“Sweet Dreams” Sleep Spray

Lavender was the very first essential oil that I used years ago.

Like many women, I was having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.

Laying down to bed, my mind would race for up to an hour thinking about all the things the had happened that day, all the things that still needed to be done, what was happening tomorrow, how to solve a problem at work, what was I going to do as room mom for my daughter’s next school party, and on and on and on.

And then after I finally fell asleep, I was waking up several times a night.  That was the worst part.  The littlest thing would make me wake up.

I just couldn’t get a good night’s sleep.

And then my sister told me about essential oils.  I was a skeptic at first.  To be honest, I didn’t believe her that they could work as well as she said they did.

But she gave me some samples anyway.

And I tried the lavender.  What could it hurt?  I wasn’t sleeping as it was.

And that’s when I became a believer!  The lavender worked!  I fell asleep within minutes of laying down, and I slept through the night!

I was hooked!

I’ve used essential oils pretty much every night since… in this sleep spray, in sleep diffuser blends (recipes here), and my amazing calming magnesium body butter (recipe here).

I still use lavender, but I’ve also branched out.  There are so many essential oils that help to fall asleep and stay asleep.  I’ve listed them below so that you can find the ones that work best for you.

Which essential oils are best for getting a great night’s sleep?

click here to get a free printable of this list of best essential oils for sleep + pillow sleep spray recipe + printable sleep spray label

bergamot – Has a floral citrus aroma that I love!  Like most citrus essential oils it’s an adaptogen, meaning that it can be both uplifting and calming, depending on what your body needs at the time.  And bergamot can also help calm and reduce anxious feelings.

cedarwood –  This rest-promoting essential oil has a warm, woody scent that helps shut off the brain.  It is both grounding and calming, promoting a great night’s sleep.

clary sage – A natural sedative that gives a sense of calm and peace to help you fall asleep.

coriander – High in a chemical constituent called linalool, this essential oil works great at calming stress, anxiety, and sleep issues.

frankincense – Has a warm, spicy aroma that promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, and satisfaction.  A great oil to use to help balance your mood.  When combined with other oils, frankincense often enhances the properties of the other essential oils.

geranium – This soothing oil has been known to help ease anxious feelings, balance emotions, and bring a sense of peace.

lavender – Probably the most popular calming essential oil, widely used to relax the mind and body, relieve tension, soothe anxious feelings, and improve sleep quality.

lemon – Bright, happy scent that eases anxious feelings and boosts mood.

marjoram – Has a slightly spicy, warm aroma that calms and helps you release emotional stress and trauma.

neroli – Spicy citrus scent that has a calming, peaceful effect.

orange – Sweet citrus scent and, like bergamot, orange is also an adaptogen that can be either energizing or calming, depending on what your body needs.

patchouli – Musky scent is grounding and balancing for emotions.

Roman chamomile – Sweet floral aroma is calming and soothing to the mind and body, making it one of the most often used essential oils for sleep.

sandalwood – Rich, sweet and woody aroma instills calm and relaxation.  It’s soothing scent lessens tension, promotes emotional well-being, and has a meditative-like effect.

tangerine – Sweet, fresh scent that lifts spirits and eases anxious feelings and lessens tense, stressful feelings.

vetiver – This grass has a rich, exotic aroma that is extremely grounding for emotions.  This oil is known for its sedative properties and is a great oil for deep sleep.  It knocks me right out.

valerian – I  do not care for scent of valerian.  It smells like stinky feet to me, but it does have great natural sedative properties.  It works well to blend a couple drops with other better-smelling essential oils.

ylang ylang – Strong floral scent with relaxing, sedative effects.

How to make a natural essential oil pillow spray for a great night’s sleep?

This website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link. 

step 1:  add 1/2 cup liquid to a 4 oz spray bottle (like this)

3 options for liquid in pillow spray (pick one):

1. vodka – this high proof alcohol has little to no scent, and it evaporates quickly, which is great for a pillow spray.  With this option, the fabric will dry the fastest.
2. witch hazel – has very little scent (especially when you use an unscented witch hazel like this) and it dries relatively quickly, although not as quickly as vodka.
3. water + Epsom salt – no scent and least expensive option, but it does take the longest to dry, so spray pillow and bedding very lightly.
   • water = distilled water OR filtered water that’s been boiled and cooled
   • add a pinch of Epsom salt to the water to help the essential oils mix a little better with the water

step 2:  add 10 drops essential oil

click here to get a free printable of this list of sleep blends + pillow sleep spray recipe + printable sleep spray label

here are some of my favorite sleep spray blends:

4 drops lavender essential oil + 3 drops orange essential oil + 3 drops cedarwood essential oil

– – – – – – –

5 drops lavender essential oil + 3 drops bergamot essential oil + 2 drops vetiver essential oil

– – – – – – –

6 drops lavender essential oil + 4 drops marjoram essential oil

– – – – – – –

5 drops patchouli essential oil + 5 drops sandalwood essential oil

– – – – – – –

4 drops geranium essential oil + 2 drops cedarwood essential oil + 2 drops sandalwood essential oil +2 drops lemon essential oil

– – – – – – –

4 drops geranium essential oil + 2 drops orange essential oil + 2 drops cedarwood essential oil + 2 drops vetiver essential oil

– – – – – – –

5 drops Roman chamomile essential oil + 3 drops bergamot essential oil + 2 drops frankincense essential oil

– – – – – – –

4 drops lavender essential oil + 3 drops sandalwood essential oil + 3 drops cedarwood essential oil

– – – – – – –

3 drops patchouli essential oil + 4 drops orange essential oil + 1 drop frankincense essential oil + 2 drops sandalwood essential oil

– – – – – – –

5 drops lavender essential oil + 5 drops cedarwood essential oil

– – – – – – –

3 drops lavender essential oil + 3 drops frankincense essential oil + 2 drops clary sage essential oil + 1 drop ylang ylang essential oil + 1 drop vetiver essential oil

– – – – – – –

4 drops lavender essential oil + 4 drops cedarwood essential oil + 2 drops vetiver essential oil

A blend of lavender and cedarwood is my absolute favorite!

I fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly all night every time I use that combination.  Just a whiff of it, and I start to get sleepy.

step 3:  put the sprayer top on and shake to mix well

put on a label

click here to get a free printable of my essential oil sleep spray label and recipe

Here’s the essential oil sleep spray recipe one more time:

This website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link. 

1.  add 1/2 cup liquid to a 4 oz spray bottle (like this)

3 options for liquid in pillow spray (pick one):

1. vodka – this high proof alcohol has little to no scent and it evaporates quickly, which is great for a pillow spray.  With this option, the fabric will dry the fastest.
2. witch hazel – has very little scent (especially when you use an unscented witch hazel like this) and it dries relatively quickly, although not as quickly as vodka
3. water + Epsom salt – no scent and least expensive option, but it does take the longest to dry, so spray pillow and bedding very lightly.
   • water = distilled water OR filtered water that’s been boiled and cooled
   • add a pinch of Epsom salt to the water to help the essential oils mix a little better with the water

2.  add 10 drops essential oil (see full recipe above for my favorite combinations of sleepy-time oils)

3.  put the sprayer top on and shake to mix well

4.  put on a label — click here to get a free printable of my essential oil sleep spray label and recipe

How to use essential oil sleep spray

• use as getting ready for bed
• shake well to mix before each use
• spray pillow, bedding, and/or stuffed animals lightly with the essential oil sleep spray  (try to not use too much or fabrics will get too wet and will run the chance of developing mold & mildew)
• fall asleep quickly, sleep soundly, and stay asleep all night

In addition to using this pillow spray for a great night’s sleep, I also love to use essential oils to help relax throughout the day and before bed.

Here are a few of the ways I use essential oils to relax:

1. calming magnesium body butter (find the recipe here)
2. homemade Relaxation Rub (find the recipe here) It’s great for reducing stress & anxiety, improving sleep, calming, balancing, & relaxing. Plus is easy to make and only 3 ingredients.
3. taking calming, detox baths (15 easy DIY relaxing bath salt recipes)
4. using roller bottle blends (find my favorite roller recipes for emotions here)
5. keeping inhalers in my purse so I can use whenever needed to combat stress and anxiety (it’s really easy to make essential oil inhalers – here’s how)
6. calming diffuser blends (find the recipes here)

here are a few other essential oil posts that I think you’ll like:

12 Best Essential Oil Diffuser Blends for Sleep

Must-Have Roller Bottle Recipes & Free Printable Labels

21 Roller Bottle Blends for Emotions {calm, relax, balance, uplift, comfort, energize, motivate, focus, and more}

How to Make DIY Diffuser Necklaces for Less Than $1

31 Genius Essential Oil Tips & Hacks

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Please note: Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care.  Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link.