2024’s Best Essential Oils for Sleep (Reviewed and Compared)
Get Quality Sleep with a Bit of Help from Nature
January 22, 2022
If you can’t relax in the evening and keep tossing and turning in bed, a sleep-inducing essential oil might be the solution you’re looking for. Even though there’s a wide selection of products on the market, they are not equally effective since they aren’t all of the same quality.
That’s why our team of experts has selected the best essential oils for sleep following a strict ranking methodology and prepared a detailed buyer’s guide. Hopefully, this will help you find a 100% pure natural essential oil that will allow you to have a restful night’s sleep and wake up fresh and energized.
Our Top 7 Picks
We aim to review the best sleep-related products on the market. If you make a purchase through one of the links on our site, we may earn a commission. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure.
Company
Features
Overall Score
Editor's Pick
Plant Therapy
USDA certified organic essential oil
Calming effects of Atlas Cedarwood
Kid safe
Best Organic
Nature's Brands
Sedative effects of ylang-ylang
Delicate fragrance
USDA Certified
Best Bergamot Oil
NOW Foods
USDA certified organic essential oil
Relieves anxiety symptoms
Reduces stress
Best Patchouli Oil
Aura Cacia
USDA certified organic essential oil
Sleep-inducing effect
No animal testing
Best Clary Sage Oil
Edens Garden
Promotes relaxation
High-quality 100% pure essential oil
Safe for kids older than 2 years
Best Sweet Marjoram Oil
Healing Solutions
Pleasant scent
Calming effect
USDA certified organic essential oil
Best Lavender Oil
Vitruvi
Organic essential oil
Without synthetic fragrances or harmful substances
Soothing effect
Available Certificate of Analysis
Our Top Picks in Detail
If you’re considering using essential oils to help you sleep better, you should definitely test out the following products. These short and informative reviews will help you figure out which one is best for you.
Cedarwood Atlas Organic Essential Oil by Plant Therapy
- Editor's Pick
- Type: Organic essential oil
- Size: 10–100 ml
- Free shipping
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Price: $9.95–$39.95
PROS :
- Calming effects
- Kid safe
- USDA organic certified
CONS :
- Some don’t like the scent of cedarwood
Plant Therapy is a renowned brand that produces high-quality essential oils for relaxation. Their products are GC/MS tested, and you can find the results on their official website. This cedarwood oil is also USDA organic certified, so you can be sure that it doesn’t contain any synthetic components.
According to a Japanese study, cedrol, a component of cedarwood essential oil, has sedative effects. Therefore, you can use this oil, with its dry woody aroma, to calm your mind before bedtime. It’s amazing that this oil is also safe for kids, as well as pregnant and nursing women. However, always consult your doctor before using it.
Organic Ylang Ylang Essential Oil by Nature’s Brands
PROS :
- Sedative effects of ylang-ylang
- Delicate fragrance
- USDA Certified
CONS :
- No information about GC/MS testing
Ylang ylang is one of the best options for restful sleep even though it’s not as commonly used as lavender. It’s made from flowers of the ylang ylang tree, which typically grows in the rainforests of Indonesia, the Philippines, Polynesia, and other Asian and South Pacific Islands.
This exotic flower with its delicate fragrance has a number of health benefits. Among others, it has a relaxing effect, and it promotes calmness. So you can use it before going to sleep to help you soothe your mind and reduce stress. You can also mix it with other aromatherapy oils, such as bergamot or patchouli, to create one of the best essential oil blends for sleep.
Since organic essential oils by Nature’s Brands are USDA-certified, they’re 100% pure and natural. Therefore, they don’t contain any synthetic ingredients, which may reduce its benefits. They’re also non-GMO products and have a cruelty-free seal.
Bergamot Essential Oil by NOW Foods
- Best Bergamot Oil
- Type: Organic essential oil
- Size: 1 oz
- Free shipping for orders over $50
- Price: $24.99
PROS :
- USDA certified organic essential oil
- Relieves anxiety symptoms
- Reduces stress
CONS :
- Phototoxic essential oil
NOW Foods produces high-quality aromatherapy oils, which are 100% pure, meaning they don’t contain any additives. We especially recommend the products from the organic line, which all have a USDA organic seal and are definitely among the top-rated essential oils for sleep.
Bergamot is a type of citrus fruit, so it has a sweet and fruity aroma. However, it doesn’t have a stimulating effect like other citruses. Instead, it can soothe your nervous system as noted in a study examining the effects of aromatherapy on psychiatric disorders. Therefore, it’s a great pick for promoting sleep since it’ll make you feel more relaxed.
However, keep in mind that you shouldn’t apply this essential oil topically before going outside because it’s phototoxic. As such, it can lead to skin irritation or even damage if you expose it to sunlight. According to the majority of users, this is its major drawback.
Organic Patchouli Essential Oil by Aura Cacia
- Best Patchouli Oil
- Type: Organic essential oil
- Size: 7.4 ml
- Free economy shipping on orders over $39.00
- Price: $14.19
PROS :
- USDA certified organic essential oil
- Sleep-inducing effect
- No animal testing
CONS :
- GC/MS test results aren’t provided on the site
Aura Cacia is one of our top picks since it produces high-quality products. This organic essential oil is USDA-certified, and it doesn’t contain any synthetic additives. It’s also GC/MS tested for purity, but unfortunately, the official website doesn’t provide any insight into the test results. We believe this is one of the greatest disadvantages of this brand.
Patchouli is an aromatic herb commonly found in Asia’s tropical regions. Its essential oil has a calming effect and can promote sleep. So if you like earthy and sweet aromas, and have trouble falling asleep, this might be a perfect choice.
Clary Sage Essential Oil by Edens Garden
- Best Clary Sage Oil
- Type: 100% pure essential oil
- Size: 5–118 ml
- Free shipping
- Price: $15.95–$76.95
PROS :
- Promotes relaxation
- High-quality 100% pure essential oil
- Safe for kids older than two years
CONS :
- Euro droppers don’t come with 4 oz (118 ml) bottles
Besides having an elegant, sweet fragrance, which is ideal for perfumes, clary sage has a number of health benefits. If you have trouble falling asleep due to anxiety, you’ll be happy to hear that this oil might be the solution you need.
Furthermore, a study investigating the effect of clary sage essential oil on women with urinary incontinence revealed that it can lower blood pressure and make them feel more relaxed. Another study showed that this essential oil can reduce anxiety in mice. Its calming effect makes it perfect for your bedtime routine.
Edens Garden is one of our top picks since its oils are 100% pure. They undergo GC/MS testing, and it’s great that you can take a look at their findings on their official website. This gives you peace of mind that you’re buying a high-quality product. Edens Garden also offers top-rated essential oil blends for sleep, such as chamomile and lavender.
Organic Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil by Healing Solutions
- Best Sweet Marjoram Oil
- Type: Organic essential oil
- Size: 10 ml
- Free shipping
- No time limit refunds
- Price: $19.99
PROS :
- Pleasant scent
- Calming effect
- USDA certified organic essential oil
CONS :
- Some complaints about a faulty dropper
Healing Solution is a reliable producer since it tests all its essential oils for their purity. This product is also USDA organic certified, meaning it’s a 100% pure essential oil without any additives.
The sweet marjoram essential oil might be the best essential oil for deep sleep for people suffering from mild to moderate insomnia. Based on study findings, it can considerably improve the sleep quality of night-shift workers. Plus, it has a very pleasant smell.
Vitruvi Organic Lavender Essential Oil
- Best Lavender Oil
- Type: Organic essential oil
- Size: 10 ml
- Free shipping for orders over $45
- 15-day return policy
- Price: $18.00
PROS :
- Organic essential oil
- Soothing effect
- Without synthetic fragrances or harmful substances
- Available Certificate of Analysis
CONS :
- Some customers say the scent is very faint
This is one of the best products you can use to improve sleep. Why? As we already mentioned, a lavender essential oil is often used for relieving mild sleep problems. To get the most of its soothing scent, we recommend you always look for 100% pure, organic products.
Vitruvi offers exactly that. This essential oil is made of French lavender petals using a steam distillation method. It doesn’t contain any synthetic fragrances, formaldehyde, parabens, or any other harmful substances. And you don’t have to take our word for it—you can simply take a look at the Certificate of Analysis, which is available on the official site.
How to Choose the Best Essential Oils for Sleep
– Buyer’s Guide –
Looking for a natural way to promote quality sleep and get some much-needed rest? While some prefer using natural sleep aids or over-the-counter medications, essential oils might be the best option for you. Here’s everything you need to know about them, from their health benefits to how to use them safely. Hopefully, our in-depth guide will help you pick the perfect essential oil, which will help you relax and sleep better.
The Power of Smell
You’ve probably noticed that scents are connected with our memory and emotions. Often, certain smells remind us of some people, situations, or experiences. For example, the scent of cinnamon may evoke images of happy family moments at Christmas time. It’s interesting how these memories can be so vivid, and they may even evoke strong emotions connected to past events.
As you may guess, science offers a perfectly simple explanation for this phenomenon. When a smell from our environment comes to our nose, the olfactory nerve transfers the information to the brain region that also controls our memory and emotions. That’s why we often associate some scents with certain memories and feelings. And aromatherapy, including essential oils for relaxation and sleep, draws on this powerful effect.
The Effects of Essential Oils on Sleep
It’s amazing how essential oils can help us relax and even send our body and mind into sleep mode. By making an essential oil part of your bedtime ritual, you can train your mind to associate a certain scent with your preferred sleep time. Besides this effect, an experimental study showed that certain essential oils can greatly improve the quality of our sleep.
For example, lavender is often recommended as the best essential oil for sleep problems. Also, according to some research, aromatherapy can be used as an effective treatment for mild to moderate sleep disturbances.
Another beneficial effect of essential oils is their ability to reduce stress and anxiety symptoms. When people are stressed out or feel anxious, they often can’t fall asleep easily and might even toss and turn all night. Therefore, the calming effect of essential oils for anxiety can indirectly help them get some quality shut-eye. Some of the best options for reducing stress and improving sleep are lavender, clary sage, and bergamot.
A poor night’s sleep is also a common problem for people suffering from depression. Based on certain studies, aromatherapy can relieve depressive symptoms and thus help people improve their slumber.
Side Effects and the Safe Use of Essential Oils
Since essential oils are natural products, many people believe they can’t be harmful. However, not all people react the same and some can experience a problematic side effect.
- An allergic reaction: Before using any new oil, first apply it to a small patch of skin to check if you’re allergic to it.
- Asthma attacks: People suffering from asthma have to be especially careful when using essential oils for sleep and stress reduction, because the oils may cause asthma attacks when inhaled.
- Skin irritation: You shouldn’t use essential oils in excess. Also, you should blend them with jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, or some other type of carrier oil before applying them to the skin. This is because essential oils are highly concentrated.
- Headaches: Even though aromatherapy may relieve migraine symptoms, some people may experience headaches if they inhale too much of them.
Other Safety Precautions
- Always consult with your physician if you plan to use essential oils orally. Also, don’t forget to check if the product is intended for oral use.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, don’t use aromatherapy without consulting your doctor.
- If you suffer from a sleep disorder and want to use some of the top-rated essential oils for sleep and anxiety, talk to your doctor first.
Ways to Use Essential Oils for Restful Sleep
Once you pick your favorite scent and find the oil best suited to your needs, you should also choose how you’re going to use it. Here are a few common methods, which can effectively help you make aromatherapy part of your bedtime routine and enjoy the pleasant scent of essential oils and their benefits. Most brands will also suggest how you can use their products and give you some ideas on how to blend different essential oils.
- Apply a few drops of essential oil to your wrists, chest, neck, or forehead.
- Rub a small amount of oil into your hands and take a deep breath.
- Put a few drops into an air diffuser.
- Mix some oil with water and add it to a spray bottle, then spritz it around your bedroom or onto your pillow.
- Mix some essential oil with Epsom salt and put it in a hot bath. According to experts, it’s best to take a bath about 90 minutes before going to sleep.
Which Essential Oils Should You Avoid?
When choosing the top-rated essential oil for sleep, you should be very careful when it comes to its effects. Not all ethereal oils will lull you off to sleep. Instead, some of them can have quite the opposite effect. So here are some oils you should steer clear of if you want to sleep restfully:
- Sandalwood oil has been linked to increasing pulse and blood pressure.
- Rosemary essential oil makes people feel energized. Based on an experimental study, the inhalation of this oil can increase heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. So it’s definitely not among the essential oils that are best for sleep.
- Petitgrain oil may lead to better work performance, as one study showed. This is because it can help people feel more alert and attentive. Therefore, it’s not the best pick for your bedtime routine.
Children
Before using essential oils to improve your child’s sleep, you need to talk to your pediatrician. Also, your kid should be at least six months old.
When picking an essential oil for kids, it’s vital to look for the ones that don’t contain any additives or synthetic ingredients. In addition, you have to carefully read through the list of ingredients of both the essential oil and its carrier to make sure there isn’t something your kid is allergic to. Chamomile and lavender are often recommended for babies, but these are also good choices for older kids.
If you want to apply essential oil to your baby’s skin, always dilute it with some carrier oil. This way, you’ll prevent skin irritation since a baby’s skin is very sensitive, and essential oils are quite intense.
Also, before using any oil, check if your kid is allergic to it. You can do that by applying a small amount of oil to your kid’s arm or leg and see if there’s an allergic reaction within 24 hours.
What You Need to Consider When Shopping for an Essential Oil
In a market flooded with products that are usually advertised as highly effective and 100% natural, it’s not easy to find the ones that truly meet high standards. Below, you can see which factors you need to take into account when looking for the essential oils used for sleep improvement.
Quality
When shopping for essential oils, it’s essential (pun intended) to get high-quality products. To reap all the health benefits of essential oils, they need to be 100% pure. This means that they shouldn’t contain any additives or synthetic ingredients since this can negatively affect their efficacy. Plus, they may cause skin irritation.
Keep in mind that perfume or fragrance oils are typically made of synthetic ingredients. So even if they’re the best smelling essential oils, they won’t help you have a good night’s rest.
We also looked for oils with the USDA organic seal because the way the plants are grown greatly affects the quality of an essential oil. Buying an organic essential oil guarantees you that it doesn’t contain any traces of herbicides and pesticides, which can have adverse effects on our health.
Proper Labeling
In addition to the common name of the plant source, the label of the best quality essential oils should also include its Latin name. This is important because different species can have varying health benefits, and of course, you should know what you’re buying. Plus, the country of origin of the plant source should be stated because it can affect the quality of the product.
We also checked if a product was GC/MS tested for purity. Most of the high-rated essential oil brands use gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) tests to identify different components of essential oils. Therefore, they show if there are any synthetic ingredients or impurities. Typically, you can read on a label if the product was GC/MS tested. Alternatively, you can find this information on the manufacturer’s official website.
Price
Even though we always strive to find high-quality products at the best price possible, when it comes to essential oils, a low price typically means poor quality. Considering the number of plants needed to produce a single bottle of essential oil, it’s no wonder they’re so pricey. For example, 10,000 pounds of rose petals are needed for only one pound of essential oil.
Also, the production of different types of oils doesn’t cost the same. So you should be wary of manufacturers that offer various oils all at the same or similar prices.
Finally, organic essential oils typically come with a higher price tag, but they’re also of better quality.
Wrapping Up
Many studies have shown that aromatherapy can be effective in alleviating mild insomnia, so why don’t you give it a try? We hope that our list of the top-rated essential oils for sleep and our in-depth buyer’s guide will help you doze off easily and get that much-needed rest! However, if you find that essential oils aren’t enough, you may want to consider looking into CBD oils for sleep (many of which contain essential oils).
Disclaimer: Even though you don’t need a prescription for these products, always consult with a licensed physician before taking any supplements.
FAQs
Which essential oil helps you sleep?
There are a number of essential oils that can help you fall asleep and have a more restful slumber. Lavender and valerian are some of the most well-known sleep remedies. Other great options are Roman chamomile, bergamot, clary sage, jasmine, and cedarwood. However, people react differently to essential oils, so everyone should find what’s most suitable for their needs.
Where do you put essential oils for sleep?
You can spray some essential oil mixed with water to your pillow. Alternatively, you can rub a small amount into your wrists, feet, or chest. However, don’t put it directly onto your skin since it can cause irritation. Instead, blend it with a carrier oil.
Do essential oils really help you sleep?
Yes, according to some research, aromatherapy oils can greatly improve sleep quality. Also, certain scents are known to reduce stress and alleviate anxiety and depression. Therefore, they can help you unwind after a long day and make you feel more relaxed so you can fall asleep more easily.
Is Eucalyptus good for sleep?
Eucalyptus essential oil is commonly used for alleviating the symptoms of the common cold, such as a stuffy nose, and treating bronchitis. Therefore, it’s recommended to people suffering from congestion since it can help them clear the airways and sleep better.
Is cedarwood good for sleep?
Yes, cedarwood essential oil can help you fall asleep more easily and have a great night’s rest. Since it has calming effects, it helps people relax and alleviates anxiety symptoms. So making this aromatherapy oil a part of your bedtime routine can be beneficial for your shut-eye.
Is peppermint essential oil good for sleep?
While peppermint offers a range of health benefits, sleep-inducing effects are not among them. In fact, this essential oil will make you more alert, and it can even boost your cognitive performance. It’s best to rather consider one of the products on the above list of the best essential oils for sleep.