The Best Essential Oil Recipe for Sleep

I think we can all agree that when it comes to achieving vibrant health, restful sleep (and getting enough of it!) is one of the most important factors to focus on. You simply cannot feel or perform your best if your quality of sleep is lacking. Thankfully, there is a multitude of ways we can improve sleep and it’s no surprise that essential oils are one of them.

So, when you can’t wind down, can’t stop overthinking, or are tossing and turning until your alarm goes off, consider making an effective essential oil recipe for sleep that will have you snoozing in no time.

An Effective Essential Oil Recipe for Sleep That Helps You Fall Asleep and STAY Asleep

When we sleep, our brain is able to sift through the day’s happenings, store memories, and analyze information from the previous day. It also gets a chance to rest, restore, and repair itself which allows for better mental clarity and cognitive function the following day.

During sleep, our body also sifts through the day’s happenings by collecting cellular wastes and toxins and preparing them for removal. It also uses this time to fight off invading threats, rebuild damaged tissues, and help with overall recovery.

To say that sleep is crucial for our health is a bit of an understatement!

Essential oils can help reduce stress, quiet an overactive mind, and induce restful sleep, and in many cases, even better than OTC sleep medications.

So, if you have ever wondered what essential oils are good for sleep, you’ve come to the right place!

Some of the best essential oils for sleep include:

• Bergamot – helps calm feelings of anxiety, reduces stress, and uplifts emotions

• Cedarwood – relaxes the mind and induces restful sleep. Helps produce serotonin which encourages the release of melatonin. Very sedative in nature

• Copaiba – intensifies the therapeutic properties of other essential oils

• Frankincense – works as an enhancer when blended with other essential oils

• Lavender – incredibly relaxing for both mind and body. Reduces stress and encourages restful sleep

• Mandarin – a gentle uplifting oil that helps calm an overactive mind

• Marjoram – helps release pent up emotional trauma and negative circulating thoughts

• Roman chamomile – encourages relaxation and restful sleep

• Sandalwood – soothing for the senses and induces a meditative state of mind. Helps release tension and negative emotions

• Sweet orange – calming and stress relieving. Helps the mind focus on positivity before sleep

• Valerian – A truly sleep-inducing essential oil. The herb it comes from works just as well as melatonin.

• Vetiver – stops damaging cyclical thoughts and mitigates negativity

• Ylang ylang – emotionally calming yet uplifting. Helps you let go of stressful thoughts

Before diving into essential oils almost 10 years ago, I had a difficult time falling asleep. I could lay awake for hours with my mind racing non-stop and only fall asleep before my alarm would go off in the morning.

I felt haggard with the lack of rest I was getting and would often nod off in class, at social events, and during family get-togethers during the day.

It got to the point where I constantly felt fatigued and people were telling me “You look tired.”

Gee, thanks! I AM tired!

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one experiencing a troubled sleep schedule.

Once I got into essential oils and learned that they have profound effects on the mind and body, I started looking for the ones that could help solve my abysmal sleep situation.

I picked up a diffuser, added a few drops of lavender and cedarwood, turned it on, and hopped into bed.

And, that’s all I remember because I must have fallen asleep soon after. In fact, I didn’t even wake up during the night which is a common occurrence for me (who else has a small bladder?).

I was convinced it was just a fluke and I had morning amnesia. Surely I had to have gotten up my usual 2-3 times?

Maybe my perpetual exhaustion finally caught up with me and my body finally said “ENOUGH!”. So, I tried the oils again the next night and the next and you know what? They kept working.

Over the years, I have tweaked things here and there and have finally landed on what I believe to be the most effective essential oil recipe for sleep.

Essential Oil Recipe For Sleep That Works!

Here’s how to make my Sleep Blend:

You will need:

• One empty 5ml essential oil bottle
• 40 drops lavender essential oil
• 25 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 15 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
• 10 drops vetiver essential oil
• 10 drops valerian essential oil

Add each essential oil to the 5ml essential oil bottle. Cap it closed and roll the bottle between your palms to mix the oils.

I generally allow the blend to “synergize” for a few days to allow the oils to meld and mellow together. I do this by just placing the bottle in a cool dark place and let it sit there untouched for 2-3 days. You will notice that the scent changes during this time.

When the blend is ready, I make a roll-on by adding 6 drops of the Sleep Blend to a 10ml roller bottle topped to the shoulder with sweet almond oil.

I apply this to the sides of my throat, chest, and wrists making sure to breathe deeply and meaningfully as I roll it onto the skin.

Additionally, I will add 5 drops of the Sleep Blend to a diffuser that I run during the night while I sleep.

This blend has my eyes drooping within minutes that I will sometimes delay putting it on until I’ve enjoyed some evening reading in bed.

The scent is floral from the lavender yet resinous and earthy. It helps reduce stress and anxiety while also relaxing the mind and body.

Looking for more essential oil recipes for sleep? Check out the links below:

The Best Essential Oils for Sleep
Improve Sleep Using Essential Oils
8 Essential Oils for Sleep

Other helpful links:

OURA Ring Review
Herbal Remedies for Sleep

Sources:

Goel, Namni, Hyungsoo Kim, and Raymund P. Lao. "An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women." Chronobiology International 22.5 (2005): 889-904.
Karadag, Ezgi, et al. "Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients." Nursing in critical care 22.2 (2017): 105-112.
Komori, Teruhisa, et al. "The sleep-enhancing effect of valerian inhalation and sleep-shortening effect of lemon inhalation." Chemical senses 31.8 (2006): 731-737.
Lillehei, Angela S., and Linda L. Halcon. "A systematic review of the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep." The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 20.6 (2014): 441-451.