If you have trouble sleeping, it can feel like your mind and body are working together to keep you awake.
But if you know which essential oils to use for sleep, you can make recipes that are proven to help you relax.
Sleep is the cornerstone of overall well-being, yet many struggle to achieve restful slumber. Harnessing the power of aromatics through essential oils can pave the way to a more tranquil night's sleep, even during illness. In this guide, we'll explore how essential oils can aid in improving sleep quality, especially in times of sickness, and provide recipes and therapeutic actions to help you drift off into blissful rest.
Scent holds the power to transport us to ethereal realms, where the divine dances on fragrant breezes. Harness the magic of aromatherapy to awaken your senses. Select essential oils such as lavender, ylang-ylang, or rose, renowned for their calming and uplifting properties.
Infuse your bedroom sanctuary with their gentle whispers, using oil diffusers, scented candles, or natural sachets tucked beneath your pillow. My favorite way to enjoy aromatherapy is diffusing essential oils. It has Himalayan Salt chunks in it. Salt is grounding, protecting, and when Himalayan Salt heated up, it emits negative ions which is super healthy for you!
Here are some popular essential oils for sleep:
Lavender: Known for its calming properties, lavender essential oil can alleviate stress and promote relaxation. Add a few drops to a diffuser before bedtime or mix with a carrier oil for a soothing massage.
Chamomile Blue: Chamomile essential oil induces a sense of calmness and eases anxiety. Combine with lavender for a potent sleep-inducing blend, or add a few drops to a warm bath to unwind before bed.
Bergamot: With its citrusy aroma, bergamot essential oil uplifts the mood and reduces stress and tension. Diffuse it in your bedroom to create a serene atmosphere conducive to sleep.
Ylang Ylang: Ylang ylang essential oil has sedative properties that can help alleviate insomnia and promote relaxation. Blend with lavender and bergamot for a tranquil bedtime aroma.
Sandalwood: Sandalwood essential oil induces a sense of tranquility and helps quiet the mind. Add a few drops to your pillow or bedding to enhance sleep quality.
Cedarwood: Cedarwood essential oil has a grounding effect, making it ideal for promoting deep sleep. Diffuse it in your bedroom or add to homemade linen spray for a restful night's sleep.
Marjoram: Marjoram essential oil relaxes tense muscles and calms the nervous system, promoting restorative sleep. Combine with chamomile and lavender for a comforting sleep blend.
Frankincense: Frankincense essential oil has a soothing aroma that encourages deep breathing and relaxation. Add a few drops to a warm compress or diffuse it in your bedroom to promote peaceful sleep.
Clary Sage: Clary sage essential oil reduces stress and anxiety, helping to promote a sense of tranquility before bedtime. Mix with lavender and bergamot for a calming sleep blend.
Roman Chamomile: Roman chamomile essential oil has sedative properties that can help induce sleep and relieve insomnia. Diffuse it in your bedroom or add a few drops to a cotton ball placed near your pillow.
Recipes for Better Sleep:
Serenity Blend:
3 drops lavender
2 drops chamomile
2 drops bergamot Diffuse in your bedroom 30 minutes before bedtime.
Tranquil Night Massage Oil:
4 drops ylang ylang
3 drops sandalwood
2 drops cedarwood
1 tablespoon carrier oil (such as jojoba or coconut) Massage onto your neck, shoulders, and feet before bedtime.
Peaceful Pillow Spray:
5 drops marjoram
3 drops frankincense
2 drops clary sage
2 ounces distilled water
1 teaspoon witch hazel Combine in a spray bottle and mist over your pillow and bedding before sleep.
Less Stress, More Rest with a Natural Stress-Relieving Sleep Blend with Essential Oils
We've all heard it so many times . . .
Stress is not good for our health. It seems like there's new research every week that tells us the negative impacts of stress on our bodies.
One approach to reducing stress would be to stop any activity that causes stress at all. You can just stay in your bed and have organic food delivered and take warm baths . . .
Okay, I guess not! We need something more practical. Something that supports us naturally, helps us stay balanced and helps us get some deep, quality, restorative deep relaxing sleep
This is a blend of essential oil "base notes" in a stress-relieving sleep blend. Base notes are excellent for helping us get to sleep and stay asleep. They're warm, woody, and earthy, and have the effect of soothing the nervous system and calming an overactive mind.
I suggest using this as a bedtime body oil, but you can also use it during the day to help yourself stay calm and centered.
Stress-Relieving Sleep Blend: Less Stress, More Rest!
1 oz. (30 ml) Jojoba Wax(Simmondsia chinensis)
8 drops Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
5 drops Cedarwood essential oil (Juniperus virginiana)
3 drops Vetiver essential oil (Vetiveria zizanoides)
2 drops Patchouli essential oil (Pogostemon cablin)
Make this blend in a 1 oz. (30 ml) glass bottle.
Combine the jojoba and essential oils and shake gently. Use this stress-relieving sleep blend like a regular body oil moisturizer when it's time to relax or go to bed.
Each of the three "base note" essential oils are a wonderful choice for calming the nervous system.
Lavender is a "middle note" with a lighter floral aroma. It helps to soften and round out the overall scent of the blend.
Since their chemistries are all different from one another, when we combine them like this, we get a rich, nuanced blend that supports us to sleep from multiple angles.
OPTIONAL: If you like, you can replace the Lavender with a single drop of Jasmine absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum).Yup—just one drop will do it! Jasmine has earned the nickname "Queen of the Night" for the way its beautiful delicate blossoms release their strongest aroma at night, which is also when they must be hand-harvested. And its nickname also reminds me of how deeply Jasmine can help us relax. But it has a very rich, heady aroma, so one drop will be all you need.
Anxiety is the number one reason sleep most likely becomes an issue for us humans.
Bedtime Bath Salts Recipe uses a combination of soothing lavender with its calming esters of linalool and linalyl acetate, vetiver, which is grounding and calming for our nervous systems, and rockrose, which turns anxiety into calm. The synergy of these oils used at bedtime helps bring our focus and perception into tranquility.
Bedtime Bath Salts Recipe:
Essential Oil & Ingredients:
10 drops Lavender Oil (Lavendula angustifolia)
8 drops Vetiver Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides)
8 drops Rock Rose Oil (Cistus ladaniferus)
6 oz. (168 g) Himalayan Salt fine or small grain
3 oz. (90 ml) Vanilla Infused Jojoba
Directions:
Blend all essential oils & ingredients together. Store in a waterproof container. Add 2 Tablespoons (56 g) per bath.
Sleep soundly with this thyme essential oil lotion recipe!
Do you look forward to tucking yourself into bed, only to be unable to fall asleep?
This essential oil sleep lotion recipe is for you!
It's made with three ultra-relaxing essential oils that all contain LINALOOL, a natural essential oil component that's been proven to calm the nervous system, ease anxious feelings, and support deep relaxation.
Linalool is a component in the Monoterpenols chemical family.
Monoterpenols are generally very skin-friendly. Linalool in particular is known for its ability to restore skin after damage.
That makes linalool the perfect component to include in our essential oil sleep lotion.
By using three linalool-rich essential oils together, you can create a synergy that helps your body, heart, and mind find deep sleep.
Synergy: In aromatherapy, synergy is a combination of similar oils that work together to produce effects greater than they could achieve on their own.
Smooth this lotion on a few hours before bed (which is also a good time to switch off all your electronic devices), and keep it by your bedside in case you wake up during the night.
"Thyme for Sleep!" Essential Oil Lotion
2 oz. (56 g) Natural, unscented lotion
10 drops Lavender essential oil (Lavendula angustifolia)
10 drops Neroli-Petitgrain co-distill essential oil (Citrus aurantium var amara) you can also do 5 drops each of Neroli and Petitgrain
10 drops Thyme ct linalool essential oil (Thymus vulgaris ct linalool)
Directions:
Put the lotion into a 2 oz. (60 ml) glass jar. (Or any container you like.)
Add the drops of essential oil.
Stir well with a glass stirring rod or a stainless steel spoon.
It may take several minutes for the essential oils to be thoroughly blended into the lotion, but once they're blended in, they won't separate out again.
Let's look more closely at why these three oils are excellent in a sleep lotion recipe.
Lavender essential oil (Lavendula angustifolia)
As I mentioned above, Lavender essential oil is very rich in linalool.
It also contains a component called linalyl acetate, which shares some of linalool's effects. These two components work hand-in-hand to create a synergy, making Lavender one of the most popular essential oils in the world for relaxation, sleep, skincare, and more.
Reach for Lavender anytime you want to calm a situation down. It's even gentle enough for kids!
Neroli-Petitgrain co-distill essential oil (Citrus aurantium var amara)
Neroli-Petitgrain is a beautiful, unique essential oil.
It's called a co-distill because it's made from two different plant parts from the bitter orange tree. The flowers and leaves are put into the still together, creating a single oil out of two substances. (The flowers and leaves can also be distilled separately, and the oils combined immediately after distillation.)
Neroli-Petitgrain is profoundly soothing for muscle spasms, emotional distress, and for irritated skin. It has an intoxicating herbal aroma with floral notes.
Thyme ct linalool essential oil (Thymus vulgaris ct linalool)
Do you notice the "ct linalool" in this essential oil's name?
That's important!
There are multiple varieties of Thyme essential oil. Not all of them contain the relaxing, skin-soothing component linalool. Some types of Thyme contain more irritating components, such as thymol. That variety of Thyme oil wouldn't be my first choice for a sleep lotion.
Make sure you have Thyme ct linalool to avoid irritating your skin or mucous membranes (inside your nose), and to be sure it'll help you fall asleep (instead of perking up your senses!)
Give this sleep lotion recipe a try tonight!
And if you want to support a good night's rest even more, use a peaceful diffuser blend along with your lotion.
Natural Perfume Recipe with Essential Oils for Sleepiness, DIY
This natural perfume recipe is designed to encourage total relaxation. The calming combination of scents promotes a restful night.
Natural Perfume Recipe with Essential Oils for Sleepiness, DIY
Add the following essential oils to the base above.
Recipe from William Ziegler, Perfume Made Easy at Home, 2010
Relax your jumpy legs with this spasm-soothing "Ease Your Jumpy Legs" essential oil blend.
Are your legs keeping you up at night? Do they twitch and jump, refusing to settle down no matter how tired the rest of you is? Relaxation may seem hard to attain - but it doesn't have to be!
This calming essential oil blend can help with those elusive muscle spasms that won't let go. Create a sense of whole-body relaxation by soothing both body and mind; use this special recipe for an oasis of peace when even sleep seems unreachable.
Create the perfect nighttime remedy for your jumpy legs with this simple recipe.
Ease Your Jumpy Legs Lotion
2 oz. (56 g) Unscented lotion
5 drops Plai essential oil (Zingiber cassumunar)
5 drops Sweet Marjoram essential oil (Origanum majorana)
5 drops Roman Chamomile essential oil (Chamaemelum nobile)
Make this blend in a 2 oz (60 ml) glass jar.
Mix essential oil into a jar of unscented lotion, stirring gently until combined. Then massage onto areas such as calves, backs of knees, and thighs – working in extra attention to reap maximum relaxation effects!
Once blended these oils won't separate back out again so you can keep it by your bed or favorite comfy chair for easy access when needed - especially useful when traveling too!
This blend offers real relief.
This is the dilution we like to use for a long-term situation. If you use this blend for short periods of time, you can easily increase the drops to 10 drops each for a 3% dilution.
As I mentioned, these essential oils for jumpy legs work so well because they help calm spasms.
Plai essential oil Zingiber cassumunar
Plai essential oil comes from the same plant family as Ginger. It has a wonderful hint of spice in its fresh, herbal aroma, but instead of being warming (like Ginger), Plai is cooling.
Plai contains a component called terpinen-4-ol.
Terpinen-4-ol has been well-researched, so we know it's helpful for relaxing muscle spasms.
Plai essential oil's ability to calm spasms—while also cooling a hot, troubled mind—makes it an excellent essential oil for jumpy legs.
Roman Chamomile essential oil Chamaemelum nobile
Roman Chamomile is one of the most universally loved essential oils for helping to relax spasming muscles.
With an aroma like warm apples in the sun, Roman Chamomile also imparts a sense of serenity to a worried, overactive mind.
This is the only one of our three essential oils that does NOT contain terpinen-4-ol. Instead, it's rich in components called esters. Oils rich in esters are known for their almost magical ability to fill the body with a sense of tranquility.
Sweet Marjoram essential oil Origanum majorana
Like Plai, Sweet Marjoram essential oil contains terpinen-4-ol, so we know it's useful for antispasmodic blends (including our jumpy legs recipe).
It also contains γ-terpinene, a monoterpene component that brings an additional antispasmodic effect.
These components work in synergy—enhancing one another's properties—to calm muscle spasms more effectively.
Sweet Marjoram oil has a warm, herbal, slightly spicy scent. It's especially useful when the body is holding onto tension after challenging (or even distressing) events. It helps release deeply-held stress, allowing relaxation to flow more easily through your body.
Sleepy Time Honey
Author: Kami McBride
Ingredients
1 cup honey
2 tbsp powdered lavender
2 tbsp powdered chamomile
1 tsp powered lemon balm
1/2 tsp powdered nutmeg
Instructions
Put honey into a sterilized jar.
Put the jar into a double boiler over low heat.
Gently heat for 15 minutes, or until it is warm. Do not boil or overheat the honey, just warm it up until the herbs can be easily mixed in.
Stir the herbs into the honey while it is still warm.
Remove jar of honey from double boiler and let cool.
Store the honey in a cabinet for 2 weeks before using.
Occasionally stir the contents, mixing herbs thoroughly into the honey.
Just leave the herbs in the honey as you use it. There is no need to strain the herbs out at any point.
To make a tea, stir a spoonful of the honey into hot (but not boiling) water.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s in our herbal honey for sleep…
Lavender
The queen of nerve tonics, lavender (Lavandula spp.) is a relaxing stress tamer that can soothe you when you are mentally or physically worn out. This herb helps with restlessness, calms agitation, and invokes a feeling of well-being. “Tranquility,” “serenity,” “stillness,” and “repose” are all words used to describe the results of lavender consumption.
Chamomile
German chamomile (Matricaria recutita or Matricaria chamomilla) is famous for its ability to relax and calm the nervous system even during the most stressful times. It helps with irritability, insomnia, and restlessness, and is the herb of choice for relaxing after a stressful day. Chamomile is also a great herb for kids.
Note: Chamomile is in the ragweed family. Use with caution if you have an allergic sensitivity to plants in the ragweed family. If you’re making the herbal honey for sleep recipe, you could simply omit the chamomile.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) relaxes and uplifts at the same time. It has a palliative effect on excessive mental activity and it moderates the intensity of mood swings and mild depression. Lemon balm is an herbal companion of choice in the face of anxiety, stress-related fatigue, and tension. It helps to resolve anxiety and emotional unrest.
Nutmeg
I have seen nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) help many people who suffer with insomnia. Nutmeg helps to relax the muscles and nervous system. Though nutmeg can be toxic if taken in large doses, it can be added to food and drink sparingly. The amount used in this herbal honey for sleep is perfectly safe.
Making Herbal Honey for Sleep
The best honey to use is one that is local to where you live. Try to find a beekeeper in your area that sells honey, and purchase honey that is raw and has not been heated. Heating can destroy the healing enzymes in honey. And remember to give thanks to the bees!
When making herbal honey, all of the herbs need to be dried and finely powdered before being mixed into the honey. Many herbs can be powdered in your kitchen using a blender or coffee grinder.
Herbal honeys are very stable. Because they are made with all dried ingredients, they can easily last for one year outside of the refrigerator. Sometimes the herbs settle a little and the honey needs a good stirring.
To use the honey honey for sleep, stir a spoonful into a cup of hot water to make a calming tea.
Conclusion: Incorporating essential oils into your nightly routine can significantly enhance the quality of your sleep, even when you're feeling under the weather. Whether diffused in the air, applied to the skin, or added to a relaxing bath, the therapeutic actions of these aromatic oils can help soothe the mind and body, paving the way for a restful and rejuvenating night's sleep. Experiment with different blends to find the perfect combination that works for you, and say goodbye to restless nights.