Take your sweet dreams to the next level with this soothing and easy-to-make lavender sleep spray
Photography: Alana Landsberry
We spend a significant portion of our lives asleep, so there’s no denying how important it is to ensure you achieve a quality rest. To help you improve your sweet dreams, we share how to create your very own DIY lavender sleep spray.
Several different factors can affect your quality of sleep, from the suitability of your mattress to the quality of your pillow, and the bed linen you choose. But, did you know that scent can also impact your sleep? In addition to ambient light and sound, scent can play a major role in lulling you to sleep, while also improving the quality of your rest.
For obvious reasons, burning a beautifully scented candle throughout the night isn’t the answer – but spritzing your pillows and bedlinen with a lavender sleep spray could be the solution to those restless nights. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to make your very own sleep spray – all you need is a mix of essential oils.
“Essential oils slow down activity in the nervous system with their proven sedative action, reduce stress levels and promote relaxation,” explains Pat-Princi Jones, In Essence Aromatherapy Expert and Author of A Scented Life. “A few drops of lavender on your pillow, indulging in a scented bath or applying soothing oils to the body before going to bed help improve sleep quality.”
Photography: David Wheeler
How to make a DIY sleep spray
You will need:
- 100ml spray bottle
- Water
- 3 drops lavender essential oil
- 3 drops chamomile essential oil
- 3 drops of mandarin essential oil
Method:
- Add the drops to the spray bottle
- Top with cool water
- Shake vigorously before each use
- Spray away from the eye area
Image via Getty
Why lavender sleep spray?
“Lavender is effective in improving symptoms including restlessness, disturbed sleep, and somatic complaints as well as having a beneficial influence on general well-being and quality of life, and there is scientific research to back this up,” explains Dr Carmel Harrington from Sleep For Health.
“From its positive psychological effects, it is thought to be therapeutically effective due to physiological effects. Inhaled lavender can cause a calming effect and reduce feelings of stress,” explains Dr Harrington.
How to achieve a good night’s sleep
Many different factors can impact your quality of sleep. The best way to ensure you achieve a good night’s sleep is to be more mindful of these factors.
Not only does ensuring you have the most suitable mattress and pillow have a major impact on your rest, but so does your home environment and overall lifestyle.
“Practising a relaxation or meditation exercise, or using some aromatherapy is a great way to prepare the body and mind for sleep and will often assist with initiating and maintaining sleep,” says Dr Harrington. “Restorative yoga can also work well to calm the mind and put us in a good place for sleeping well.”
What affects sleep quality?
- Alcohol consumption: Alcohol is a sleep stealer, for the best sleep, refrain
- Exercise: Exercise helps us sleep, but refrain from exercising after about 7 pm, as this effectively delays our body clock.
- Diet: Eating too close to bedtime can affect sleep, as digestion keeps us from entering deep sleep
- Routine: A solid daily routine improves sleep. The time we wake in the morning can determine the time we go to sleep that night.
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