Oils for Sleep

Many people diffuse an oil as they get ready for bed, add a few drops to a bath, or mist the pillow, and done night after night, the same scent becomes a cue to slow down. Choosing a scent you love is a big part of it.

Some of these oils have also been studied as ingredients. Lavender has the most research, with improved sleep quality scores in several trials.^[1] Bergamot and chamomile have one trial each, and geranium one that showed no change in sleep. Those studies were of the oils in general, not of the products in our range, which are sold as essential oils, not medicines.

A sleep oil may suit you if:

• you want a calming bedtime ritual with nothing to swallow
• you already enjoy a diffuser, a bath or a pillow mist
• you like choosing a scent to suit your mood, from floral to woody
• you would like the oil with the most research behind it, which is lavender

Shop by type: Lavender Face & Essential Oil, Essential Oils, Oils for Stress & Relaxing and Natural Sleep Sprays.

Prices change, so check the pack. Our Roman chamomile comes ready diluted in jojoba, which makes it gentle on skin, though most of what is in the bottle is carrier oil. Australian sandalwood costs the most because the tree is slow growing and sustainably harvested.

1. A bedtime ritual: a scent you use every night soon becomes an easy, familiar cue to wind down.
2. Nothing to swallow: useful if you would rather not add another tablet to your daily routine.
3. Pure single oils: most of our oils are one species, steam distilled or cold pressed, with nothing added.
4. A scent for every taste: choose from floral, citrus, woody and gently spicy options.
5. Ready to use on skin: the diluted Roman chamomile needs no blending.
6. Value: lavender in the 30 mL bottle is about a third cheaper a millilitre than the 11 mL.
7. Australian grown: our sandalwood comes from a tree native to Western Australia.

These studies looked at the oils as ingredients. None tested the products in our range.

Lavender. A 2025 review of 10 trials in adults over 60 with sleep problems found better sleep quality scores after breathing in lavender, though results varied widely between trials.^[1]

Single oils and blends. A review of 10 trials in 933 hospital patients with serious illness found single oils improved sleep quality scores, with lavender showing the largest effect. The result for blends was not significant, though there were fewer blend trials. Whether this applies to healthy adults at home is not known.^[5] A second review of 34 studies found the same pattern.^[6] In a related review of lavender for anxiety, most trials carried a high risk of bias.^[7]

Other oils. Bergamot was tested in 48 students who knew what they were using, and they reported longer sleep.^[2] Geranium, tested against a placebo in 84 nurses, eased fatigue but did not change sleep scores.^[4] For cedarwood, sandalwood, marjoram and mandarin, the research so far is in animals or mixed blends. That does not mean they do not suit you. It means the single oil has not been tested for sleep.

• In a diffuser: add 3 to 6 drops to a 100 to 150 mL tank and run it for 30 to 60 minutes before bed, using fewer drops in a small bedroom.
• Pillow mist: 4 to 6 drops in 50 mL of water with a teaspoon of witch hazel. Shake well and spray the pillow, not your face.
• On skin: about 1 drop in 5 mL of carrier oil is roughly a 1 per cent blend. The Roman chamomile is ready to use as it comes.
• In the bath: mix the drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil or full-fat milk first.
• Blending: keep it to two or three oils, and try lavender with cedarwood or mandarin.
• Clean the diffuser every week with warm water and a little white vinegar, because old residue soon turns stale.

• Never swallow essential oils. They are highly concentrated and can cause real harm if taken internally.
• Dilute before skin contact, and patch test a new oil on your inner forearm for 24 hours.
• Babies and young children. Ask your pharmacist or doctor before using any oil around them, including in a diffuser. Keep peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary and camphor-rich oils away from young children. One of our blends does not list its oils, so ask us before using it near children. Plant Therapy Worry Free contains balsam Peru, a common cause of skin allergy.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Check with your doctor or midwife first, as some oils, including marjoram, are best avoided.
• Asthma and epilepsy. Some oils can trigger symptoms, so ask your doctor before diffusing regularly.
• Bergamot and sunlight. Keep bergamot off skin that will see the sun within 12 hours, or use it only in a diffuser.
• Pets. Cats and dogs are more sensitive to essential oils than people, so diffuse only where they can leave the room.
• Freshness. Citrus oils keep about a year and most others two to three, so store them cool, dark and capped.
• If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.

1. Start with lavender if you would like the oil with the most research behind it.
2. Pick a scent you love, because a smell you dislike will not help you relax.
3. Single oil or blend. Single oils have more research behind them, while blends offer a ready-made scent.
4. Check whether it is diluted before you compare prices.
5. Buy the larger bottle of any oil you plan to use every night, since it costs less a millilitre.
6. Ask first. Book a Free 10-minute consultation and we will help you choose.

• Trusted natural health advice since 1992, when the first store opened.
• Eight stores across New South Wales and Queensland, with qualified naturopaths and nutritionists on the shop floor.
• Around 50 qualified practitioners in our stores and online team, with more than 230 years of clinical experience between them.
• A free 10-minute consultation in store or online, with no obligation to buy.
• Free Click & Collect with no minimum spend, often ready within an hour during store hours.
• Free standard shipping over $120 in New South Wales and the ACT. Over $150 in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. Northern Territory shipping is calculated at checkout.
• More than 800 brands and over 10,000 products, chosen by practitioners.

Explore more: browse Lavender Face & Essential Oil for our lavender range and Natural Sleep Sprays for ready-made mists. If you would rather take something than smell something, see Natural Sleep Aids or read our guide to the best sleep support supplements.

1. Ostovar, M., Khademizadeh, M.H., Namjoyan, F., Kazemi, A., Vakili, S., Mosavat, S.H., Mohit, M. and Hashempur, M.H. (2025) 'A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on lavender for sleep disorders in older adults', Experimental Gerontology, 211, 112919. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2025.112919. The authors declare no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
2. Wakui, N., Togawa, C., Ichikawa, K., Matsuoka, R., Watanabe, M., Okami, A., Shirozu, S., Yamamura, M. and Machida, Y. (2023) 'Relieving psychological stress and improving sleep quality by bergamot essential oil use before bedtime and upon awakening: a randomized crossover trial', Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 77, 102976. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102976. Competing interests: none. The trial was open-label.
3. Deepa, Y., Vijay, A., Nivethitha, L., Nandhakumar, G., Sathiya, S. and Mooventhan, A. (2025) 'Effects of chamomile oil inhalation on sleep quality in young adults with insomnia: a randomized controlled trial', International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 60(5), pp. 533 to 542. doi: 10.1177/00912174241301279. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The control group continued their normal routine, with no placebo odour, and the chamomile species is not named.
4. Karimi, N., Hasanvand, S., Beiranvand, A., Gholami, M. and Birjandi, M. (2024) 'The effect of aromatherapy with Pelargonium graveolens on the fatigue and sleep quality of critical care nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial', Explore (NY), 20(1), pp. 82 to 88. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2023.06.006. Non-US-government research support; no competing interests stated.
5. Cheng, H., Lin, L., Wang, S., Zhang, Y., Liu, T., Yuan, Y., Chen, Q. and Tian, L. (2022) 'Aromatherapy with single essential oils can significantly improve the sleep quality of cancer patients: a meta-analysis', BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 22(1), 187. doi: 10.1186/s12906-022-03668-0. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The population was cancer patients.
6. Cheong, M.J., Kim, S., Kim, J.S., Lee, H., Lyu, Y.S., Lee, Y.R., Jeon, B. and Kang, H.W. (2021) 'A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the clinical effects of aroma inhalation therapy on sleep problems', Medicine (Baltimore), 100(9), e24652. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000024652. Funded by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare; the authors declare no conflict of interest.
7. Donelli, D., Antonelli, M., Bellinazzi, C., Gensini, G.F. and Firenzuoli, F. (2019) 'Effects of lavender on anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Phytomedicine, 65, 153099. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2019.153099. The authors state the review was not funded.