How to Use Lavender Oil for Sleep

Lavender is so much more than just a pretty plant or a sweet-smelling oil. In addition to the aromatherapy benefits that lavender oil can bring, there is a lot of research to support the idea that lavender oil can be a fantastic sleep aid — both for calming and creating restful sleep as well as alleviating insomnia. Using lavender oil before sleep can even increase the percentage of REM sleep that you experienced throughout the night, which can leave you feeling better rested and more energized in the morning.

You may be eager to try lavender oil for sleep, but perhaps you don’t know exactly where to begin. How do you use lavender oil for sleep in the first place? There are so many techniques to try out — there isn’t just one prescribed method! You can even try out a few and see which one works best for you!

1. Diffuse It In the Air

One of the most common methods of using any essential oil is to use a diffuser. Diffusers are great for spreading a smell throughout an entire room or household, and they can be great if you are looking to create an aroma of lavender in your bedroom before you turn in for the night. While they used to run on the expensive side, diffusers have become more reasonable with increased popularity.

2. Inhale Directly

If you don’t have a diffuser or you would like a more intense experience, you can always inhale the oil directly, either by using a warm towelette held up to the face or by gently smelling the bottle. This can be a great method to try out right before bed.

3. Drop It In the Bath 

If you tend to be a bath person, you’re in luck. Taking a long relaxing soak before bed can be the perfect place to drop in a few dots of lavender oil. This allows it to use the warm water to diffuse into the air, while also allowing it to sink into your skin and leave a pleasant aroma even after you dry off.

4. Use a Shower Diffuse

We can’t all take a long, relaxing bath every single evening. However, chances are that you shower at least once a day. If you tend to be more of a night shower person, an easy way to include lavender oil in your nighttime routine is to drop just a few dots of it right beside the shower drain during your shower. This creates a diffuser-like effect, causing the whole shower to smell like lavender. Additionally, the steam from the shower works to open up your sinuses so you can experience even more of the benefits.

5. Put Some On Your Pillow

Another simple method of using lavender oil as a sleep aid is to simply drop a few dots onto your pillow before you go to sleep. That way, you can drift off with the sweet scent of lavender right in your bed.

6. Use Directly On the Face

If you tend not to have very sensitive skin, you can drop a bit of lavender oil into your hands to rub directly onto your face. Of course, you don’t want to overdo it, especially if you have a very specific skincare routine, but it can be extremely relaxing to run your fingers across your forehead or down over your sinuses for a relaxing facial massage experience.

7. Drop Some Into Your Lotion 

If a facial massage with lavender oil doesn’t sound like it’s quite right for you, you can always transfer that same idea onto the body instead. If you tend to lather up with lotion to moisturize your body, you can always put a few drops of lavender oil into your hands before you pump the lotion onto them. That way, when you rub the lotion onto your body, you can smell the lavender oil everywhere.

8. Blend With Other Oils

Of course, you can use these techniques with any oil, not just lavender oil. Although lavender oil is often regarded as the best essential oil to use as a sleep aid, there are a few other essential oils that tend to come up in the conversation alongside it. Namely, bergamot, chamomile, cedarwood and clary sage can be fantastic sleep aids. However, if you still want to use lavender as your main oil, you can always create a blend using any number of relaxing oils alongside it.

Lavender for Sleep

One of the beauties of using essential oils of any kind is that there are so many ways you can apply them. Specifically, lavender oil is calming and sensitive enough that you usually don’t have to worry about applying it on the skin, leaving plenty of space for your own creativity and personal preferences. How do you prefer to apply your essential oils?