Need a good night’s sleep? Try these lavender sleep aid ideas to help you get some ZZZ’s.
Lavender has shown in multiple human studies to improve sleeping. There are a variety of easy ways to use this herb to help get some shut eye.
Lavender Sleep Aid Ideas
- Stuff dried lavender into a sock or sachet and sew or tie it closed. Set the sack of herbs next to your pillow at night to enjoy the relaxing aroma.
- Add about 5 drops of lavender essential oil to a 5 ounce cool mist diffuser and run for 20-30 minutes just before bed.
- Add about 10 drops of lavender to 1 ounce of carrier oil such as jojoba, sweet almond, or coconut oil. Massage onto tense areas of the body to aid in calming the muscles and the mind.
- Make a lavender tea before going to sleep: Add 1 tsp of dried or 2 tsp of fresh lavender herb to about 8 ounces of hot water. Steep about 5 minutes, strain, and drink. Inhale the delicate floral aroma while drinking this peaceful tea.
Lavender Sleep Aid Research
- After 12 weeks of lavender aromatherapy, midlife women with insomnia had improved quality of sleep. From: Chien, L. W., Cheng, S. L., & Liu, C. F. (2011). The effect of lavender aromatherapy on autonomic nervous system in midlife women with insomnia. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012.
- A study with 42 college nursing students who had insomnia showed lavender inhalation reduced symptoms of lavender and depression. From: Lee, I. S., & Lee, G. J. (2006). Effects of lavender aromatherapy on insomnia and depression in women college students. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 36(1), 136-143.
- Nighttime exposure to lavender aroma relieved sleepiness at awakening in young Japanese students. From: Hirokawa, K., Nishimoto, T., & Taniguchi, T. (2012). Effects of lavender aroma on sleep quality in healthy Japanese students. Perceptual and motor skills, 114(1), 111-122.
- Aromatherapy (of lavender) has shown to reduce insomnia. From: Hardy, M., Kirk-Smith, M., & Stretch, D. (1995). Replacement of drug treatment for insomnia by ambient odour. The Lancet, 346(8976), 701.
- Insomnia was reduced with lavender inhalation in this randomized study of ten volunteers over four weeks. From: Lewith, G. T., Godfrey, A. D., & Prescott, P. (2005). A single-blinded, randomized pilot study evaluating the aroma of Lavandula augustifolia as a treatment for mild insomnia. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 11(4), 631-637.
- Lavender served as a mild sedative in promoting deep sleep. From: Goel, N., Kim, H., & Lao, R. P. (2005). An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women. Chronobiology international, 22(5), 889-904.
- Both mothers and infants were more relaxed after giving baby a bath with scented lavender. From: Field, T., Field, T., Cullen, C., Largie, S., Diego, M., Schanberg, S., & Kuhn, C. (2008). Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early human development, 84(6), 399-401.
There are additional herbs that can help with sleep such as chamomile, lemon balm, valerian, and hops.
Here is a link to more herbs, research, and recipes for insomnia.
By; Kathy Sadowski, MS in Aromatherapy, Registered Aromatherapist, AIA Member, NAHA Member, LMT, RYT
