Aromatherapy Tips For Quality Sleep (Including Where NOT To Put A Diffuser)

We first shared how to use essential oils in our homes, along with how to choose the best kind of essential oils for our overall health and wellbeing (not to mention creating a lovely smelling space). Yet, we found ourselves also interested in how to use aromatherapy specifically in our bedrooms for the best quality sleep and relaxation.

On the Being Home With Hunker podcast expert aromatherapist Amy Galper guides us on this topic.

​Listen to the podcast or keep reading below.​

Galper says that for relaxation and sleep we want to focus on both the mind and the body. However, many of us have different sleep issues. She says one issue is simply "trying to fall asleep, and sometimes that's a combination of our body just being so tense we're having trouble just physically relaxing and letting go. And then the other part is our mind. A lot of people just have a lot of trouble just turning our mind off and vice versa. Sometimes people are easily quieted in their mind, but their body is so tense, they can't get comfortable to really rest.

"And then also, not only do we want to fall asleep, but we want to stay asleep. We want to have uninterrupted sleep. So essential oils can be really supportive for this." Galper shares that some great oils to help relax the body and mind, and help us stay asleep, include:

• Marjoram essential oil
• Coriander seed essential oil
• Bergamot essential oil
• Clary sage essential oil
• Frankincense essential oil
• Chamomile essential oil
• Geranium essential oil
• Lavender essential oil

Galper also likes to mix a few of these essential oils together to make what she calls an "even more potent, powerful mix."

When asked about using diffusers in the bedroom, Galper recommends not putting the diffuser on a nightstand where, as she says, "it would be blowing on your face all night."

She continues, "That would be too intense of a stream. And those oils are being vaporized and most essential oils are not recommended to be direct on the skin. So, for some people with sensitive skin, it could be irritating over the six to eight hours that you're sleeping. So what I would recommend is having your diffuser in your bedroom, but making sure that it's either at the foot of your bed or near the door or far away from where your face is so it can really permeate the room and always make sure that your bedroom is well ventilated, meaning having the window cracked open, maybe the door cracked open, so there's continuous airflow so the intensity of the diffuser doesn't become irritating over those six hours that you're sleeping."

Galper says that when the essential oils get vaporized, the stream of vaper is very potent, so we need to be mindful — and careful —about where we are placing our diffusers.

Amy personally recommends these essential oil brands:

• Plant Therapy
• Zayat Aroma
• Pranarom
• Eden Botanicals

And Hunker recommends:

• Eden's Garden

Read more about Amy Galper and how essential oils benefit our homes.

• How to Use Essential Oils at Home According to an Aromatherapist
• 7 Chic Diffusers to Add to Your Bedroom ASAP
• DIY Reed Diffuser
• DIY Eye Pillow
• Essential Oil Recipes to Help You Breathe Easier, Sleep Better, and Boost Your Immune System
• Energy-Clearing Room Spray