Essential Oils for Relaxation and Sleep

Insomnia and other forms of sleep disturbance are one of the primary reasons that customers reach out to Dotty’s Oils. The accumulative effects of sleep deprivation are exhausting (literally) and are often part of a greater holistic issue linking back to stress, anxiety or poor health.

Confronting Sleep Problems

We believe that establishing a good bedtime routine is paramount when it comes to confronting sleep problems. And it also requires discipline!

There is an abundance of research now available that highlights the negative impact that technology has on the quality of our sleep.

It is said that the blue light emitted on mobile phones, computers, tablets and televisions restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls our circadian rhythm (our sleep/wake cycle).

All too often our cortisol levels (which is often referred to as the stress hormone) are high in the evening at a time when we should be producing melatonin.Reducing melatonin therefore makes it harder to fall asleep. So, watching TV late into the evening or scrolling between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (we’ve all been there) is far from ideal in the last hours before bed. This is so, even if we are sipping an anxiety reducing and calming chamomile tea at the same time!

At Dotty’s Oils we believe that a good bedtime routine includes a regular bedtime, limited use of technology in the hour before bed, and a good dose of essential oils!

We can recommend a range of nutritional supplements and essential oils for sleep and relaxation to help your body and mind achieve maximum rest.

Essential Oils with a Relaxing and Sedative Effect

Certain single oils are known to have a relaxing effect (such as Ylang Ylang essential oil) or to have a sedative effect (Vetiver is ideal).

Rina and Sylvia’s top recommendation for tackling relaxation and sleep issues is the Serenity Combo Pack.

This pack includes a 15ml bottle of Serenity essential oil as well as Serenity softgels.

We recommend that you place 4-6 drops of Serenity essential oil into your diffuser before bedtime as a sleep aid and that you take one or two of the Serenity softgels when you need to feel more relaxed.

This could be before bedtime because you are struggling with sleep problems or during the day when you want to feel more relaxed.

In our experience, the Serenity softgels will not make you fall asleep (and we certainly haven’t experienced any side effects like drowsiness etc.).

But - they really do assist with relaxing the nervous system and have an overall calming effect on the body. Because of this, some our customers say that the Serenity softgels have an anxiety reducing effect and also that they can be used to aid stress relief.

Topical Application of Essential Oils

We always slightly despair when we are told that individuals who have trouble sleeping are using so-called pillow sprays.

You may love pillow sprays and they may work well for you but if you are having trouble either getting to sleep or staying asleep at night and you use pillow sprays, take a step back for a moment.

Have you paused to ponder that perhaps having a potent aroma right next to your face throughout night may not be the most relaxing thing for you? Could this, in fact, be contributing to your sleep problems?   

Instead of pillow sprays, we prefer to place essential oils on the soles of our feet at night.

Why? Well, our feet are home to some of the largest pores on our body meaning that essential oils are more easily and quickly absorbed through them.

Also, because the bottoms of our feet are not as sensitive as other parts of our body, we can use them liberally and undiluted if desired.

Above all, putting oils on the bottom of our feet means that we can benefit from their aroma and relaxing properties without having them, literally, in our faces.

You can place the essential oils directly onto the soles of your feet either neat or diluted – it is a matter for you.

We always recommend dilution for children and those with sensitive skin – Fractionated Coconut Oil is our preferred carrier oil.

Once you have applied the essential oil to the soles of your feet, cup your hands over your nose and mouth and take deep breaths – in this way you will be benefitting from using the oil both aromatically and topically.

When applying essential oils to the soles of our feet, we like to rotate between Cedarwood essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Balance essential oil and Frankincense essential oil.

Choosing Essential Oils for Relaxation and Sleep

Although Rina and Sylvia have experimented with which essential oils assist them in relaxing and in getting a good night’s sleep, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to which essential oils will work best for you. Sometimes, it is a good idea to start with aromas that you feel drawn to.

Citrus oils, for example, which are cold pressed from the rind of citrus fruit, are renowned for their uplifting effects and for improving mood but that is not to say that they can’t help you to relax.

If you are in a comfortable environment and you are drawn to a citrus oil, then go ahead and diffuse it! You will probably find that it is far more effective at promoting relaxation for you personally than diffusing a so-called calming oil such as Lavender essential oil.

Similarly, you may find that you are drawn towards light floral oils such as Geranium essential oil and Juniper Berry essential oil.

As we say, there is no right or wrong answer; it is about personal preference.