Have you ever baked cookies or cakes at your place? If you have, then you’ll know the way that warm scent of chocolate, vanilla, and more can make you feel instantly hungry for sampling some of those sweet goodies. The thing is: the smell of something has a strong influence on the way you feel. The moment you smell something, signals are sent by your olfactory nerves to your amygdala and limbic system, which are the parts of your brain that are responsible for your mood or memory.
Aromatherapy is a kind of alternative medicine that depends on this power of scents and smell to heal the soul, body, and mind. Aroma-therapists use natural essential oils for a number of purposes, one of those being relaxing the mind and helping you sleep. On that note, here’s looking at six essential oils and how they help in sleep, snoring, and baby’s sleep.
Essential oils for sound sleep
Lavender oil: Lavender oil is known to lower the blood pressure, skin temperature, and heart rate. These three processes are essential for the natural transition of the body to sleep. This oil is known to alleviate insomnia, reduce anxiety, and induce relaxation by altering the brain waves.
Chamomile oil: Chamomile oil is known to relieve anxiety and insomnia. Several studies have also shown that this light floral-scented oil has the power to reduce nightmares. Though there are several varieties of chamomile oil available in the market, the Roman Chamomile oil is known to be the most effective.
Essential oils for sleep apnea and snoring
Peppermint oil: Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder where the breathing suddenly starts and stops in sleep. Peppermint essential oil has proven to be highly effective in such cases. You can put a drop of the oil below your nose or steam inhale it before going to sleep.
Olive oil: Olive oil is an effective cure for snoring and sleep apnea. It helps in relaxing the muscles, calming the nerves, and improving respiratory functions. You can choose to diffuse the oil or apply it topically to help calm your nerves and relax your muscles to induce sound sleep.
Essential oils that help babies sleep
Mandarin oil: The calming effect that mandarin oil has on the babies is a lot similar to that of lavender oil. However, mandarin is preferable over lavender for babies since its smell is not strong enough to irritate them. Besides, it is non-phototoxic, which means diluting it and applying it to their skin will not lead to infections.
Eucalyptus oil: Eucalyptus oil not just soothes the nerves but also unclogs the respiratory system in babies. If your baby is being unable to sleep during the winter months due congestion and cold, all you have to do is put a few drops of this oil on their pillow.
So, now that you know the multiple ways through which essential oils can come to your aid in making you and your baby sleep better, start researching on the best variants you can avail from the market.