Calming Scents That Help Promote Sleep and Relaxation

Have you ever wondered why certain smells seem to transport you to a state of deep relaxation? It turns out our sense of smell has a powerful influence on our bodies and minds, including our sleep.

The right scents can create a soothing atmosphere, calm our nerves, and promote a restful night's sleep.

We'll look at the science behind aromatherapy and find out how certain scents affect sleep (familiar and unfamiliar smells) and why they can help you experience a more peaceful and rejuvenating sleep.

What Is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy, the practice of inhaling the scent of essential oils, is a natural remedy for, among other things, reducing stress, and it involves several smells that can help you “engage in a general state of calm.” [2]

Calming scents that help you sleep include jasmine, chamomile, and lavender. They can positively influence the nervous system, promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and enhancing sleep quality through their calming properties.

The Science of Smell and Sleep

The sense of smell plays a significant role in our sleep patterns. Research has shown that certain scents can affect our brain’s ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and even influence the quality of our sleep.

This is because the olfactory system, responsible for processing smells, is closely linked to the brain’s limbic system, which regulates emotions, mood, and memory.

When we inhale a scent, the molecules travel up our nostrils and bind to specialized receptors in the nasal cavity. These receptors send signals to the brain, which interprets the scent and triggers a response.

In the case of sleep, certain scents can promote relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety, and even lower blood pressure, making it easier to fall asleep.

Types of Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a natural healing method that uses plant extracts to boost your health and well-being. Let's take a closer look at the different types of aromatherapy.

Essential Oil Therapy

This form of aromatherapy is the most common, and it involves using essential oils that are extracted from plants. Natural scents, such as cedarwood, chamomile, and lavender, are particularly beneficial for relaxation and sleep, enhancing overall well-being.

These oils can be inhaled, applied to the skin, or added to baths. Some popular oils include lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus, each with its own specific benefits, such as promoting relaxation, relieving pain, or providing respiratory support.

Aromatic Diffusion

This technique involves using diffusers to spread essential oils into the air, creating a pleasant-smelling space with a calming scent.

There are various kinds of diffusers, such as:

• Ultrasonic Diffusers: Using ultrasonic waves to produce a fine mist of water and essential oils.
• Nebulizing Diffusers: An atomizing process that does not require water or heat and preserves the oil’s integrity.
• Evaporative Diffusers: Use a fan to help dissipate the oil’s aroma into the air through evaporation.
• Heat Diffusers: Use heat to gently warm the oil, releasing its scent.

Topical Application

You can apply essential oils directly to your skin, usually mixed with a carrier oil like jojoba, coconut, or almond oil. This method is great for massages, lotions, and skincare products.

It's especially effective for targeting specific issues like muscle pain, skin conditions, or stress relief. And the scents smell amazing!

Inhalation

Sure, here's a revised version of the original text: When using essential oils for inhalation, you can breathe in the aroma by placing a few drops on a tissue, using steam inhalation, or adding oils to a personal inhaler.

This method is helpful for addressing respiratory issues, boosting mood, and providing emotional support.

Aromatherapy Baths

Everyone enjoys a good soak in the bath! Adding essential oils to a warm bath can create a wonderfully relaxing and therapeutic experience, enhanced by the soothing scent of the oils.

The heat from the water helps release the oils into the air and allows them to be absorbed through the skin.

Others include Aromatic Spritzers, Bath Salts, Facial Steamers, Hot and Cold Compresses, Clay Masks, Creams, or Lotions [3]

Popular Essential Oils

And with more than 90 different types of essential oils out there, how do you know which one is the best?

Here's a list of the 10 most popular essential oils:

• Peppermint: Boosts energy and aids digestion
• Lavender: It's calming effect relieves stress
• Sandalwood: Calms nerves and helps with focus
• Bergamot: Reduces stress and improves skin conditions like eczema
• Rose: Enhances mood and reduces anxiety
• Chamomile: Improves mood and relaxation
• Ylang-Ylang: Treats headaches, nausea, and skin conditions
• Tea Tree: Fights infections and boost immunity
• Jasmine: Helps with depression
• Lemon: Aids digestion, mood, headaches, and more [4]

Best Essential Oil for Sleep

But out of those 10, four are considered the best essential oils:

• Tea Tree Oil: Also called melaleuca, tea tree oil is commonly used for acne, athlete's foot and insect bites.
• Peppermint Oil: Though peppermint essential oil can relieve headaches, some evidence shows that peppermint “helps relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms when taken in an enteric-coated capsule (from a trusted health supplement provider).”
• Lemon Oil: Known as a popular homemade cleaning product, lemon oil can also boost someone's mood.
• Lavender Oil: Lavender scent is often used to help relieve stress and anxiety and promote a better night's sleep. [5]

It has been reported that 43% of people who have stress and anxiety use some form of aromatherapy. [6]

While lavender can relieve stress and has become a go-to scent during the holiday hustle and bustle, smelling the purple flower’s scent has been shown to have a positive effect on sleep habits. [7]

How Do Essential Oils Improve Sleep?

First, let’s look at your sense of smell. Aromatherapy is so effective because our sense of smell is our most primitive and most powerful of the five senses.

As a direct sense, smell is the only one of our five senses that takes a direct route to our limbic system, most closely related to emotion and memory.

We are five times more likely to remember something we smell over something we see, hear, or taste.

As a member of the chemosensory system, your sense of smell comes from olfactory sensory neurons or sensory cells found within the high part of the nose. Sensory cells are connected to the brain, which is how your brain can identify smells. [8]

But there’s more to smells than just being identified by the brain. They can produce psychological and physiological responses associated with positive moods and relaxation.[9]

With the science lesson out of the way, let’s discuss how aromatherapy helps you sleep better.

Aromatherapy in Action

You can inhale essential oils indirectly by dispersing them in the air so you can breathe the oils in. You can also inhale them directly through nasal devices or inhale the vapors from a heated pot of water and essential oils. And there's always the skin application method.

Simply rub essential oils onto your skin for beneficial effects. [10]

Exposure to essential oils through whatever method you choose can improve your sleep. They can open the gate to quality sleep by promoting relaxation. [11]

Overall Best Scents for Sleep

Below, we've included the best scents to help you get more zzzs.

Lavender:

An herb, lavender, has been revealed to positively affect sleep. It has been suggested that lavender can treat insomnia, improve sleep scores, and promote a good night's sleep. [12]

Aromatherapy Pillow Spray with Lavender

Calm your mind and body with our lavender aromatherapy pillow spray, a natural treatment for insomnia. Found within our Sleepme Sleep Kit, our aromatherapy pillow spray can help calm the mind and body, allowing for more restorative sleep.

Rose:

A study on cardiac patients hospitalized in CCU revealed that a type of rose, rosa damascene, can “significantly” improve sleep quality. [13]

Roman Chamomile:

It has been suggested that roman chamomile can improve total sleep time by being applied to pillows at night. [14]

Jasmine:

Jasmine has a sweet, floral scent known for its relaxing and soothing effects. Studies suggest that jasmine aroma can help reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality by creating a calm environment.

Cedar:

Cedarwood essential oil, in particular, is often used in aromatherapy for its soothing properties, which can create a restful atmosphere and support better sleep. One study shows the smell of cedar helps people fall asleep faster when taking a nap. [15]

Ylang-Ylang:

In a study of 144 volunteers assigned to conditions of ylang-ylang and peppermint aromas, it was reported that while peppermint increased alertness in people, ylang ylang essential oil produced calmness and promoted relaxation. [16]

Not everything during the holidays has to smell like cinnamon and nutmeg, though those smells do help make the holiday season more festive. Some smells, such as aromatherapy, can help you not only deal with the stress and anxiety involved during the holiday season but also get the quality sleep you need to face the holiday hustle and bustle.

Uplifting Scents for Sleep

While calming scents like lavender and chamomile are well-known for their sleep-promoting properties, some uplifting scents can also help improve sleep quality.

These scents can increase alertness and energy, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Some examples of uplifting scents for sleep include:

• Peppermint: Known for its invigorating properties, peppermint can help increase alertness and focus, making it easier to fall asleep.
• Eucalyptus: This refreshing scent can help reduce stress and anxiety, promoting a good night’s sleep.
• Rosemary: This herbaceous scent can improve mental clarity and focus, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Tips for Effective Use

To get the most out of scents for sleep, follow these tips:

• Use high-quality, pure essential oils that are free from chemicals and additives.
• Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, before applying to the skin or using in a diffuser.
• Experiment with different scents and blends to find what works best for you.
• Use scents consistently, ideally as part of a bedtime routine, to help regulate your body’s internal clock.
• Avoid using scents that are too overpowering or overwhelming, as this can have the opposite effect and disrupt sleep.

Common Sleep Issues and Scents

Certain scents can help alleviate common sleep issues, such as insomnia, sleep disorders, and restlessness.

Here are some scents that can help:

• Insomnia: Lavender, chamomile, and valerian root can promote relaxation and reduce stress, making it easier to fall asleep.
• Sleep disorders: Rose essential oils, ylang-ylang, and bergamot can help regulate sleep patterns and improve sleep quality.
• Restlessness: Soothing scents like vanilla, jasmine, and sandalwood can promote relaxation and reduce restlessness.

Creating a Sleep-Conducive Environment

Creating a sleep-conducive environment is important when it comes to improving your sleep quality. Below are a few tips that can help you create a sleep-friendly environment:

• Use calming colors and soft lighting to encourage relaxation.
• Keep the bedroom cool, quiet, and dark to reduce distractions.
• Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows to promote a good night’s sleep.
• Use scents like lavender, chamomile, and vanilla to support relaxation and reduce stress.
• Avoid using electronic devices before bedtime, as the blue light emitted can disrupt sleep patterns.

Incorporating these tips and scents into your bedtime routine, you can improve sleep quality, reduce stress and anxiety, and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Final Thought

Imagine drifting off to sleep surrounded by a soothing, comforting scent. It's more than just a pleasant experience; it's a powerful way to improve your sleep. From the calming aroma of lavender to the refreshing scent of citrus scents, our sense of smell can significantly help you sleep.

Whether you prefer the cozy glow of a scented candle, the subtle diffusion of essential oils, or a quick spritz of calming mist on your pillow (that's my favorite), there are endless possibilities to add fragrant elements to your nighttime routine.

These simple adjustments can significantly enhance your sleep quality and help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.