In France, 1 in 5 people suffer from occasional insomnia. In some cases, these insomnia can also be chronic and directly impact our well-being and our health in general. Many factors can cause insomnia such as noise, light, a meal too rich, or a poor lifestyle for example, but the first factor of insomnia is stress and anxiety. The essential oils of Roman Chamomile, Lavender, Bergamot or Petit Grain Bigarade, alone or in synergy, are widely used and are particularly effective to act against various sleep disorders: difficulties in falling asleep, night wakings or early awakenings.
Related articles [View] - Nervous and psychic disorders - Concentration and essential oils - Time difference and essential oils - Addiction to tobacco and essential oils - Fatigue and essential oils - Stress and essential oilsInsomnia is characterized by a variety of sleep disorders that can occur together or independently of each other:
Nearly 20% of the French population suffers fromacute insomnia, which is when it lasts from a few nights to a few weeks. The stress or anxiety are the primary cause of occasional insomnia. Other causes include the presence of a disturbing element (light, noise, heat), the use of screens in the bedroom, eating too much, taking stimulants or a bad rhythm of life for example. Most of these factors can easily be avoided. In 6 to 9% of cases, insomnia is said to be chronic: it occurs at least 3 times a week, for more than a month. The causes of these insomnia can be chronic stress, illness, discontinuation of a treatment, etc.
Lack of sleep can affect ourwell-beingand ourintellectual functions, and cause irritability, concentration, memory or mood disorders. In more serious cases, there may be a risk of developing depression, cardiovascular disease or decreased immunity. Sleep allows the body to restore itself, since certain metabolic functions are activated at that time (tissue repair, secretion of hormones, establishment of neuronal connections, etc.). Without this, the body can be seriously impacted. Finally, certain diseases can be risk factors for insomnia, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, osteoarthritis or obesity.
Everyone can be prone to insomnia and unfortunately at any age, although in infants sleep is not yet fully mature. Women are more affected than men, especially during pregnancy, due to comorbidities such as gastroesophageal reflux, increased frequency of urination or hormonal imbalances that could affect sleep quality. Finally, the risk of being affected by insomnia increases with age.
When suffering from insomnia, the first reflex is to identify the cause of it. If some causes can be easily eliminated (noise, light, etc.), for others this will require initial treatment, especially when insomnia is caused by an illness or a bad lifestyle habit. In order to facilitate falling asleep, a bedtime ritual can be put in place. This is where essential oils come into play. Some aromatic molecules found in essential oils cause calming, relaxing, sedative and spasmolytic effects. This is particularly true of certain alcohols and monoterpene esters. Due to their properties, these molecules act both at the nervous level, since they promote a return to calm, but also at the muscular level, where they help relax the muscles.
Essential oils have finally and above all the interest of not causing any side effect unlike the usual treatments generally prescribed against insomnia. Indeed, hypnotics (sleeping pills), benzodiazepines, or antihistamines for example can sometimes cause addiction, dependence, drowsiness during the day, disturbances of Warning, or even for some the opposite effect sought that is to say an irritation or aggressiveness.
The reputation of Roman Chamomile is well established in the field of phytotherapy. Numerous studies have shown that infusions made from Chamomile flowers help reduce stress and anxiety, which is why it is found in all sorts of herbal teas for the evening. The Roman Chamomile essential oil is not to be outdone since it is derived from its flowering tops, and thus concentrates all the aromatic molecules responsible for its properties. We find for more than half of its concentration a single family of molecules: the esters, with unique molecules such as isobutyl angelate, 2-methylbutyl angelate, methylallyl angelate or even isoamyl angelate. This composition gives Roman Chamomile essential oil powerful calming and relaxing properties, allowing it to calm both stress but also to promote sleep and sleep quality.
Roman Chamomile essential oil is also antispasmodic and analgesic. It is widely used in pain of nervous origin, teething, digestion problems or colic, all of which can prevent you from finding sleep quickly. Its versatility therefore makes it an essential oil of choice to favor sleep. It is also very well tolerated by everyone, widely used in children, and presents very few risks.
Its only defect, apart from its price which proves that it is a rare and precious essential oil, could be its smell. It can happen that the smell of Roman Chamomile does not please. In this case, another essential oil or a use in synergy will be preferred to spend good nights.
Roman Chamomile essential oil can be very effective on its own to act against insomnia, but it can be interesting to associate it with other essential oils in synergy. This allows you to create a more complete and versatile blend, with a different fragrance, combining many properties and many active molecules within the same ready-to-use bottle.
To find sleep more easily, mix :
Close (click!), homogenize and label your bottle. Your synergy is ready !
Several choices are available depending on preference:
YES. Adults, children over 6 years old.
NOT. Pregnant and nursing women, children under 6 years old.
These precautions apply under the conditions of application and dosage cited above. If in doubt, ask your question on our forum and consult your doctor.
Roman Chamomile essential oil can be used alone against insomnia in pregnant women and babies, but it can also be interesting to associate it with other essential oils. The following synergy has been adapted to pregnant women and babies so that they can also enjoy the benefits of several essential oils in synergy. A vegetable oil was added to limit any risk of irritation for the sensitive skins.
To sleep peacefully, take your empty bottle and add :
Cap (click!), homogenize and then label your bottle. Your synergy is ready !
Dermally, apply 3-4 drops of the mixture in a massage along the spine, on the solar plexus or the soles of the feet before bedtime. Pregnant women can also apply it on the inside of the wrists, to breathe. In addition, it is possible to put 1 drop of Roman Chamomile on the pillow.
Note: our experts modified this synergy on 08/05/2022.YES. Adults, teenagers, babies + 3 months, pregnant women + 3 months and nursing women.
NOT. Pregnant women - 3 months, babies - 3 months.
Generally speaking, remember that essential oils are FORBIDDEN to babies under 3 months old and in the first 3 months of pregnancy. More details: essential oils for babies and theessential oils for pregnant and nursing women
These precautions apply under the conditions of application and dosage cited above. If in doubt, ask your question on our forum and consult your doctor.
The 3 main ways of using essential oils are the oral route, the cutaneous route and the aerial route (or olfaction). All these ways of use are admitted to act against insomnia however the air route is generally preferred. Next comes the cutaneous route and, as a last resort, the oral route.
The olfaction presents all its interest in the treatment of insomnia by essential oils, because it allows to bring directly the aromatic molecules to the limbic system, involved among other things in behavior, emotions and memory. Indeed, the detection of the aromatic molecules is carried out at the level of the olfactory epithelium, located at the higher level of the nasal fossae. It is composed of olfactory neurons which will detect the aromatic molecules of the essential oil via their membrane receptors. The information is then routed through the olfactory neurons, and processed by different organs of the limbic system: the amygdala, involved in fear and anxiety, the hippocampus, which associates an odor with a memory, and the thamalus, which analyzes the smell. The airborne route thus seems to be the most appropriate route of use to profit from the psycho-emotional effects of essential oils. The smells of essential oils can thus influence our emotional states, our behavior, or bring up a memory, whether pleasant or not. For this reason, it therefore appears necessary to select an essential oil for its effectiveness on the one hand, but also according to one's own affinities with its scent and what it provokes in us. Essential oils with top and heart notes are the most used in general, as they are quickly perceived and very volatile: these are mainly essential oils from citrus fruits, herbs or flowers.
Thecutaneous route is the second most appropriate route of use to benefit from essential oils against insomnia. It has a double function: on the one hand, it allows the penetration of aromatic molecules into the blood circulation in a more or less rapid manner, and on the other hand, to benefit from essential oils in olfaction when they are often applied to the solar plexus or the wrists for example. Finally, if we were to mention a third advantage of the cutaneous route, we could talk about the benefits that massages can provide, promoting relaxation, in synergy with the action of essential oils.
The oral route is sometimes recommended. It allows us to benefit in part from the effects of aromatic molecules in olfaction thanks to the retronasal route, when the aromas pass behind the palate to reach the olfactory epithelium. However, this pathway seems too indirect in the context of the use of essential oils on the psycho-emotional sphere.
The True Lavender essential oil, Fine or Officinal, is probably the best known, and most used for its calming, sedative and relaxing properties. It owes its properties to the 2 main molecules it contains: linalyl acetate, an ester, and linalol, a monoterpenol. Between them, they account for about 60% of its composition. Lavender's reputation certainly makes it the most studied essential oil. Many scientific publications are therefore available proving its effectiveness, particularly on the nervous system and on insomnia thanks to clinical studies.
Other studies have shown how the aromatic molecules of Lavender act. Linalool modulates the action of certain neurotransmitters: glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, and serotonin, which is involved in the feeling of happiness. More precisely, it would seem that linalool acts as an antagonist of glutamate, and would have an inhibitory action on glutamate receptors of the AMPA, NMDA, and kainate types. On serotonin, it would be an inhibitor of the reuptake system. In sum, glutamate would no longer be able to act, and serotonin would be favored. Linalool and linalyl acetate would also have an action on acetylcholine, again a neurotransmitter, which this time is involved in skeletal muscle contraction. This therefore explains the spasmolytic and muscle relaxant effect of the essential oil, allowing the management of muscle tension. It is furthermore recognized that linalyl acetate potentiates the effect of linalool.
Finally, True Lavender essential oil does not present any risk of use, subject to proper use of course, except that it can be allergenic. It can therefore be used by everyone, even the most sensitive users such as pregnant women over 3 months and babies over 3 months. For all these reasons, it is very effective and especially very appreciated to support the sleep, provided of course to appreciate its smell.
For adults and children ages 3 and up.
For children and babies from 3 months of age.
The smell of orange blossom can bring back many memories for some people. As for the Little Bigarade Seed essential oil, it is not derived from the flowers of the Bigarade tree, but from the leaves. We still find this characteristic and enveloping smell. Surprisingly, the main molecules found in Petit Grain Bigarade are the same as those of True Lavender: about 50% ester, linalyl acetate, and around 20% monoterpenol, the famous linalol.
The properties of the two essential oils are therefore very similar, given the mode of action of these molecules, developed above. The essential oil of Petit Grain Bigarade is thus unsurprisingly recognized for its calming and sedative properties of the nervous system, antalgic and antispasmodic. So many beneficial virtues to promote relaxation and therefore sleep.
If its odour is very different from Lavender True, it is thanks to the many other molecules present in lower concentration. Indeed, we must not forget that an essential oil contains a good hundred aromatic molecules which, if they are not all recognized for their therapeutic properties, still participate in the effectiveness and especially in the organoleptic quality of the essential oil. Thus, according to preferences, the essential oil of Petit Grain Bigarade can be a good alternative for people who do not appreciate the scents of Chamomile or Lavender. It is finally an essential oil of great safety that can be used from the age of 3 months and in pregnant women.
For adults and children ages 3 and up.
For children and babies from 3 months of age.
Bergamot essential oil is part of the large family of citrus essences. Among the commonalities with other essences are a monoterpene, limonene, as the main molecule, and traces of coumarins, bergaptene. Where Bergamot comes out on top is in the other molecules present in high concentrations: linalyl acetate, an ester, and linalol, a monoterpenol. These two molecules are also found in Petit Grain Bigarade and True Lavender essential oils, and are partly responsible for the sedative and myorelaxant properties of Bergamot. The latter, however, has been the subject of much scientific research into its sleep properties, which has demonstrated even more interesting properties.
Bergapten, although present in lower concentrations (< 1%) would have the ability to influence melatonin production. This molecule is known as the sleep hormone. It is indeed naturally secreted by the pineal gland after nightfall, and participates in the control of circadian rhythms (alternating between wakefulness and sleep). A study has shown that bergapten inhibits the degradation of melatonin, which would increase the duration of its presence, and thus play a role in inducing sleep. Bergamot would also have the effect of increasing the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that inhibits many brain functions, notably involved in fear or anxiety, thus suggesting a anxiolytic effect of Bergamot.
Finally, the fresh and fruity scent of bergamot and often very appreciated, and better accepted than other more pronounced scents. Other citrus essential oils with sedative properties can also be considered for insomnia, and according to individual preferences, such as Green, Yellow or Red Mandarin, Lemon, Sweet or Blood Orange, etc. However, it should not be forgotten that citrus essences are photosensitizing. There is no risk in using them at night, but beware when using them for a short nap during the day: you should not expose yourself within 8 to 12 hours after application.
For adults and children ages 3 and up.
For children and babies from 3 months of age.
In diffusion, diffuse in the bedroom, 10 minutes before bedtime.
Although its scent is not universally appreciated, Shell Marjoram essential oil is very often used for sleep difficulties and other sleep disorders. Its monoterpene alcohols and carbons (terpinen-4-ol, sabinene in particular) make it a very relaxing essential oil, whether on the nervous or muscular level. The Marjoram with Shells has indeed an action inhibiting neurotransmitters responsible for the excitation. It also acts on the calcium channels and disturbs muscle contractions, which allows a general soothing. It is also euphoric, so it is indicated in cases of overwork or anxiety that can lead to insomnia.
Although it is part of the Origanum genus, it does not have the contraindications generally associated with other Origans. It is on the contrary very flexible of use, and authorized as of the age of 3 months and for the pregnant and nursing women. It is however necessary to take care to respect the advices of use to take no risk, as for all the essential oils.
For adults and children ages 3 and up.
For children and babies from 3 months of age.
Much more renowned for its draining and liver regenerating properties, Greenland Ledon essential oil is also calming and sedative of the nervous system. In addition, it is antispasmodic and muscle relaxant thanks to the presence of sabinene, β-selinene and β-bisabolene. It thus allows to put the body at rest. It is particularly interesting for people with insomnia related to a weak liver, who tend to suffer from night wakings.
It is however quite rare and therefore quite expensive, and its use must be controlled. It is indeed preferable to limit its use to the cutaneous route, and only for adults and adolescents.
For adults and adolescents. By skin, dilute 1 drop in 4 drops of vegetable oil, applying to the solar plexus, inner wrists and/or soles of the feet.
The Melissa essential oil is very interesting against insomnia for its richness in citrals, since it contains between 35 and 74%. These molecules, which actually correspond to neral and geranial, also have the ability to act on neurostransmitters, in this case serotonin involved in anxiety. Lemon balm essential oil is also known to be cardiac sedative and myorelaxant by action on calcium channels. Lemon balm could therefore be of interest to people who are particularly tense, both in terms of muscles and heart. Its lemon scent is generally very appreciated.
Among its defects, one retains its price since the essential oil of Melissa is very expensive, but also its risks of use. Citrals, in high concentration, present a dermocaustic risk for the skin. This essential oil should therefore only be used by adults and adolescents, and diluted.
In the essential oils rich in citrals that can have an effect on insomnia, we can also mention Lemongrass, Tea Tree Lemon or even the Exotic or Odorous Verbena.
For adults and adolescents. By skin, dilute 1 drop in 9 drops of vegetable oil, applying to the solar plexus, inner wrists and/or soles of feet.
To put all the chances on your side and spend a complete and regenerating night, some advice on lifestyle and natural techniques should be considered:
Many plants can be used in phytotherapy for their calming and relaxing properties. They can be available and used in infusions, tablets, capsules, mother tinctures, etc. The best known is certainly Valerian, but there are also Passionflower, Hawthorn, Eschscholtzia, Hops, Melissa, Vervain, Lime, etc. As with essential oils, the effectiveness of these herbs may differ depending on the sensitivity and preferences of each individual.
Some bud macerates have an action on the nervous system. If their mechanism of action is not yet scientifically proven, analyses and especially feedback from experience have shown that they can be highly effective. The linden buds merchant seems to be the most effective to act against insomnia. Sedative and slightly hypnotic, it is the first line of work on sleep, whether it is for falling asleep, duration or quality of sleep. The Fig Tree Macerate is also widely used as a neurotransmitter regulator. It acts on both the nervous and digestive levels, if insomnia is related to this type of problem. The two bud macerates can be used alone or in combination if needed. Gemmotherapy is especially interesting in chronic insomnia, since it can be used on the long term. It is also compatible and complementary with aromatherapy.
Hydrosols can be used as a replacement for essential oils for the most sensitive people, whether pregnant women or children and babies, but also people who do not appreciate odors that are too strong. They can be used :
The Orange Blossom Hydrosol, the True Lavender Hydrosol or the Roman Chamomile Hydrosol are unsurprisingly the most recognized for acting against insomnia. The hydrosol of Greenland Ledon, a little less known because it is more difficult to obtain, can also be used, but to be reserved for adults and adolescents.
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