Aromatherapy For Better Sleep

At this time of uncertainty and ‘out of the ordinary’, lots of us are finding it particularly hard to get to sleep at night.

This could be down to many different factors: maybe you are worried about events happening the next day, maybe you forgot to plan your next home-schooling session, maybe your sleep pattern has gone out of the window since having to work/study from home or perhaps there is just too much on your mind for you to be able to switch off at night.

Aromatherapy can be a very powerful tool to help you get that good night’s rest you need and just by adding these small steps into your evening routine, it may help you to wind down a little easier.

There are many essential oils that have sedative properties and can be used for insomnia. It is mainly about finding the right oil for you and which one makes you feel content and relaxed. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different essential oils to find the right ones for you. You can always ask a qualified aromatherapist to help you find a blend too. Here are a few of the main sleep-aiding essential oils to choose from to get you started:

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia): Lavender is renowned for its ability to relax and promote restful sleep, it has very soothing and calming effects on the mind and body.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): Chamomile is great to help calm restlessness and irritability- it also soothes headaches or dizziness- resulting in better sleep.

Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides): Vetiver is known as a natural sedative and promotes relaxation.

Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica): Grounding and calming, Cedarwood helps with anxiety by combatting feelings of negativity.

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri): Frankincense has strong meditative powers and sedative properties. Promotes deep breathing and relaxation.

How to use these oils:

Pillow/Room spray:

Fill a small bottle up with water and add up to 10 drops of the essential oils of your choice. One I personally use has 5 drops Lavender and 5 drops Cedarwood and it smells divine! Spray straight on to your pillow before going to bed or spray all around the room as much as you desire.

Diffuser:

If you have a diffuser, (if not I recommend getting one) they can be so great to use before bed. Get your bedroom smelling of a massage therapy room, calming and zen, by just adding a couple of drops from the list above into your diffuser for about an hour before bedtime.

Have a warm bath:

Choose a carrier oil to add your essential oils to- this can simply be sunflower oil if you have nothing else, but I would recommend sweet almond oil or coconut oil. Add 4-5 drops of essential oil to 1 tablespoon of a base oil. The base oil helps the essential oils to disperse in the water and moisturise the skin.

Or you can simply purchase a ‘Wind Down Bomb’ (Bath Bomb) from Mollie Florence Holistics which contains all the oils you need for a good restful sleep.

Massage oil:

Again, use 4-5 drops of essential oil to 1 tablespoon of the carrier oil of your choice and either massage onto your body or ask a partner/friend very kindly to do it for you so you don’t even need to move! You can simply just massage onto your chest and neck area and the soles of your feet to help boost circulation and reduce tension in the body.

I also find that just by focussing on my breath and being mindful of my chest and belly going up and down can help me fall into a deep sleep.

I hope these tips help you to sleep better at night and you get the rest you need during these difficult times.

Please email me with any questions, requests or advice on aromatherapy products and pre-blends for you to try.

MFH X