Use Lavender to Help You Sleep

Having problems with insomnia, I've tried various things over the years.

One technique I found last spring was to use the scent of Lavender before bedtime.

Although this won't actually put me to sleep, the pleasant smell should helps me relax and allow me to nod off to slumber land.

Once asleep, though, you should also sleep better than you would without smelling it, according to a study by psychologists from Wesleyan University. They had subjects smell Lavender before bed, and other subjects who smelled distilled water. During the test, they also switched groups around. Those who smelled the Lavender on a certain night had a 20 per cent better sleep than those who only smelled the water.

Lavender has been used as a medicine, and remedy for hundreds of years, once being called by 17th century London Apothecary John Parkinson as "especially good for all griefs and pains of the head and brain."

Small spray bottle

Lavender Essential Oil

Water (you can use distilled, filtered or tap water depending on what you have available.)

Add some water to the bottle.

Add your Lavender Oil. In this case I used 40 drops.

Cap your bottle, give it a shake to mix the oil in the water.

It's good to go.

Spray this above your pillow just before going to bed. The scent of Lavender will help you relax and fall asleep.

Don't forget to label your bottle.

I keep my bottle on my bedside table, and on those nights I think I might have problems sleeping, I give a quick spray over the pillow.