Our post on deep sleep blends is one of our most popular, which isn’t a surprise because sleep is tough for everyone, for so many reasons!
Your sleep might be impacted by:
- Pre-menopause or menopause
- Insomnia
- Stress
- Anxiety or depression
- Interruptions (hello, kids, babies, and pets!)
- Sickness/not feeling well
- Aches and pains
So, we thought we’d turn to some of our favorite oily experts for their favorite sleep diffuser blends for their own families and homes. This post is all about creating a sleep sanctuary just for you!
Plus, you can download our essential oils sleep chart PDF!
To jump straight to the section you need, just click here:
- Wynne’s favorite “back to sleep” pregnancy roller
- Help for menopause insomnia (and how our sense of smell is wired to our limbic system)
- Meg’s favorite nightly check-in (+ a really great oil blend for bedtime)
- Diffuser sleep blends for kids (+ a dilution guide)
- Alex’s ideal sleep blend for immunity
- A great family-friendly sleep blend without lavender
- Our fave oils for anxiety and stress support (and sleep, of course)
- A pain relief diffuser recipe so that you can sleep better tonight
We also have an amazing episode on the Whimsy + Wellness Podcast all about using essential oils for sleep!
Diffuser Sleep Blends for Pregnancy Support
Pregnancy and sleep are often a tough combination. You need more sleep, but for lots of different reasons (heartburn, baby kicking, discomfort, getting up to pee 948462874 times a night…), sleep can actually be really difficult.
Essential oils are a pregnancy lifesaver when it comes to sleep. With four kids, Wynne Elder definitely knows a thing or two about trouble sleeping! She relied heavily on essential oils to help her during pregnancy with her fourth little one.
Wynne writes, “One of my favorite blends while pregnant has been the ‘back to sleep’ roller. I put 10 drops of lavender, 10 drops of cedarwood, and 10 drops of Valor with carrier oil and roll it on my big toes, and all over my feet. Pregnancy sleep isn’t always the best, so having oils and pretty rollers by my bedside to support me has been such a gift!”
Here’s a great night time sleep support blend:
Pregnant Mama Night Time Sleep Support
- 5-7 drops lavender
- 5-7 drops cedarwood
- 5-7 drops Valor (see our note below)
Add your oils to a 10ml roller bottle and top with fractionated coconut oil or another carrier of your choosing, or add oils to a diffuser to diffuse on your nightstand all night long!
Shop recommendation: Creating roller blends to have on hand helps use your oils more consistently, which means they’ll work better. Keep a roller bottle like this *real* cute Funfetti Glitter Roller Bottle on your nightstand so you’re ready to go every night!
(Note: Valor is a blend from Young Living. Don’t have it? No problem! You can use doTerra’s Balance instead, or use 5 drops of frankincense, 2 drops of fir or spruce, 2 drops of blue tansy, and 1 drop of geranium, or whatever combination of those oils you like and have on hand!)
Diffuser Sleep Blends for Menopause Insomnia
Hormonal changes before and after menopause are definitely not talked about enough, but that doesn’t mean they don’t impact 100% of women! Insomnia is a huge complaint for so many women going through menopause, and essential oils can be wildly helpful.
Alex Hinders loves using oils for all kinds of things, but especially for sleep support. She says:
“Our sense of smell is directly wired to our limbic system, also known as the emotional center of the brain- smell is our only sense that moves directly to the limbic system. When we smell essential oils, they work with our limbic system, and can help us relax and get quality, restful sleep.”
One of the best oils for sleep support for women during menopause is clary sage. Clary sage has high levels of phytoestrogens, which are similar to human estrogens.
Your estrogen levels drop dramatically leading up to and after menopause, and clary sage can help with everything from insomnia to low libido and dryness.
Ylang ylang is also a powerful oil for sleep and all kinds of women’s issues, including menopause, and basil may also act as a phytoestrogen.
Here’s one of our favorite deep sleep essential oil diffuser recipes:
Sleep Like a Baby in Your 50’s Blend
- 3-4 drops clary sage
- 3-4 drops lavender
- 3-4 drops ylang ylang
- 3-4 drops geranium
- 3-4 drops basil
Add oils to a 10ml roller bottle, and top with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil. Roll on the bottom of your feet before bed, or throughout the day on your abdomen and the inside of your thighs.
To make a diffuser blend for sleep support during menopause, add your oils to a 500ml diffuser, fill with water according to the manufacturer’s directions, and start diffusing a few hours before you’re ready for bed!
Shop recommendation: Blends like this have a lot of ingredients. Make your own diffuser blend so it’s ready to go when you need it by quadrupling (or more) the diffuser recipe above and keeping it in a dropper bottle like the Frosted Bamboo Rainbow Bottle. Keep it by your diffuser and shake gently before using!
A Nightly Check In for Sleep Support
Our very own Meg, cohost of The Whimsy Podcast, is a huge believer in the power of essential oils for healthy sleep function.
As she explains, “Essential oils can support healthy function of the pineal gland, which releases melatonin, the body’s natural sleepy hormone.”
Meg also recommends looking for essential oils that are high in sesquiterpenes, as they’ve been “proven to help with sleep as they can cross the blood-brain barrier, help quiet the central nervous system, relieve stress, and promote relaxation.”
Valerian, vetiver, and cedarwood all contain sesquiterpenes; vetiver actually contains multiple.
Meg advises a self-check in before bed and asking yourself some basic questions about why you can’t sleep. “Doing that check in,” she says, “might help you choose which oil your body needs!”
Meg suggests trying different oils to find something that works for you, but here’s a recipe that contains oils high in sesquiterpenes, and also just a really good sleep blend:
The Science of Sleep Blend
- 5 drops bergamot
- 5 drops vetiver
- 5 drops chamomile
Add oils to a 10ml roller bottle, and top with a carrier of your choice (fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, etc.). Roll on the bottom of your feet, the inside of your wrists, or the base of your spine.
You can also diffuse this recipe by adding 10 drops of each oil to a 500ml diffuser.
Shop recommendation: Essential oils aren’t the only natural sleep aid. Lots of people also rely on crystals to help calm the mind and restore peace (and get a great night’s sleep!). This beautiful roller bottle helps you combine crystals + oils so that you get the maximum benefits!
Diffuser Sleep Blends for Children
Children often need just as much (or more) support for sleep than adults. And of course, we know that when littles aren’t sleeping, neither are their parents!
Here’s a handy dilution guide for kids:
Dilution Guide for Kids’ Roller Bottles
| Roller Bottle Size | Child Age | Number of Drops |
| 5ml | 2-5 years | 1-3 drops |
| 5-12 years | 3-5 drops | |
| 10ml | 2-5 years | 2-5 drops |
| 5-12 years | 5-10 drops |
Essential oils can help kids manage emotions, focus their thoughts, and sleep longer and better with fewer interruptions at night. Some of the best oils for them are the gentlest, like chamomile and lavender.
Here’s one of our favorite blends for littles:
Sleep, Baby, Sleep
Depending on the size of your diffuser and your dilution (and personal preference), you can use:
- 1-3 drops chamomile
- 1-3 drops lavender
- 1 drop orange
- 1 drop vetiver (optional)
Diffuse in your child’s room and/or roll onto their feet for a lovely night’s sleep (for everyone!).
Shop recommendation: We know from experience that getting kids involved with oils a) helps them get excited about using them and b) helps them feel empowered about their own health, even at an early age! These little stickers are super fun and help kids know exactly how to use their roller bottles.
Sleep Blends for Immunity
Alex Hinders is an oil user and teacher. As she explains, “Getting enough sleep contributes to a well functioning immune system, while not getting enough sleep can contribute to illness and a weakened immune system.”
If you’re struggling with sleep right now, this sounds like bad news, but the good news is that (as Alex explains) essential oils “work on a cellular level and allow us to relax. Our sense of smell is directly wired to our limbic system, also known as the emotional center of the brain- smell is our only sense that moves directly to the limbic system.”
Even better news is that when it comes to immunity support and sleep, essential oils are a totally natural way to help you get well and stay well, in part because they are adaptogenic.
According to Alex, this means they can adapt and change based on your needs.
This immunity blend will help you sleep and boost your immune system! #winning
Immunity Blend for Sleep
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops bergamot
- 5 drops frankincense
- 5 drops vetiver
Add these oils to a roller bottle and top with a carrier oil, or add them to a 500ml diffuser. Roll on or diffuse at night (or do both!).
Shop recommendation: The best oils are the ones you use all the time. A set like this Oh Happy Day Roller Roller Set means you can whip up several Immunity Blend rollers and keep them throughout the house for every family member!
Sleep Support Blend for the Whole Family (without Lavender)
Brittney is a mom of four. Her kids are ages 17 to 3, and she fell in love with oils several years ago when they helped her family sleep better than ever, and helped them stay well!
Here are Brittney’s tips for getting them most out of oils for sleep:
“Keeping our oils out where we can see them, and using the prettiest rollers from Whimsy & Wellness helps us use them consistently. I love the metallics! You’ll see the biggest breakthroughs using essential oils when you use them consistently! The best sleep comes when essential oils are part of the routine! We never miss this step.”
Dreamy Does It Night Time Blend
- 10 drops Valor (see note below)
- 10 drops cedarwood
- 5 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce
- 5 drops orange
Add oils to a 10ml roller bottle. Top with a carrier oil of choice (our fave is fractionated coconut oil). Or, add oils to your 500ml diffuser!
Shop recommendation: Don’t have a diffuser? That’s ok! You can also use this recipe to whip up a linen spray with a glass spray bottle like this Sunset Gradient Bottle. Double the recipe and then add your oils and top with distilled water, witch hazel, or vodka and shake gently to combine.
(Note: Valor is a blend from Young Living. Don’t have it? No problem! You can use doTerra’s Balance instead, or use 5 drops of frankincense, 2 drops of fir or spruce, 2 drops of blue tansy, and 1 drop of geranium, or whatever combination of those oils you like and have on hand!)
Sleep Blends for Anxiety and Stress Support
Not surprisingly, many of the same oils that are great for anxiety and stress are also great for sleep! Turns out, the two are deeply connected. Here are some of the best oils for anxiety:
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Ylang Ylang
- Chamomile
- Neroli
- Cedarwood
- Valerian
- Vetiver
- Clary Sage
We’ve written a whole post about using oils for anxiety and stress (it even includes a chart to help you match your type of anxiety to the right oil), but in the meantime, here’s a great blend for sleep + anxiety:
Good Night Blend
- 8 drops lavender
- 6 drops bergamot
- 2 drops ylang ylang
Add to 10ml roller bottle and top with carrier oil, or add to diffuser! You can use this blend throughout the day or night!
(Note: Want more help with anxiety? Here’s our post on using crystals + essential oils for anxiety and stress!)
Shop recommendation: We have a lot more resources, education, and recipes available in Beyond Lavender, our very own guide for all things essential oils and crystals! You can download a digital copy or have a gorgeously bound print copy delivered to your doorstep!
Sleep Blends for Aches and Pains
We have a super comprehensive guide to using essential oils and crystals for aches and pains, but the truth is that just like immunity, anxiety and stress, and everything else (!), pain and sleep go hand in hand.
Better sleep, better coping with pain. More pain, less sleep. It’s a vicious cycle, but luckily we have oils!
The best oils for aches and pains are:
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Clary sage
- Eucalyptus
- Helichrysum
- Frankincense
- Ginger
- Black Pepper Oil
- Marjoram
- Chamomile
- Bergamot
- Clove
Pain Relief So I Can Sleep Like a Ba…. Blend
- 10 drops frankincense
- 10 drops chamomile
- 5 drops peppermint (for a roller)
or
- 5 drops rosemary (for a diffuser)
Add your oils to a roller blend and top with a carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, etc.), or add to a diffuser and diffuse before bed.
Shop recommendation: A gorgeous roller bottle (like *cough* something from this set) means you’re way more likely to use your oils (ask us how we know), which of course means you’re way more likely to feel better.
