What oils help you sleep if you have insomnia? I really don’t want to get hooked on sleep aids.
Grace Hill, Little Rock, AR
Insomnia affects a lot of people, but knowing what essential oils will help you sleep is useful if you don’t want to take medication.
To begin, one of the best – known essential oils that help induce sleep is lavender. Lavender will help you relax, and it’s also a mild antidepressant.
At bedtime, place one drop of lavender oil in 10 drops of a carrier oil like coconut. Inhale the aroma for a few minutes, and leave the mixture near your bed overnight. You might also enjoy diffusing lavender essential oil into the air of your bedroom starting about an hour before you want to go to sleep.
Next, try a blend of oils like Valerian, cedarwood, and patchouli. Valerian, like lavender, is powerful at reducing stress and inducing calm, but it smells somewhat earthy. For that reason, it’s pleasant to mix it with the other three oils.
For example, cedarwood essential oil also has a sedative effect, releasing serotonin into your body. That’s helpful if you suffer from anxiety. And patchouli increases serotonin levels and dopamine, diminishing feelings of sadness and anger.
Finally, frankincense is very effective at inducing relaxation because it reduces the heart rate and blood pressure and even boosts the immune system. In addition, it is a wonderful essential oil for a sore throat.
In conclusion, there are other many oils you can try besides these. You may prefer the scents of some over others. And you may discover that many are effective at helping you get a good night’s rest.