredibly grounding, sedating, and calming. It is the perfect essential oil to get rid of headaches.

Rose and Geranium Essential Oil for Sleep

These two essential oils have similar scents, and both can reduce stress and anxiety. You can use them on their own or in combination with other essential oils.

Is It Safe to Use Essential Oil to Help Baby Sleep

Aromatherapy or essential oil therapy promotes physical and emotional well-being. On babies older than 3 months, some essential oils can be used to help encourage sleep, calm anxiety, and even relieve symptoms of colic. Before applying essential oils to babies, it’s important to understand proper dilution ratios and application methods.

Caution When Using Essential Oils for Babies

Be careful when using essential oils for babies. It is important to follow all the instructions. Most of the oils are toxic and should be diluted with carrier oils before applying directly on the child’s skin. Which carrier oils should you use? You can use coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, grapeseed, or olive oil. The best formula for essential oils: two drops to one teaspoonful for a toddler and 1-2 drops per 2 teaspoonfuls for babies.

How to Use Essential Oils to Help Babies Sleep

There are three suitable ways to use essential oils for babies:

• Massage: Rubbing essential oils on your baby’s body. Pay special attention to the back, neck, arms, feet, and tummy.

• Diffuser blend: Use 1-3 drops of the perfect essential oils for your diffuser. It can also help to purify the room.

• Using with their bath water: Adding a few drops of essential oils into their bath water can help calm their spirits.

4 Ways Essential Oils Can Help Your Baby Sleep

These are the most popular reasons you should try essential oils:

• Use essential oils to alleviate teething pain. Teething can impact sleep. If your baby is suffering from teething pain try essential oil. You can rub diluted lavender oil along the jawline as well to help with teething pain. Chamomile oil can also help to cope with teething pain. Just apply it directly to the gums.
• Use essential oils to lessen discomfort from earaches. If ear pain is keeping your baby awake, lavender oil will help. Rub diluted oil in front of and behind the outside of the ear.
• Try essential oils to help with colic/tummy pain. Stomach discomfort is obviously a big problem. Luckily, essential oils can help. The best oils for such purposes are lavender, wild orange, marjoram, or roman chamomile. They can help ease stomach trouble gently and naturally. Dilute a couple of drops with a tablespoon of carrier oil, and rub clockwise on tummy a few times.
• Essential oils can help alleviate coughing. Blend peppermint and eucalyptus with a carrier oil, rub on the bottoms of your child’s feet, and then put socks on your child. Finally, rub the diluted oil on your child’s chest.

The Best and Safest Essential Oils for Babies

Ylang-ylang Oil

It is an excellent option for mothers who want to help their babies sleep.

Cedarwood Oil

The most powerful oil. It has analgesic and sedative properties that will help your baby sleep calmly.

Marjoram Oil

It works perfectly for soothing a restless baby. This oil can help induce sound sleep. It is one of the best oils to help babies sleep.

Peppermint Oil

It is the most powerful essential oil for the stomach and liver. Indigestion may be the reason your child can’t sleep. Peppermint can calm a troubled child, ease headaches and induce a sound rest. Warning: this oil can cause severe skin irritation on sensitive skin. Use it with a carrier oil before topical usage. Or use with a diffuser.

Bergamot Oil

It can help your child sleep peacefully. This oil has calming and relaxing properties.

Roman Chamomile Oil

It helps to calm and soothe the body and can help your baby to get a good night sleep. Very efficient for child insomnia, and to prevent nightmares. For topical application, dilute 1 or 2 drops with 1 teaspoonful of coconut oil and rub on the baby’s neck, back, arms, and feet.

Lavender Oil

This essential oil is good for helping babies sleep due to its relaxing properties. The lavender oil helps to balance the body system, soothe headaches, and calm the anxiety that may be preventing your baby from sleeping. You can use it with a diffuser. You can topically apply lavender oil to help babies sleep 20 minutes before going to bed. Just rub 1 or 2 drops of the oil on their wrist, spine, neck, or feet. Moreover, you can use lavender oil with their bath water. Put ten drops of the oil and one cup of salt in the bath water and bathe the baby in it for 30 minutes to help calm his body.

Top 10 Essential Oil Diffuser Blend Recipes for Sleep

When diffusing oils in a room, make sure it is well ventilated, and use less than you would for yourself. Start with 3 drops and check in on the room to make sure the smell isn’t overpowering, add more if needed. These are the top sleep diffuser blends:

• 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Roman Chamomile, 1 drop Juniper Berry
• 3 drops Peace
• 1 drop Vetiver, 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Balance
• 2 drops Balance, 1 drop Wild Orange
• 1 drop Patchouli, 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Frankincense, 1 drop Bergamot
• 4 drops Lemon, 3 drops Orange, 1 drop Cedarwood
• 1 drop Roman Chamomile, 1 drop Vetiver, 1 drop Juniper
• 2 drops Patchouli, 1 drop Vetiver, 1 drop Orange
• 3 drops Sweet Orange, 2 drops Frankincense
• 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Frankincense, 1 drop Vetiver

These blends really help relax your mind and body.

7 tips you should try for good sleep

If you want to improve the quality of your sleep without essential oils, you can try these universal and really effective pieces of advice.

Schedule

Try to go to bed at the same time every night. It is a great idea to start improving your sleep habits. Try and stay within 20 minutes of your usual bedtime every night, even on the weekends. You will get a fixed wake-time. Believe us, you will rise feeling rested.

Less Caffeine

Many of us love the afternoon pick-me-up of coffee or tea, but any caffeine consumed after 2 PM leads to bad sleep.

Bad Habits

Smoking and drinking alcohol before bed will give you poor sleep and an awful morning. No alcoholic beverages or cigarettes at least three hours before bed.

Turn Off the Devices

TVs, smartphones, and computer monitors all emit blue light. It reduces serotonin production in the brain and makes us feel more alert. Powering down devices will help your body to start producing melatonin at the appropriate time.

Open the Window

Airing out the room before your bedtime. The cool air will help your brain relax and your sleep will be better.

Exercises

Workouts are really helpful when talking about the quality of sleep. Any physical activity should take place no less than three hours before bedtime. Walking, jogging, yoga or any other activities you like and will help your sleep improve. Morning workouts will help you feel more energized all day. So, the body will be ready to relax come evening. This is the best formula ever.

Darkness

Start dimming the lights in your home right after dinner. This tells your brain that sleep is on the horizon. Therefore, you’ll naturally start powering down. Once you get into bed, make sure your room is as dark as possible.

Good sleep and essential oil: to use or not to use

As you can see, it is really popular to use essential oils to help you sleep. Health fads come and go, but essential oils have been used in medicine for years. Aromatic plant extracts have many uses. They can treat burns and soothe skin, alleviate stress and relax the mind. All essential oils are different. While some essential oils may be safe for use on infants and babies, others should be used with caution. Just choose the right one for your needs and enjoy peaceful sleep now.