The older I get, the tougher it’s to go to sleep at night time. Possibly it is the countless to-do record going via my thoughts or the working loop of worries. Ah, the thrill of being an grownup, proper? I am an enormous fan of routines to calm my head and get me prepared for sleep—easy, conscious duties like taking a bathtub, making a cup of tea, or filling my important oil diffuser with a sleep diffuser mix. So as an alternative of counting sheep, I exploit the calming powers of important oils to assist me wind down and drift off into dreamland.

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All of those oils have enjoyable properties, so you possibly can diffuse them on their very own or in a mix. Enjoying important oil mixologist is the place issues get enjoyable! I’ve famous which different sleep oils they mix effectively with, so you will discover the mix that most accurately fits your wants—and your nostril.
12 Important Oil Sleep Diffuser Blends
My important oil diffuser has been in common use with blends for colds and cough season. However, for now, everyone seems to be effectively (fingers crossed), so I am making an attempt out a number of the finest important oils for sleep.
You most likely already know the soothing scents of Roman chamomile and lavender are fantastic to diffuse at bedtime. However when you’re able to transcend these two favorites, you’ll discover there are numerous choices so as to add to your sleep diffuser blends.


Listed below are a few of my favourite sleep diffuser blends. If sleep is not your problem, strive these blends for stress or anxiousness—or simply choose oils to make your room scent good!
My diffuser makes use of about 10 drops of important oil, however learn the directions on yours and revise accordingly.
Mix #1: Bergamot
This mix has a wealthy, spicy scent. Citrus oils are sometimes regarded as vivid and uplifting, however they’ll calm feelings [source], and a few may even be sedating [source]. The citrus scent of bergamot is not as overpowering as candy orange, which makes it nice for diffusing. It blends particularly effectively with grounding oils like vetiver and frankincense.
Bergamot – blends effectively with cedarwood, lavender, patchouli, sandalwood, and ylang ylang
Mix #2: Cedarwood
Surprisingly, cedarwood is definitely an awesome choice to contemplate when selecting important oils to assist promote sleep. Not solely can it assist with emotions of stress [source], but it surely really has sedative properties [source] which might be helpful when making an attempt to get an excellent night time’s relaxation.
Due to this, it’s most likely finest to make use of cedarwood proper earlier than mattress. And because it has a robust scent, I like to mix it with different enjoyable important oils in a sleep diffuser mix.
Cedarwood – blends effectively with bergamot, frankincense, lavender, and sandalwood
Variation:


Mix #3: Chamomile
Chamomile has an extended historical past of being helpful for stress and anxiousness and serving to to advertise sleep [source]. The excellent news is that the important oil shares most of the similar traits! Chamomile is nice to make use of when tensions are excessive, and also you wish to promote calmness and leisure [source].
Roman chamomile – blends effectively with cedarwood, clary sage, lavender, patchouli, sandalwood, and candy marjoram
Mix #4: Clary sage
When trying to calm your nerves and create a way of peace, clary sage works effectively. You’ll be able to simply flip this diffuser mix right into a therapeutic massage or bathtub oil by including the important oils to 2 tablespoons of provider oil.
Clary sage – blends effectively with cedarwood, lavender, sandalwood, and ylang ylang
Mix #5: Frankincense
Calming frankincense is very useful while you’re drained however feeling so overwhelmed which you can’t go to sleep, which makes it an awesome addition to sleep diffuser blends.
Frankincense – blends effectively with bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, lavender, patchouli, sandalwood, and ylang ylang


Mix #6: Lavender
Lavender is a real multi-tasking oil. It incorporates calming esters that assist with restlessness [source], calm down the physique, and ease headache ache.
Lavender – blends effectively with bergamot, clary sage, sandalwood, ylang ylang
Mix #7: Patchouli
There is a motive patchouli is so typically utilized in incense; its earthy scent is deeply enjoyable [source]. And it has been proven to calm the sympathetic (flight-flight) nervous system [source].
I prefer it with the candy, woody perfume of sandalwood, which may soothe irritability and nervous pressure [source]. But when patchouli is simply not your factor, strive utilizing chamomile on this mix as an alternative.
Patchouli – blends effectively with bergamot, cedarwood, and sandalwood
Mix #8: Sandalwood
Sandalwood will be dear, and a pre-diluted mix is a comparatively cheap strategy to take pleasure in this beautiful oil and its wealthy, woody scent. Usually utilized in meditation, sandalwood is thought for soothing pressure [source], calming a hyperactive or nervous thoughts, and inspiring sleep [source]. Plus, it may possibly assist ease respiratory and can be thought of an aphrodisiac.
Sandalwood – blends effectively with bergamot, vetiver, and ylang ylang,
Variation:
Mix #9: Candy marjoram
Regardless of its title, candy marjoram would not actually scent candy. It has a spicy, earthy, camphor-like aroma that promotes leisure and helps restful sleep. It pairs effectively with two oils that do have a sweeter scent, lavender and cedarwood, to create a relaxing, peaceable atmosphere.
Not solely can it assist calm the feelings [source] and assist you calm down when you have nervous pressure, but it surely additionally has sedative properties and is taken into account helpful for insomnia [source]. Moreover, it’s believed to assuage and calm down drained muscle tissue. This may be particularly useful when you wrestle with muscle cramps or stressed leg syndrome.
Candy marjoram – blends effectively with bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, lavender, and patchouli
Variation:


Mix #10: Candy orange
Candy orange additionally makes this record as a consequence of its potential to assist promote leisure when coping with stress, anxiousness [source], or pressure. A 2017 examine discovered candy orange useful in lowering sleep disturbance in older people [source]. Plus, with its candy, citrus aroma, I discover it to be extremely uplifting if I have been feeling a bit down within the dumps.
It’s one of many few citrus oils that aren’t phototoxic, so it may be safely used on the pores and skin when you want a therapeutic massage oil or enjoyable physique lotion. It’s additionally an ideal addition to pillow or linen sprays or subtle all through the bed room earlier than sleep.
Mix #11: Vetiver
Vetiver is a brand new oil for me. Often known as the oil of tranquility, it has an earthy, woody scent that is calming and enjoyable. However be aware that this important oil is tremendous thick (it takes ceaselessly to get one drop out of the bottle!), and you do not want a lot.
Vetiver – blends effectively with bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, lavender, patchouli, sandalwood, and ylang ylang
Variation:
Mix #12: Ylang ylang
Ylang ylang is one other considered one of my favourite scents; it is beautiful in important oil fragrance. The candy, floral aroma enhances emotions of peace and concord and may enhance sleep, based on this examine of faculty college students [source].
Pair it with the herby scent of clary sage, which may calm down the physique, scale back stress [source] and blood stress [source], and is believed to assist with dream recall.
Ylang ylang – blends effectively with bergamot, cedarwood, lavender, patchouli, and sandalwood
Variation:


Extra Important Oil Blends to Attempt
References:
1. Han X, et al. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) important oil inhalation improves optimistic emotions within the ready room of a psychological well being therapy heart: a pilot examine. Phytother Res. 2017.
2. Dosoky NS, et al. Organic actions and security of Citrus spp. important oils. Int J Mol Sci. 2018.
3. Zhang Okay, et al. The anxiolytic impact of Juniperus virginiana L. important oil and dedication of its energetic constituents. Physiol Behav. 2018.
4. Kagawa D, et al. The sedative results and mechanism of motion of cedrol inhalation with behavioral pharmacological analysis. Planta Med. 2003.
5. Srivastava JK, et al. Chamomile: a natural medication of the previous with vivid future. Mol Med Report. 2010.
6. Moss M, et al. Expectancy and the aroma of Roman chamomile affect temper and cognition in wholesome volunteers. Int J Aromather. 2006.
7. Koulivand PH, et al. Lavender and the nervous system. Evid Primarily based Complement Alternat Med. 2013.
8. Swamy MK, et al. A complete overview on the phytochemical constituents and pharmacological actions of Pogostemon cablin Benth.: an fragrant medicinal plant of business significance. Molecules. 2015.
9. Haze S, et al. Results of perfume inhalation on sympathetic exercise in regular adults. Jpn J Pharmacol. 2002.
10. Sheen J, et al. Self-perceived results of sandalwood. Int J Aromather. 2001.
11. Setzer WN. Important oils and anxiolytic aromatherapy. Nat Prod Commun. 2009.
12. Okugawa H, et al. Impact of alpha-santalol and beta-santalol from sandalwood on the central nervous system in mice. Phytomedicine. 1995.
13. Chang YY, et al. The consequences of aromatherapy therapeutic massage on sleep high quality of nurses on month-to-month rotating night time shifts. Evid Primarily based Complement Alternat Med. 2017.
14. Ali B, et al. Important oils utilized in aromatherapy: a systemic overview. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2015.
15. Goes TC, et al. Impact of candy orange aroma on experimental anxiousness in people. J Altern Complement Med. 2012.
16. Takeda A, et al. Results of inhalation aromatherapy on signs of sleep disturbance within the aged with dementia. Evid Primarily based Complement Alternat Med. 2017.
17. Sayorwan W. Impact of ylang ylang oil aroma on sleep high quality of Kanchanaphisek Medical and Public well being expertise (KMPHT) school college students, Nonthaburi, Thailand. Altern Integr Med. 2017.
18. Lee KB, et al. Modifications in 5-hydroxytryptamine and cortisol plasma ranges in menopausal girls after inhalation of clary sage oil. Phytother Res. 2014.
19. Seol GH, et al. Randomized managed trial for Salvia sclarea or Lavandula angustifolia: differential results on blood stress in feminine sufferers with urinary incontinence present process urodynamic examination. J Altern Complement Med. 2013.
This text was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified doctor with greater than 20 years of apply expertise. Study extra about Hey Glow’s medical reviewers right here. As all the time, this isn’t private medical recommendation, and we advocate that you simply speak along with your physician.