Inability to fall asleep, very short nights, waking up in the middle of the night... sleep disorders that should not be taken lightly! Whether you have chronic or occasional insomnia, you should know that it affects your morale and your health. To find a baby's sleep, essential oils come to your rescue! We explain.

Essential oils for your sleep

According to a 2008 report by INPES, "based on the declarations of the surveyed population of 25-45 year olds, 17% would accumulate a significant sleep debt each night, 12% would insomniacs, and 71% would get enough sleep."

In addition to common sense advice: don't have exciting activities at least 2 hours before bedtime, reduce exposure to screens (television, tablets, smartphones and video games), avoid excitants (sugar, tobacco, coffee, tea, alcohol) and heavy meals, natural techniques can be complementary to the establishment of a bedtime ritual, the practice meditationof cardiac coherence or sophrology or even the use of phytotherapy, all of which are known to improve the problems of sleep. Essential oils can be a good remedy for difficulty falling asleep and waking up at night.

Good to know: The use of essential oils is prohibited for pregnant women and children under 15 years of age without the advice of a professional (doctor, pharmacist, naturopath, aromatherapist). Beware of drug interactions if you are taking a sleeping pill, sedative, anxiolytic or antidepressant. Only your doctor can change the dosage.

Essential oils that help you fall asleep

The essential oils of Lavender officinale also called true lavender (lavandula angustifolia), of Bitter orange tree (leaf) known as "Petit grain bigarade" (citrus aurantium ssp.aurantium), and of complete Ylang ylang (cananga odorata) are relaxing.

The essential oils of Ravensare (Ravensara aromatica), Lemon Verbena ( Lippia citriodora), Mandarin (zest) (citrus reticulata) are sedative.

If you're feeling anxious, here are some mindful rituals to do at night to favor the arrival of sleep. They can be done alone or in combination.

• A few minutes before you go to bed, while you do your heart coherence exercise: put a few drops of lavender essential oil on the pillow or any other fragrance you like regardless of its properties. Olfaction has an important power on the reminiscence of memories. Thus, by recreating a pleasant memory, you recreate a state of well-being and relaxation.

• For a few minutes (10 maximum), before going to bed, diffuse one of the previously mentioned relaxing essential oils into the bedroom. It is recommended to use a cold diffuser and not a candle diffuser because the latter heats up the oil, thus altering its properties.

During breathing, aromatic compounds suspended in the air are inhaled and penetrate the nasal mucosa. These mucous membranes are extremely vascularized which allows the chemical molecules of the essential oils to enter the blood capillaries and then diffuse into the rest of the body.

• Massage your feet with a vegetable oil of your choice in which you dilute 1 drop of relaxing or sedative essential oil and then, sitting on the edge of the bed with your feet nice and flat, do your meditation or breathing exercises.

          Not only is the foot massage itself relaxing, it also stimulates grounding. In addition, adding an essential oil allows the active ingredients to pass through the skin barrier.

• Massage your solar plexus with 1 drop each of Ravensare and Mandarin bark essential oil (beware photosensitizing) diluted in a little vegetable oil..

If you wake up at night, especially at 3 a.m., and you show signs of anger, irritability, it may be that, according to traditional Chinese medicine, the energy of the liver is out of balance. It is therefore advisable to boost liver activity with :

Lemon essential oil (citrus limon) which is known to boost liver activity

Or Greenland Ledon (Ledum groenlandicum) essential oil, which is a powerful liver drainer and hepatocellular regenerator. This essential oil is also used to fight against insomnia.

Advice for use: 2 drops of one or the other to be taken at the time of the evening meal (on a piece of bread or directly in a spoonful ) for 10 days. Adults only.

This advice does not replace a medical consultation because some sleep problems are likely to come from a physiological dysfunction (thyroid, sleep apnea, side effects of treatment etc...) and therefore require an allopathic support. However, alone or in synergy, essential oils are powerful allies for a natural health and well-being.