7 Essential Oil Sleep Diffuser Blends

If you're struggling to sleep and looking for a way to naturally drift off, you may have considered trying out essential oils. Essential oils are known for their healing properties and there are a few essential oils that can help to promote sleep.

Essential oils are the captured essence of a plant, flower, or herb, and they contain the scent or flavour of the organism they come from. This essence is where the healing properties come from and essential oils can be inhaled, used in an aromatherapy diffuser, used in massage oil, are added to skincare, and can be used in bathwater.

Essential oils form the part of alternative medicine called aromatherapy which offers healing through the inhalation and topical use of these oils to benefit from their healing.

For sleep, pure essential oils can be used or essential oil diffuser blends can be inhaled to create feelings of relaxation and calm as you wind down for bed. To find out more about essential oil blends, how essential oil blends can help you sleep, and the best essential oil blends to use for sleep, keep reading now!

What is an essential oil blend?

An essential oil blend is the combination of two or more essential oils. Essential oil blends are made up of oils that have complementary scents as well as similar healing properties. Essential oil blends offer more well-rounded healing and a more complex fragrance.

Generally, essential oil blends are grouped into three categories:

• Blends that are combined based on their notes
• Blends combined for their healing properties
• Blends combined because of their fragrances

While there are combinations that don't consider notes, the notes of essential oils are worth being aware of as essential oils evaporate at different speeds. This means there will be fragrances you can smell at the beginning of diffusion but that can't be detected later.

Top note essential oils will diffuse the fastest and base notes will be the final scent you can detect. Most essential oil blends will contain oils that diffuse at different rates meaning you might not be able to smell all scents at once all the time.

How do essential oil blends help you to sleep?

So, we know what sleep diffuser blends are now, but how are they going to help you sleep?

Well, sleep diffuser blends tend to be combined based on their healing abilities meaning that all of the oils used within the diffuser blends for sleep will have sleep-promoting properties. Whether these properties promote feelings of calm or induce relaxation, or simply help to soothe overthinking, each oil will have a way of making sleep more possible.

Essential oils work in two ways. When you apply essential oils topically they are absorbed by the skin and make their way to the brain through the circulatory system, but diffuser blends are not applied topically but inhaled. Through inhalation, essential oil reaches the olfactory nerves and makes its way up into the brain where it is sent to the amygdala, the emotional centre of the brain. This means that if you're inhaling a calming blend of roman chamomile and lavender essential oil, all those calming molecules have been sent straight to the part of the brain that monitors your emotion.

Diffusing essential oils that promote sleep an hour or so before bed is a great way to calm the body and promote a restful night sleep.

Best essential oil diffuser blends for sleep

There are some essential oils that are suited to being part of diffuser blends that promote sleep. These include:

• Lavender essential oil
• Roman chamomile essential oil
• Frankincense essential oil
• Clary sage essential oil
• Ylang-ylang essential oil
• Cedarwood essential oil
• Sandalwood essential oil

These oils are frequently found in diffuser blends for sleep because of their calming properties that can help to promote deep sleep. There are lots of essential oil recipes out there for sleep remedies and below we've gathered a few of our favourites.

These blends contain some of our favourite essential oils and can be used safely in a diffuser. If you wish to use these essential oil blends topically, like in a rollerball form, ensure you dilute them with a carrier oil like jojoba oil.

For now, let's take a look at some fantastic recipes.

Lavender, sandalwood, vetiver, and roman chamomile

This is one of our favourite recipes. With four calming and grounding fragrances that offer a light floral fragrance, this essential oil diffuser blend is perfect to diffuse right before bed. Settle in for a night of restful sleep with this floral and grounding blend.

To make this blend, add two drops of lavender, sandalwood, vetiver, and roman chamomile oil into a diffuser.

Lavender and cedarwood

This blend has floral notes as well as grounding, woody notes from the cedarwood. With the calming tranquillity of lavender oil and the sedative properties of cedarwood oil, you are bound for a night of deep sleep when you diffuse this blend before bed.

Add two drops of both cedarwood and lavender essential oil to a diffuser to create this blend.

Cedarwood, orange, and lavender

This is a fantastic blend for children. It's totally kid-safe and blends three different fragrance kinds. You have the floral lavender, citrusy orange and woody cedarwood to create a complex and appealing scent.

To create this blend, add two drops of all three oils and then add to a diffuser.

Ylang-ylang, roman chamomile, and lavender

This is a very floral combination and blends the calming and sedative qualities of the three oils to create a pleasant-smelling sleep aid.

To blend, add three drops of ylang-ylang essential oil, two drops of roman chamomile oil, and one drop of lavender essential oil.

Frankincense, cedarwood, and roman chamomile

This is a heady scent with lots of earthy and woody notes. These three essential oils promote restful sleep and are some of the best essential oils for sleep.

To create this blend, you're going to need to add two drops of each of the oils together and then add to a diffuser.

Bergamot, cedarwood, and sweet marjoram

This is a good blend to release tension and frustration. If overthinking is keeping you awake, this may be the blend for you. Simply mix three drops of bergamot oil, two drops of cedarwood oil, and one drop of sweet marjoram oil.

Cedarwood, lavender, and vetiver

For deep sleep, there is no better combination than cedarwood oil, lavender oil, and vetiver oil. This combination should lull you into a restful and uninterrupted sleep.

Simply combine three drops of cedarwood oil, three drops of lavender oil, and two drops of vetiver to achieve this sedative combination.

A note on essential oil safety

Essential oils are generally considered safe for inhalation and topical use on humans, though care should be taken to dilute any oils intended for topical use.

Some essential oils can cause irritation to the mucous membranes and should not be diffused. These include bay oil, cinnamon oil (leaf and bark), clove oil (bud and leaf), lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, and thyme oil.

When diffusing oils, you should make sure to do so in a well-ventilated room and do not diffuse for more than 30 - 60 minutes. If diffusing before bed, begin about an hour before you intend to sleep and do not leave a diffuser on all night.

In addition to safety measures for yourself, care should be taken to ensure that any oils you are diffusing are safe for pets. Many essential oils can be toxic to cats and dogs as they are more sensitive to scent. Oils that are known to be toxic to cats and dogs include:

• Eucalyptus oil
• Tea tree oil
• Cinnamon oil
• Citrus oils
• Peppermint oil
• Pine oil
• Wintergreen oil
• Ylang-ylang oil

These oils are toxic when diffused as well as when used topically so take care not to allow your pets to lick you if you've been using essential oils on your skin!

Final thoughts

Essential oils are fantastic for helping with sleep problems. There are plenty of essential oils that help to relax, calm and soothe the body into a restful sleep. Additionally, some essential oils even have sedative qualities, making them great for those who struggle with sleep.

The essential oil recipes we have listed below are just a small number of the many, many blends that can be used for sleep. Try making your own combinations, or invest in quality blends from trusted suppliers to diffuse for sleep.

Remember to use pure essential oils and avoid 'fragrance oils' when creating a diffusion blend and make sure to follow any safety guidelines on the packaging as well as the ones we've listed above.

If your sleep problems persist and essential oils and other natural remedies aren't working, you may need to speak to a medical professional to find the cause of your sleep problems and help with any treatment for them.

Check out our entire aromatherapy section to find lots of different essential oils for sleep and other oil blends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which essential oils help you sleep?

There are lots of essential oils that have calming and relaxing properties and some with sedative properties. These oils can usually be found in blend products intended to help you relax and sleep, including pillow mists, diffuser blends, and rollerball form. The best essential oils for sleep include:

• Lavender oil
• Sandalwood oil
• Frankincense oil
• Roman chamomile oil
• Ylang-ylang oil

How do you use essential oils for sleep?

Using essential oils for sleep usually involves inhaling them. This could mean diffusing essential oils that are good for sleep or misting your pillow with essential oil pillow mist designed for sleep. Though you may be tempted, do not apply essential oil directly to the skin as it can cause skin irritation and won't be inhaled enough to promote sleep.

What essential oils are good for anxiety and sleep?

Essential oils can have calming, soothing and relaxing effects, making them ideal for people who suffer from sleep issues and anxiety. If you're looking for a natural way to treat and soothe sleeplessness and anxiety, look no further than essential oils. Some essential oils that are great at soothing these conditions include:

• Lavender essential oil
• Sandalwood essential oil
• Bergamot essential oil
• Rose essential oil
• Ylang-ylang essential oil
• Cedarwood essential oil

Does peppermint oil help you sleep?

Though not one of the more common sleep aids, peppermint oil can be effective in treating sleeplessness and as an added bonus, it can fight off allergies that make sleep elusive! Peppermint oil has calming qualities that can soothe and relax the body making it a good oil for sleep. Take care when diffusing peppermint oil though as it is considered a mucous membrane irritant and too much inhalation can cause discomfort.