11 Best Herbal Essential Oils For Insomnia
Herbal essential oils for Insomnia are a type of natural remedy extracted from plants that help promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve sleep quality.
These oils offer numerous benefits in treating insomnia, including reducing anxiety and promoting a restful night's sleep.
Examples of herbal essential oils that can be used to treat insomnia include Lavender oil, which calms the mind and body, Chamomile oil, which soothes and relaxes, Bergamot oil, which reduces anxiety and stress, Ylang-ylang oil, which promotes a sense of calm and tranquility, and Sandalwood oil, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
By incorporating these oils into your bedtime routine, you can create a peaceful sleep environment and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
According to "Planta medica", essential oils for insomnia show potential, particularly those derived from valerian and passionflower, as they have been identified as two of the three medicinal plants with the most potential for treating insomnia in clinical trials.
Below there's a list of the 11 best herbal essential oils for insomnia.
- 1. Lavandula angustifolia essential oils
- 2. Valeriana officinalis essential oils
- 3. Melissa officinalis essential oils
- 4. Passiflora incarnata essential oils
- 5. Lavandula latifolia essential oils
- 6. Avena sativa essential oils
- 7. Ginkgo biloba essential oils
- 8. Zingiber officinale essential oils
- 9. Santalum album essential oils
- 10. Cannabis sativa essential oils
- 11. Humulus lupulus essential oils
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1. Lavandula angustifolia essential oils
Lavandula angustifolia essential oils have been traditionally used to treat insomnia due to their sedative and calming properties, which help to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels.
The bioactive constituents of lavender oil, including linalool and linalyl acetate, play a crucial role in inducing a sense of calmness and tranquility, making it easier to fall asleep and maintain a peaceful sleep throughout the night.
By reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation, Lavandula angustifolia essential oils help to treat insomnia by regulating the body's sleep-wake cycle and improving the overall quality of sleep.
The benefits of using Lavandula angustifolia essential oils for insomnia include improved sleep duration, reduced symptoms of insomnia, and enhanced overall well-being.
Related Study
According to "Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)", Lavandula angustifolia essential oils, which are a form of aromatherapy, may improve sleep.
2. Valeriana officinalis essential oils
Valeriana officinalis essential oils have been traditionally used to treat insomnia due to their sedative and calming properties, which help to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels.
The herbal preparation contains bioactive constituents such as valepotriates, valerenic acid, and isovaleric acid, which are responsible for its sleep-promoting effects.
By reducing anxiety and promoting a sense of calm, Valeriana officinalis essential oils help to regulate the sleep-wake cycle and improve the quality of sleep.
The benefits of using this herbal preparation to treat insomnia include improved sleep duration, reduced sleep latency, and enhanced overall sleep quality.
Related Study
According to the study, Valeriana officinalis essential oils, on its own, or in combination with hops, are associated with improvements in some sleep parameters, such as sleep latency and quality of sleep, in individuals with primary insomnia.
3. Melissa officinalis essential oils
Melissa officinalis essential oils have been traditionally used to treat insomnia due to their calming and relaxing properties, which help to soothe the mind and body.
The herbal preparation's ability to reduce anxiety and stress levels is attributed to its high content of bioactive constituents such as linalool, linalyl acetate, and citral, which have sedative and hypnotic effects.
By promoting relaxation and improving sleep quality, Melissa officinalis essential oils can help to alleviate insomnia symptoms and improve overall sleep patterns.
The benefits of using Melissa officinalis essential oils to treat insomnia include improved sleep duration, reduced anxiety and stress levels, and enhanced overall well-being.
Related Study
According to "Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y)", Melissa officinalis essential oils, when used in combination with Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse, have shown to significantly decrease the severity of insomnia and improve sleep quality.
4. Passiflora incarnata essential oils
Passiflora incarnata essential oils, also known as passionflower essential oil, have been traditionally used to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders due to their sedative and anxiolytic properties.
This herbal preparation helps to induce a state of relaxation and calmness, reducing anxiety and stress levels that often contribute to insomnia.
The bioactive constituents of Passiflora incarnata, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and glycosides, play a crucial role in its therapeutic effects, as they interact with the body's GABA receptors to promote relaxation and reduce restlessness.
The benefits of using Passiflora incarnata essential oils to treat insomnia include improved sleep quality, reduced sleep latency, and enhanced overall well-being.
Related Study
According to "Current neuropharmacology", Passiflora incarnata essential oils for insomnia have been found to impact the benzodiazepine receptors and exhibit hypnotic properties, which may help in inducing sleep and alleviating insomnia symptoms.
5. Lavandula latifolia essential oils
Lavandula latifolia essential oils have been traditionally used to treat insomnia due to their calming and sedative properties, which help to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels.
The bioactive constituents, including linalool and linalyl acetate, in Lavandula latifolia essential oils contribute to its ability to induce a sense of calmness, making it easier to fall asleep and maintain a restful sleep pattern.
By reducing anxiety and promoting a peaceful state, Lavandula latifolia essential oils help to alleviate insomnia symptoms, allowing individuals to achieve a good night's sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
Regular use of Lavandula latifolia essential oils has been shown to be beneficial in treating insomnia, as it promotes a healthy sleep-wake cycle and improves overall sleep quality.
Related Study
According to "Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)", Lavandula latifolia essential oils, specifically through aromatherapy, may improve sleep, although the practicality of this form of treatment remains to be determined.
6. Avena sativa essential oils
Avena sativa essential oils, derived from the oat plant, have been used to treat insomnia due to their calming and sedative properties.
The presence of bioactive constituents such as avenacoside, avenanthramides, and ferulic acid in Avena sativa essential oils helps to regulate sleep patterns and promote relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
These bioactive compounds also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety, further contributing to improved sleep quality.
Overall, Avena sativa essential oils offer a natural and effective way to treat insomnia, providing numerous benefits such as improved sleep duration, reduced sleep latency, and enhanced overall well-being.
7. Ginkgo biloba essential oils
Ginkgo biloba essential oils have been traditionally used to treat insomnia due to their sedative properties, which help to promote relaxation and calmness in the body.
The herbal preparation's ability to improve sleep quality is attributed to its bioactive constituents, including flavonoids and terpenoids, which have been shown to reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Additionally, the oils' antioxidant properties help to regulate the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, allowing for a deeper and more restful sleep.
By using Ginkgo biloba essential oils, individuals can experience improved sleep quality, reduced anxiety, and a sense of overall well-being, making it a valuable natural remedy for insomnia.
Related Study
According to "Pharmacopsychiatry", Ginkgo biloba essential oils for insomnia may improve sleep continuity and enhance Non-REM sleep, with effects including increased sleep efficiency, reduced awakenings, and enhanced slow wave sleep, primarily due to a weakening of tonic CRH-activity.
8. Zingiber officinale essential oils
Zingiber officinale essential oils, derived from the rhizome of the ginger plant, have been used to treat insomnia due to their sedative and calming properties.
The bioactive constituents present in these oils, such as gingerols and shogaols, help to regulate sleep patterns and promote relaxation by reducing anxiety and stress levels.
By acting on the brain's neurotransmitters, Zingiber officinale essential oils can help to improve the quality of sleep, increase sleep duration, and reduce symptoms of insomnia.
The benefits of using Zingiber officinale essential oils to treat insomnia include improved sleep quality, reduced anxiety, and a decrease in the use of sleep aids, making it a natural and effective solution for those struggling with this condition.
Related Study
According to "Journal of pharmacobio-dynamics", Zingiber officinale essential oils, specifically (6)-shogaol, may help with insomnia as it prolonged hexobarbital-induced sleeping time and induced a drowsy pattern in the electro-encephalogram of the cortex after administration.
9. Santalum album essential oils
Santalum album essential oils, derived from the sandalwood tree, have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat insomnia due to its sedative and relaxing properties.
The herbal preparation helps to treat insomnia by promoting a calm and peaceful state of mind, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving sleep quality.
The bioactive constituents of Santalum album essential oils, including santalol and santalenes, have been shown to have a calming effect on the nervous system, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
The benefits of using Santalum album essential oils to treat insomnia include improved sleep duration, reduced symptoms of insomnia, and a decrease in stress and anxiety levels.
10. Cannabis sativa essential oils
Cannabis sativa essential oils have been utilized to treat insomnia due to their sedative and relaxing properties, which help to calm the mind and body, promoting a restful sleep.
The herbal preparation contains bioactive constituents such as myrcene, limonene, and linalool, which contribute to its therapeutic effects.
These constituents help to reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation, and regulate the body's sleep-wake cycle, ultimately leading to improved sleep quality.
The benefits of using Cannabis sativa essential oils to treat insomnia include reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep duration, and enhanced overall well-being.
Related Study
According to the study, Cannabis sativa essential oils have shown some benefits in improving the quantity and quality of sleep due to mechanisms related to influencing sleep outcomes, possibly through gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-synthesizing and GABA-metabolizing enzymes.
11. Humulus lupulus essential oils
Humulus lupulus essential oils, derived from the flowers of the hop plant, have been traditionally used to treat insomnia due to their calming and sedative properties.
The bioactive constituents of this herbal preparation, including essential oils like humulene and lupulin, help to reduce stress and anxiety, leading to improved sleep quality.
By promoting relaxation and reducing muscle tension, Humulus lupulus essential oils assist in calming the mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
The benefits of using Humulus lupulus essential oils to treat insomnia include reduced symptoms of stress and anxiety, improved sleep duration, and enhanced overall well-being.
Related Study
According to "Australian family physician", Humulus lupulus essential oils for insomnia may be associated with improvements in some sleep parameters, such as sleep latency and quality of sleep, particularly when used in combination with valerian.