Aromatherapy For Better Sleep
Are you tossing and turning at night? Do you have a hard time relaxing and calming yourself when it’s time for bed? If so, aromatherapy may be the answer.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using certain fragrances and oils that may have therapeutic or medicinal benefits, and may be used as the primary or secondary methods of bringing relief to certain conditions..
One of the benefits of aromatherapy that has been extensively studied is the effectiveness of essential oils and improving the quality and duration of one’s sleep, particularly in patients who suffer from hyper-anxiety disorders or insomnia.
It has been widely concluded, even by those who are skeptical of alternative treatments, that regardless of whether or not aromatherapy proves effective, it certainly does no harm.
Consider the following facts concerning aromatherapy and sleep:
A 2015 study in Turkey that involved using lavender essential oil via inhalation method on 60 ICU patients (the study was prompted because the patients in the ICU were having really terrible sleep issues, and the researchers wanted to try whatever they could to alleviate the insomnia for these patients and ICU patients everywhere).
The clinical found (based on the patient’s responses to two separate standardized tests that determine sleep quality) that the 2% lavender essential oil solution delivered via inhalation absolutely had a positive, measurable, and marked effect on these patient’s ability to rest. By relieving some of the anxiety and stress from which these patients were suffering, the lavender oil improved their ability to rest and their conditions in general.
There are a variety of ways which essential oils can be used:
- Placing 1 or 2 drops on the bottom of the feet
- Soaking a cotton ball and placing next to your bed
- Placing 10 – 15 drops of oil in hot Epsom or sea salt water in a bowl by the bed
- Spraying an essential oil diluted solution on linens, pillows and blankets
- Using a diffuser with Lavender or a blend of the calming oils below
The Best Calming Oils
Some of the best essential oils used for improving the quality of one’s sleep are (and incidentally, although not surprisingly, all of these oils have a naturally pleasant fragrance and are readily available through health food stores everywhere and through a wide variety of online stores):
- Lavender
- Clary Sage
- Marjoram
- Bergamot
- Ylang Ylang
- Sandalwood
- Cedarwood
- Frankincense
The overall general consensus among health practitioners, homeopathic/naturopathic alike, is that there does appear to be documentation to the effectiveness and benefits of aromatherapy in certain conditions, such as sleep. So oil up and get a good night full of zzzzzzz’s!
In health and wellness,
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Got an opinion? I would love to hear from you!