It can be tough to silence the mind and relax the body at night. Aromatherapy tools help you to use essential oils to loosen up the muscles and calm anxieties.
However, it can be tricky to choose the best aromatherapy tools that suit you.
While you may have heard of smart oil diffusers and oil burners, these may all seem like intense apparatus for you. Perhaps you prefer something a little more subtle, like a candle or a roll-on.
This article will guide you through the different types of aromatherapy tools that aid sleep without interrupting your peace.
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Which Aromatherapy Essential Oils Are Best for Sleep?
Before picking between aromatherapy tools, you may be wondering which fragrances work best for sleep.
Lavender oil is perhaps the most famous of the top natural remedies for sleep. Studies show that lavender not only helps you feel sleepy, but it also improves your quality of sleep.
As Dr. Peter Bailey explains:
“When used through an oil diffuser, the aromatic therapies provided by the oil help to relax one’s mind and stimulate the release of the chemical melatonin, which makes you sleepy and ready for bed.”
Dr, Bailey also advises using sweet marjoram oil:
“Made from the flowers and leaves of the origanum majorana plant, this earthy oil helps to calm your mind and body. This aromatherapy triggers the release of the chemical melatonin within the body, making you feel tired and helping you transition to a sleep cycle.”
Bergamot is another popular sleep aromatherapy scent that helps promote relaxed sleep.
As Dr. Kien Vuu, assistant professor of health sciences at UCLA, explains:
“Bergamot is also helpful for sleep thanks to its citrusy aroma, which promotes feelings of joy. Positive vibes right before bed bedtime will promote good sleep. It has a sunshiny scent, which helps relieve tension.”
Dr. Vuu aso advocates the use of valerian oil, explaining that:
“It helps with restlessness and eases nervous tension.”
Other top sleepy essential oil include:
- Chamomile
- Clary sage
- Sandalwood
- Ylang Ylang
- Jasmine
- Peppermint
For an extra sleepy boost, why not try CBD essential oils? These healing oils help you drift off quicker and improve your sleep quality.
As Angelia Sherman, a user of Tranquil Earth CBD explains:
“[It] has helped my anxiety in the evening and pains at sleep and I get a better night’s sleep.”
10 Aromatherapy Tools To Help You Get a Restful Night
If you’re wondering how to make your bedroom better for sleeping, a little aromatherapy treatment creates a tranquil sleepy environment to help you doze off.
Use these aromatherapy tools to create a serene, relaxing environment for you to drift off easily into a deep, restful sleep.
1. Smart aromatherapy diffuser
A smart aromatherapy diffuser is a great aromatherapy tool to infuse your bedroom with the sleepy fragrances that help relax your mind and body.
With a smart aromatherapy diffuser, you simply fill it up with water and add a few drops of your favorite sleepy scent. You plug it in and the room starts to fill with relaxing fragrances.
One of the best things about a smart aromatherapy diffuser is that you can set the timer so that it turns off after a few hours so as not to disturb your sleep. You can also set it to come back on throughout the night to give you a little aromatherapy injection so that you stay asleep for longer.
If you have asthma, though, you may want to be careful with a smart oil diffuser as they can be a little intense, especially when using lavender oil.
According to Dr. Neha Solanki, a pulmonologist with the Cleveland Clinic Asthma Center in Ohio:
“Lavender release[s] terpene. Terpene can cause shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing.”
If you experience asthma, try one of the less full-on aromatherapy tools below.
2. Essential oil burner
An essential oil burner is one of the more traditional aromatherapy tools for releasing sleepy fragrances.
This works by dropping a couple of drops of essential oil into a ceramic dish above a tealight candle. The candle heats up the oils, releasing the volatile aromatherapy compounds that help you drift off to sleep.
The problem with this type of oil burner is that you can’t fall asleep with it on. The candle will continue to burn, drying up all the oil. This leaves a big burn mark on the burner and also poses a fire risk.
Instead use this aromatherapy device an hour or so before you go to bed to prepare your bedroom for sleep.
3. Aromatherapy candles
Aromatherapy candles lightly fragrance your bedroom with the aromatherapy scents that work well for sleep.
One of the benefits of a scented candle for sleep is that it doesn’t give off such an intense fragrance as a smart oil diffuser or an oil burner.
Just like the oil burners, however, it’s not smart to keep these burning during the nighttime. Make sure you use them for an hour or two before bed and then quell the flame as you head off to sleep.
One negative of candles is that the smell of smoke can sometimes overpower the aromatherapy fragrance. This is why smokeless aromatherapy candles are such brilliant bedtime aromatherapy tools.
4. Essential oil roll-ons
A safe option for bedtime aromatherapy is an essential oil roll-on. You apply the essential oils directly to your skin, so that you can keep the scent in your nose throughout the night.
Simply add a few drops of your favorite sleep essential oil to an essential oil roller bottle and fill the rest up with a carrier oil. You don’t want a carrier oil that’s too thick or too heavily scented, like coconut oil. Instead choose something like grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil.
Just before bed, roll it on to your temple under on to your chest so that the sleep-inducing fragrance can waft up as you drift off.
5. Sleepy linen spray
Instead of releasing your essential oils into the air, why not trap them in your bedding so you can sink into a comfy pillow and duvet and inhale the sweet smells of lavender and chamomile.
To make your own sleep linen spray is super easy.
In a 2-ounce mister bottle, mix together half a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol and distilled water. Add a few drops of each of your favorite sleepy-time essential oils. Lavender, clary sage, and ylang ylang work well together.
6. Incense censer
If you prefer to use incense instead of essential oils, you’ll need a censer to help diffuse the incense smell and to catch the ash that’s dropped from the sticks.
A high-quality ceramic aromatherapy censer is a must-have aromatherapy tool if you want to use incense. Not only does the incense swirl around in the inside of the bowl to diffuse better, it also stops the burning end from accidentally causing a fire.
If you want to use incense for sleep, take the advice of spiritual life coach Barbara Biziou:
“Use lavender or sandalwood to evoke a state of meditation and peace.”
7. Diffuser jewelry
If you don’t want to put essential oils directly on your skin, you can wear them around your neck.
Diffuser jewelry has made its way into the limelight as a new way to get the benefits of aromatherapy while on the go. Why not use it at night too?
The way an aromatherapy pendant works is simple. There’s a small sponge inside the diffuser necklace where you drop a couple of drops of your favorite sleep essential oil.
8. Scented eye pillow
If you get anxious when you’re falling asleep, a scented eye pillow is a dual-use aromatherapy tool to help relax the mind and body.
Not only does a scented eye pillow smell like lavender, it is also relatively heavy to put pressure on your facial pressure points. Using pressure therapy can produce calming effects that help you sleep.
Pop this across your eyes for 20-30 minutes before you head off to sleep.
9. Oil stick diffuser
An oil stick diffuser works similarly to a smart diffuser but without electricity.
One of the most simple aromatherapy tools, it has wooden sticks propped up inside a glass vessel which contains a mixture of water, oil, and essential oils. The wood sticks soak up the liquid and diffuse a soft sleepy scent around the room.
Be aware that these oil diffusers can’t be turned off. If you struggle to wake up, it may not be a good idea to have a sleepy smell continuously drifting through your bedroom in the morning.
10. Sleepy tea
One of the most traditional aromatherapy tools to help you sleep better at night is a cup of sleepy tea.
Simple yet powerful, sleepy tea enables you to benefit from inhaling and ingesting essential oils for sleep.
One of the nicest calming bedtime teas is chamomile with lavender tea.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of different aromatherapy tools to help you create a serene bedroom environment. You simply need to choose your intensity.
A smart infuser is great if you want your aromatherapy set on a timer, while a roll-on can be a subtle way to deliver that scent straight to the skin.
Remember, CBD essential oils are even more powerful for those who need extra help getting to sleep. Try CBD essential oils today for an all-round healing solution.
Welcome to Snoozerville! I’m Dr. Alex Hartley, your guide to the world of restful sleep. With a Ph.D. in Sleep Science and years of experience as a sleep therapist, I’ve dedicated my life to understanding and improving sleep quality. My passion lies in uncovering the mysteries of sleep and sharing practical, science-backed advice to help you achieve the best rest possible. Beyond my academic pursuits, I’m an advocate for mindfulness and relaxation techniques, which I incorporate into my daily routine. At Snoozerville, I aim to transform your nights, combining the latest research with easy-to-implement tips. Whether you’re a chronic insomniac or just looking to improve your sleep hygiene, join me on this journey towards peaceful, rejuvenating sleep.