Ingredient Spotlight: Lavender and Its Sleep Properties

Lavender essential oil is considered one of the most versatile oils, it was discovered 2500 years ago and is traditionally used for therapeutic practices because of its benefits to the nervous system.  Lavender oil can support an extensive range of challenges from bug bites and minor wounds to stress, headaches, skin and of course, sleep and insomnia. We asked our Co-Founder, Shea Morrison to share her experience with this powerful floral aroma...

 

Lavender oil and sleep: My journey

"Lavender oil is a smell that I directly associate with sleep, from when I was a small child my Mum used to dab lavender essential oil on my temples to help me sleep. Lavender essential oil is a popular aromatherapy choice for sleep and relaxation and it is an ingredient that we use in several products here at The Goodnight Co." - Shea Morrison, Co-Founder

 

The science behind the sleep

Several studies show using lavender oil for aromatherapy can improve sleep quality and it may also increase time spent in deep, slow-wave sleep. Human studies provide evidence to the idea that lavender facilitates restful sleep, says Vahid Mohsenin, Director of the Yale Center for Sleep Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Researchers monitored 31 men and women sniff lavender essential oil one night and then distilled water the next. The participants then had their sleep cycles monitored with brain scans and found that lavender increased slow-wave sleep and was instrumental for slowing heartbeat and relaxing muscles. The group also reported feeling more energetic the next morning.  Lavender is likely to have mild positive effect, and is most likely to be helpful in people who don’t have a medical reason for insomnia, such as depression, physicians say. Scientists think they work by sending chemical messages to parts of the brain that affect mood and emotion. Although these scents alone won’t take all your stress away, the aroma can help you relax.

Ready to embrace lavender in your routine?

 

5 Ways You Can Incorporate Lavender in your Routine:

  1. Love a bath? Try a few drops of Lavender essential oil in your bath at night, this will be sure to give you a deep sleep - or pop in our Goodnight Bath Bomb scented with lavender. 
  2. Try diffusing Lavender essential oil in your favourite essential oil diffuser. You can also explore high quality blends like our Goodnight Blend formulated to support your sleep or the Calm Blend to relieve feelings of stress. 
  3. Lavender oil is considered a safe essential oil with very limited contraindications – try rubbing drops of pure oil on your pulse points or dilute in a carrier oil and use a Roll On to apply.
  4. Some brands of Lavender oil are safe to consume (food grade standard), you can try adding it to various dishes, particularly sauces, it compliments citrus well. Be sure it's a food grade oil before experimenting with this!  
  5. Sleep mists with Lavender essential oil can be a great addition to your night time routine.

 

A note on purity

With the hundreds of varieties of lavender options on the market, it's important to find the right quality oil. Check the label before purchasing - if the label does not state that the product is pure essential oil - avoid it as it won’t carry the same benefits of a pure essential oil. Cheaper lavender oils are also often diluted with synthetic ingredients. 

 

Ready to explore using lavender? Head to our range of essential oils, or learn more about aromatherapy on the Journal. 

Tags: Aromatherapy