What is the best essential oil for sleep?

As an aromatherapist, I’m often asked a lot of questions. This question is one that I see frequently: “What is the best essential oil for sleep?”

Generally speaking, it’s not a cut and dry list and there isn’t just one oil you can use for that. In fact, there are several essential oils available to choose from that are soothing and support relaxation to help you sleep. 

That being said, there are a few times when these oils won’t always help you sleep. This typically happens in individuals that have specific medical conditions or in those individuals that have a scent memory tied to the oil that creates the opposite physical reaction of resting.

However, I can tell you the ones chosen most frequently by myself and my clients. Below are the top five and a few others as alternatives that you might try if you’ve already tried those.

• Bergamot(Citrus bergamia): a beautiful and soothing citrus oil
• Roman Chamomile(Anthemis nobilis): this is a wonderful soothing floral oil with hints of green apple
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): a very popular oil that leaves you relaxed and comforted
• Sweet Marjoram(Origanum marjorana): this is a great oil to help soothe little ones to sleep
• Virginia Cedarwood(Juniperus virginiana): a beautiful grounding and soothing woodsy oil liked by men and women

These are a few others I’ve found to be helpful:

• Alligator Juniper(Juniperus deppeana): if you like Virginia Cedarwood, then you need to try this oil - it’s even better than that!
• Clary Sage(Salvia sclarea): a beautiful sassy floral that leaves you comforted and feeling safe as you drift off
• Sandalwood(Santalum spicatum): a very sacred oil that is both grounding, meditative and soothing to help you sleep deeper
• Sweet Orange(Citrus sinensis): this is a perfect oil to help little ones sleep well and have good dreams
• Ylang ylang(Cananga odorata) *This one has the potential to lower blood pressure so seek an aromatherapist’s council before using this if you have low blood pressure or are on medications for this.*

In case you’re looking for a premade blend, Lights Out has rave reviews and includes a few of the best ones from this list.