Top Essential Oils for More Sleep and Less Insomnia
How many hours of sleep are you getting each night? The National Sleep Foundation advises between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night for healthy adults. Sleep is one of the most important ways we can spend our time and getting good quality sleep should always be a priority. Over time, sleep loss can have serious effects on your health as your brain and body use the time to rest, recover and heal.
If you are looking for a natural alternative to over-the-counter and prescription sleep medications, essential oils may be a good option for you to try. They have been proven to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling rested.
Here are a few of our sleep promoting favorites:
LAVENDER
Lavender essential oil may be one of the most well known essential oils for promoting rest and relaxation. Studies show that diffusing lavender essential oil before and/or during sleep has been found to not only improve quality of sleep but also help you have a more restful night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
CEDARWOOD
Organic Cedarwood essential oil is known to help promote calm and relaxation. Studies have pointed to Cedarwood essential oil’s “marked sedative effects” that come from a compound called cedrol. This makes it a great oil for not only reducing stress and easing tension, but also encouraging the onset of good quality sleep and rest. If you enjoy woodsy scents, Cedarwood essential oil would be the perfect oil to incorporate into your bedtime routine.
SANDALWOOD
Sandalwood is often studied for its stimulating effects on the pineal gland which is responsible for the limbic region or emotional center of the brain and regulating sleep. Sandalwood has the ability to balance emotions, improve sleep cycles, and clear the mind to help you feel relaxed and promote a good night’s sleep.
ROMAN CHAMOMILE
Studies show that Roman Chamomile is known to improve quality of sleep as well as decrease difficulty in falling asleep. This makes it a great option for those who have trouble calming their brain and drifting off to sleep at night.
SWEET MARJORAM
Sweet Marjoram essential oil is known for its relaxing and sleep-aiding effects. It contains several compounds which aid sleep including linalyl acetate, a compound that calms emotion. It also contains linalool which stabilizes the cardiovascular system and relaxes the body as well as terpinen-4-ol which helps dilate blood vessels and regulate the nervous system.
VETIVER
Using Vetiver essential oil while you are sleeping may help to improve your breathing patterns. Studies show that it can improve the quality of exhalation and decrease inhalation when sleeping, inferring that it may help people who snore heavily. It is also known to help treat anxiety making it the perfect oil to help calm your mind at bedtime.
Getting a good night’s rest impacts your entire day. That’s why we’ve formulated the perfect synergistic blend to help you get the quality sleep you need. Blending individual oils with a common purpose is mutually strengthening and produces an effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. Our Organic Restful Ease blend is packed with all of these sleep promoting favorites—carefully curated to ease anxiety, promote calm and help you relax into a worry-free good night's sleep. The perfect oil to fall asleep, stay asleep, and ensure a deep sleep so you are well rested!
SCHOLARLY ARTICLES
- Arzi, Anat et al. “The influence of odorants on respiratory patterns in sleep.” Chemical senses vol. 35, 1 (2010): 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjp079
- Chang, Ying-Ying et al. “The Effects of Aromatherapy Massage on Sleep Quality of Nurses on Monthly Rotating Night Shifts.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine vol. 2017 (2017): 3861273. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3861273
- Kagawa, Daiji et al. “The sedative effects and mechanism of action of cedrol inhalation with behavioral pharmacological evaluation.” Planta medica vol. 69, 7 (2003): 637-41. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2003-41114
- Lillehei, Angela Smith et al. “Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 21, 7 (2015): 430-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.1089%2Facm.2014.0327
- Seo, Min-Sook and Park, Dahye. "The Effect of Inhaling Aromas on the Quality of Sleep and Fatigue of three Shift Working Nurses." Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences vol. 12,14 (2017): 3612-3615.
- Zhong, Y. et al. “Sedative and hypnotic effects of compound Anshen essential oil inhalation for insomnia.” BMC Complement Altern Med vol. 19 (2019): 306. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-019-2732-0
Also in Blog
Ingredient Spotlight: Cypress Essential Oil
With flu season around the corner, it’s important to start prioritizing your health and wellness and make sure you have the tools you need for a strong defense. One of our favorite essential oils for this time of year is Cypress essential oil, also known as Cupressus sempervirens.
Cypress comes from an ornamental tree and is a member of the Cupressaceae family. Native to many regions including northern America, Africa, southeastern Europe and western Asia, cypress essential oil is a widely used medicinal plant. Research has shown that cypress essential oil has antimicrobial, antiviral and antioxidant benefits making it a great essential oil for overall wellness. Here are some of the ways cypress essential oil can support your wellness daily:
Boost Your Workout: Natural Ways to Enhance Your Fitness Routine
The Power of Scent
How to safely add essential oils into your everyday products
Fragranced consumer products such as personal care products, air fresheners, and home cleaning supplies emit air pollutants that affect indoor air quality as well as personal health and wellbeing. Studies have proven that fragranced products have been associated with a number of health effects including asthma attacks, migraine headaches, neurological problems, and contact dermatitis. This is because the term “fragrance” listed on a product ingredient list can hide a complex mixture of chemicals that brands do not have to disclose.
