Sleep is so important for your health. If you have trouble sleeping, you already know that.
A good night’s sleep leaves you feeling refreshed and focused. You’re ready to tackle the day with an abundance of energy.
On the other hand, missing a lot of sleep is miserable. You toss and turn, and worry about all the things you have to do the next day. This alone is enough to keep you awake.
You drag yourself through the day. Everything you do is colored by lack of sleep. It’s hard to do your day-to-day tasks. Your mind is foggy. Pretty much all you can think about is getting through the day and going to bed.
However, will you get a good night’s sleep? Or will you repeat the cycle of tossing and turning all over again?
If you suffer from chronic insomnia, you’re probably very familiar with the above scenario. I know I was. Insomnia was my enemy for years. I finally broke the cycle with essential oils.
I don’t think essential oils work miracles. But they did help. What they did is gave me something else to focus on. I inhaled soothing scents as I drifted off to sleep. Going to bed, I looked forward to using my essential oils. Eventually, I began to lose my fear of not sleeping. And I credit essential oils with helping this to happen.
Aromatherapy Essential Oils for Insomnia
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Through the years, I’ve tried a lot of different sleep remedies. Homeopathy has helped me as too. However, it also stops working when I need to switch remedies. Natural food-based vitamins have been helpful as well. I think this might be because they contain natural B-complex vitamins, which are good for your nervous system.
Essential Oils for Sleep Deprivation
But the easiest and most dramatic sleep help has come from essential oils. That’s why I feel it’s necessary to write about how essential oils can potentially help people get a better night’s sleep. Many of my readers suffer from chronic pain, and sleep problems seem to be part of the package.
I’m not a doctor and I can’t give medical advice. But I can tell you my personal story of how essential oils have helped me conquer my long-standing insomnia.
I consider these highly concentrated plant extracts to be God’s gifts to us. We’re living in extremely stressful times, and nearly everyone I know is dealing with a lot.
Good sleep is so important. Chronic insomnia has been linked to a number of health problems, including heart disease, obesity and depression. For me, essential oils were a natural, drug-free way to learn how to sleep again.
Essential Oils for Sleep Other Than Lavender
Many people are already familiar with using lavender essential oil to help them unwind and relax. However, a number of other essential oils have similar properties. Actually, I’ve found that, for me, it’s good to rotate my essential oils.
Sometimes I use lavender oil to help me sleep. But I don’t use it every night. That’s because I have much better results with mixing and matching. For instance, if I use lavender oil for a few nights in a row, I put it away and use something else.
One of my favorite aromatic sleep remedies is clary sage essential oil. This has a mysterious, woody, musky and mysterious scent. It is very soothing, and is a good alternative to using lavender essential oil continuously.
Essential Oils for Chronic Insomnia
There are a single oils, such as lavender and clary sage essential oil often used to promote sleep. But you can also find a wide range of blends. Nearly all essential oil companies sell sleep and relaxation blends. I’ve tried a number of them, so I can tell you which ones work for me.
I’m constantly switching back and forth between singles and blends. One thing I learned early on in my essential oil adventure is to rotate. I started doing this after using just lavender essential oil for sleep. It worked great, for a couple of weeks. Then it stopped working altogether.
So I switched to sweet orange essential oil. This worked great too. Until it stopped doing anything. Now I know that I need to rotate these aromatic sleep remedies. So I generally don’t use anything more than three nights in a row. I let my nose guide me. If I’m drawn to the scent of patchouli essential oil, that’s what I’ll use. Once it loses its appeal, I stop using it.
Essential Oils for Insomnia Reviews
I’ve been using essential oils for years now. So I’ve amassed quite a collection. (Actually, though, essential oils are meant to be used, and not collected. That’s because they have a shelf life of between one to five years, depending upon the oil.) Below is a list of my favorite sleep oils.
Lavender essential oil – This is everyone’s “go to” sleep remedy. I’ve found this is one of the most versatile essential oils to have on hand. It can be used for everything from wound healing to house cleaning.
Clary sage essential oil – This is an under rated sleep remedy. It has a really soothing scent, and is a good alternative to lavender.
Patchouli essential oil – This oil smells like the 1960’s. It has a musky, intoxicating aroma. I love using it right before bedtime.
Cedarwood essential oil – This has a clean and soothing smell. I love to inhale it when I’m drifting off to sleep.
Plant Therapy Sleep Aid – I’ll admit this is not my favorite scent because of the overpowering aroma of ylang ylang. But it does do the job.
Plant Therapy Meditation Synergy Blend – One of my very favorite scents. I highly recommend this blend.
Edens Garden Sweet Ambiance – This is a lovely scent and it does as advertised.
Edens Garden Stress Relief – This is also a good daytime relaxation remedy, since it doesn’t make you drowsy. It contains citrus oils, which are soothing as well as uplifting.
Essential Oils for Sleep in a Diffuser
Putting essential oils in a cold air diffuser is a popular way to enjoy aromatherapy. I keep a diffuser in my kitchen and run it in the evening. It makes my house smell great. I also like to run it when people are visiting.
Diffusing essential oils is a natural way to freshen the air, without exposing your guests to potentially toxic scented candles. (These candles are made from paraffin, derived from the petroleum industry. Plus, the chemical fragrances themselves are questionable.)
However, I don’t use a diffuser at night. Some people do. This is probably safe with a cold air diffuser with a automatic shutoff when the water runs out. But I prefer not to go to sleep with an appliance running.
Another option is to put a drop of essential oil on a cloth and leave it by your pillow. I’ve found this infinitely easier than setting up a diffuser when you’re tired.
If you decide to use essential oils to help you sleep, I hope they work as well as they did for me. I’ve also created an easy-to-follow online course that describes the various other natural remedies I used to break my cycle of chronic, long-standing insomnia. Click on the image below for more information.
Natural Sleep Solutions CourseSign Up Here
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
