How does aromatherapy improve sleep?
Guest journal post by Clare White, co-founder of Made By Coopers
Aromatherapy is the ancient holistic practice of using plant extracts, usually in the form of essential oils to improve mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
There are many ways to use essential oils such as applying topically or inhaling the aromas by diffusing in a room. Aromatherapy is used to treat everything from relieving pain, warming stiff muscles, treating wounds, uplifting low moods, easing anxiety to helping improve sleep.
Diffusing essential oils in your bedroom such as lavender, rosemary and frankincense and mandarin, will help you feel more relaxed and fall asleep faster. If you tend to wake in the night, using a pillow mist will help you get back to sleep faster, as the scent will be on your pillow.
How does aromatherapy work?
The aroma in the essential oils prompt the nervous system to transmit signals to the limbic system in the brain, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory and emotion. So using a certain scent in a ritualistic way will condition your brain to ‘go to sleep’ every time you smell the essential oil blend.
Which essential oils help you sleep?
Lavender
Frankincense
Rosemary
Ylang Ylang
Mandarin
Sandalwood
Bergamot
Vetiver
Cardamom
Rose
Chamomile
Our award winning Sleepy Head range - how and why we created it.
We have many products to help with sleep such as our Sleepy Head Room & Pillow Spray. We developed this product after years of struggling with sleep problems and anxiety ourselves. It was during this time, we started experimenting with essential oils, and discovered the powerful sedating qualities of frankincense for our own use. Combining it with lavender was a game changer for our mental wellbeing and improving our sleep. We then went on to create more products with the same blend of essential oils include our Sleepy HeadBalm, candle and essential oil blend.
Made By Coopers easy night time ritual
We recommend a full ritual before bed to really help ease into a relaxed state so you drift off quicker and have better quality sleep.
First, turn off the TV and avoid looking at your phone at least an hour before bed
Run a warm bath with a magnesium rich salts- candlelit is preferred!
Massage Sleepy Head Balm anywhere on the face and body, but in particular pulse points. Tip! Try a 5 min DIY foot massage using the balm
Put on some comfy pj’s
Spray the room and pillows with Sleepy Head Room & Pillow Spray
Get in to bed, and do a few rounds of deep breathing
Listen to your favourite Clementine sleep session - try Deep Sleep & Relax Your Body
Drift off into deep slumber