Have you recently started suffering from insomnia and are now looking for some natural remedies that can help you sleep? We would say very well, because in this article we will talk about sleep and natural remedies. Specifically, we will tell you about essential oils for sleep and how to use them.
Some specific essential oils, thanks to their calming and relaxing properties, are part of the natural remedies useful for promoting sleep. Essential oils, if used correctly, can help you release daily tensions – those you accumulate at home or at work so to speak – and rediscover inner balance. They also promote relaxation and the quality of sleep, which is by no means insignificant for those who have not slept for a while. They also help to fall asleep, thanks to their calming action.
Of course, there are many essential oils and not all of them can be used in the same way. Some are used by the respiratory route, others are perfect through the skin, combined with a massage oil or dispersed in the bathtub, still others can be used orally.
However, recommend that you be careful when purchasing an essential oil and always ask your herbalist or pharmacist for advice before using it, because while it is true that some essential oils can also be taken orally, others absolutely not, due to their toxicity.
And even taking them orally requires small but important attention, which we will see shortly.
Which essential oils for sleep to choose
Did you know that there are many different types of essential oils and that each of them lends itself to various uses? Fortunately, however, those that interest us for the moment are only 4. They are the ones that help you sleep better at night and also because they are the most easily available. Let’s start with the first one.
Relaxing effect of sweet orange essential oil
If your best friend named is “anxious” and it is she who does not let you sleep at night, the essential oil for you is that of sweet orange. Sweet orange essential oil has calming and relaxing properties and is truly a cure-all for the nervous system and its balance.
It has a sweet and very pleasant scent and lends itself to many uses. You can use sweet orange essential oil for:
Via the skin: by combining a few drops of essential oil with about 10 ml of neutral vegetable oil, such as almond oil, and then massaging what we could call strategic points, which are: wrists, soles of the feet, solar plexus, temples.
Another way to always use this oil through the skin is by pouring a few drops, usually 5 are enough, into the bathtub. Also in this case the advice is to first mix the essential oil in a neutral base and then pour it into the water.
The active ingredients present in the oils, thanks to the steam from the bathtub, can thus also be inhaled and bring benefits even for the respiratory tract.
Orally: sweet orange essential oil is one of the essential oils (when specified in the package) that you can take orally, but be careful not pure!
To relieve anxiety, you can take a drop of sweet orange essential oil with a neutral tablet, a teaspoon of honey or a crumb of bread, one hour before bedtime.
Respiratory route: orange essential oil calms the mind even if it is only “smelled”, but if you want to do things right, you can also use this oil by diffusion.
In this case, you can pour a few drops of essential oil into an electric or candle diffuser and wait for the fruity notes of the essence to envelop the room. To help you sleep, remember to do it at least an hour before going to sleep.
Calming action of lavender essential oil
Lavender oil has a distinctive and very pungent scent that may not appeal to everyone, but given its properties it is worth a try.
Lavender essential oil has calming properties and can be used to relieve ailments such as insomnia, anxiety and irritability. In short, a perfect oil to leave behind a bad day at work and dive into a nice hot bath.
Like orange oil, lavender oil can also be used olfactory, cutaneous and oral.
An idea on how to use lavender oil for sleep could be to put two drops directly on the pillow and wait for the scent of the essence to help you sleep.
Relaxing properties of green mandarin oil
If you are stressed, you suffer from insomnia, you feel tense like a violin string and every now and then you feel with the mood under your feet, what is right for you is mandarin essential oil.
In fact, this oil has calming, relaxing and sedative properties, in short, just what the body needs every now and then to sleep peacefully.
Just think that a drop of green mandarin essential oil on a neutral tablet, a crumb of bread or a teaspoon of honey is enough to ward off sad thoughts, those that arise in the evening to keep you from sleeping. You will see that with his precious help your thoughts will gradually become more peaceful.
Chamomile essential oil against stress
Raise your hand if you have not taken chamomile tea to sleep at least once in your life!
Both the plant and the chamomile essential oil are excellent natural remedies for relieving tension, eliminating stress and promoting sleep.
Both to counteract stress and to promote sleep, you can massage a drop of pure chamomile essential oil directly on the solar plexus, temples, wrists and soles of the feet.
Are essential oils for sleep good for babies?
The answer is no. Not all essential oils are suitable for children and in general children under the age of 7 should not use essential oils or with extreme caution.
Although, among those we have seen, lavender, mandarin and chamomile oils are also suitable for treating ailments in children over the age of 7, the advice is always to seek the advice of the pediatrician first.
Precautions and contraindications of essential oils for sleep
Even natural things have precautions and contraindications, and it is good to know them and follow them.
For example, essential oils should not be used by pregnant women and it is best to avoid using an essential oil diffuser in the presence of people suffering from asthma, allergies and children under 7 years of age.
Before using an essential oil by skin or oral route, it is always a good idea to test a drop on the crook of the elbow or knee, to assess the risk of skin allergies and / or irritative reactions. Warning: essential oils can cause even very strong adverse reactions on sensitive people! Never exceed in use.
What to do when essential oils for sleep don’t work
We have seen the greatest benefits of essential oils for sleeping here, but what if they don’t work fully? Is it better to abandon the natural way to follow a so-called “synthetic” one?
Absolutely not, in addition to essential oils there are also other natural remedies useful for promoting sleep, which you could perhaps combine with essential oils to enhance their effects.
Among the plants that are friendly to good rest that you can find in a good dietary supplement we have for example:
- Valerian: with its well-known calming and relaxing properties, it is a perfect plant to drive away anxiety and promote sleep
- Escolzia: with sedative and spasmolytic properties, it is perfect for relieving emotional tensions and promoting sleep
- The Linden: has anxiolytic and relaxing properties that make it a fantastic remedy to counteract insomnia and improve the quality of sleep
- Hops: thanks to its sedative properties , hops are also one of the best remedies offered by nature to combat insomnia and nervousness
The nice (and good!) Thing about these natural extracts is that they help the body regain its natural sleep-wake balance without creating any addiction! As it often happens with drugs.