Given all the concerns about the safety of sleeping pills, it’s no surprise that some folks prefer a natural approach. There are plenty of suggestions: get enough exercise; take a hot bath an hour before bedtime; make sure the room is a comfortable temperature (not too warm); and keep the same bedtime every day.
But although these are the pillars of “sleep hygiene,” they don’t work all the time for everyone. Our reader has found something that helps her:
Lavender-Scented Lotion:
Q. After years of poor sleep, I now rub lavender-scented lotion and a drop of lavender essential oil on my forearms before bed. I finally get a good night’s sleep without medications.
A. Lavender oil derived from the Mediterranean plants Lavandula angustifolia or Lavandula stoechas has had a reputation as a sedative or calming treatment ever since medieval times (Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, volume 2013, article ID 681304). A review of research showed an improvement in sleep quality among people exposed to the odor of lavender oil compared to a placebo aroma.
Lavender Aroma Eased Anxiety:
A study of 60 patients in a coronary ICU also found that those offered lavender oil to inhale slept better and were less anxious than those on usual care (Nursing in Critical Care, online July 27, 2015). In another study, college students were randomly assigned to a ‘sleep hygiene’ regimen plus a placebo patch or a patch with lavender essential oil. the combination improved sleep quality measurably (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, July, 2015).
Another reader has found a solution similar to yours:
“I put lavender essential oil in baking soda and add that to my bath water along with Epsom salts. I rub lavender oil on an acupuncture point near my knee at night, and the last several nights I have slept like a baby. This is most welcome because sleep has always been a struggle for me.”
The Epsom salts contain magnesium, another natural sleep promoter (Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, Dec., 2012).
We hope someone else will try lavender-scented lotion, perhaps right after a hot bath, and let us know if it works to ward off insomnia. By the way, we put lavender in our People’s Pharmacy Bed Soap. The hope was that it would help ease people into sleep at the same time it prevents leg cramps. Read bout Leg Soap here and check out the reviews from people who tried it.
