Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils to promote relaxation and lower stress. This in turn can improve sleep quality! While they are not a direct treatment for snoring or sleep apnea, essential oils can help with managing the symptoms of these conditions. Research has even shown that aromatherapy not only improves sleep quality, but also reduces stress, pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in adults and elderly people.
Here’s how essential oils may help individuals who snore or have sleep apnea:
- Relaxation: Certain essential oils (such as lavender, chamomile, and bergamot) have calming properties. By helping to relax the body and mind, these oils can decrease snoring and improve sleep quality.
- Clearing Airways: Some essential oils, like eucalyptus and peppermint, have decongestant properties. This may be beneficial for sleep apnea, as congestion or blockages in the airways can contribute to breathing difficulties during sleep.
- Reducing Inflammation: Some essential oils, such as frankincense and tea tree oil, may help reduce inflammation in the throat and nasal passages. This could potentially ease symptoms caused by inflamed tissues.
- Improving Sleep Quality: Essential oils may help people achieve deeper and more restful sleep. This can lead to fewer interruptions in breathing and less snoring episodes.
Disclaimer: It’s important to note that while essential oils can be beneficial, they may not work for everyone. Individual responses may vary.
Additionally, individuals must exercise caution, as sensitivities or allergies to certain oils may occur. Always consult with your healthcare provider before adding essential oils to your sleep routine. This is even more important if you are on medications or have underlying health conditions.
How Do I Use Essential Oils?
The easiest way to use essential oils is in a diffuser. You just place the oil of your choice in the diffuser and it will disperse tiny particles of the oil into the air. Use it next to your bed at night time for best results.
It can also be used in combination with other therapies, such as anti-snoring mouthguards or nasal strips.
Other common methods to use essential oils include:
Shower:
• Mix 3-5 drops in carrier oil and put it on your towel. Start with your legs and rub your heart upwards
• Add five drops of oil or mix to the shower floor (away from the shower stream) and inhale the steam
Bathtub:
• Add your essential oil or mix to a teaspoon of Epsom salt, milk powder, or your preferred carrier, then swish in the bath. Inhale deeply as you bathe
Face Steaming
Place boiled water into a heat-resistant container and add 2-4 drops of the essential oil.
Lean over the bowl, but be sure to keep about 12 inches of space between your face and the water.
Inhale the steam for 5-10 minutes. If you begin to feel side effects, such as coughing, dizziness, or nausea, stop immediately.
Gargling
Make sure your essential oil is safe to be taken internally in case of accidental swallowing.
Ingredients:
• A cup of warm water
• Half a teaspoon of salt
• 2 drops of thyme essential oil
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Gargle mix for a minute
3. Spit.
Massage
Add essential oil to carrier oils, then massage it onto your skin before bedtime. You can also get roll-on essential oils to make application easier (see examples in our list below).
Top Essential Oils of 2024
Breathe Essential Oil Blend by Maple Holistics
Featuring a blend of eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint, & tea tree essential oils, this mixture will not only promote a relaxing sleep, but is also sure to delight your senses.
The Breathe blend will leave your home feeling minty, refreshed and purified. In addition, it will act strongly against nasal congestion, helping relieve symptoms of sleep apnea and stuffy noses.
Amazon Review: “Beautiful mix of essential oils, gives a beautiful subtle smell. It’s soooo relaxing. Also, it drips at a perfect speed, no fighting with the bottle to get the few drops out!”
Dream Essential Oil Blend by Maple Holistics
Made with lavender, sage and ylang ylang essential oils, the Dream blend is the ideal bedtime companion. As mentioned earlier, lavender has calming properties to help relax the body and the mind.
This makes this blend not only a helpful sleeping aid, but it can also combat against snoring.
Lavender is called “the broom of the brain” in different oriental traditional medicines. It is one of the most commonly used plants for patients with sleep disorders.
Amazon Review: “Wow, just wow! I’ve been having trouble sleeping for a number of years and this just gave me one of the best sleep i had in weeks.”
Frankincense Essential Oil by Cliganic
The essential oils by Cliganic are 100% organic, 100% pure (only one ingredient), no additives, alcohol-free, cruelty-free, no added-fragrances and no dilution. Talk about high quality!
The main ingredient in this selection here is Frankincense oil (made from Boswellia Serrata extract), which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps reduce inflammation of the throat and nasal passages. This makes it an ideal choice for individuals dealing with sleep apnea, congestion or allergies.
If you want to be more cost effective, you could order their entire set of 8 different scents here. This special box set includes an information booklet with recipes for different uses of the oils (such as cleaning or beauty).
Amazon Review: “I was a bit skeptical but Frankenstein definitely relieves pain. I mixed it with coconut oil as recommended & it lasts several hours (approx 4-5). I would highly recommend it.”
Woolzies Sleep Collection Essential Oils Set
This collection is a set of three calming oil blends that would make a perfect gift for someone who has a hard time getting to sleep.
The Woolzies Stress Relief Oil Blend helps to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. It has a calming, earthy, and minty aroma. It includes basil, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, sweet marjoram, and wintergreen.
The Woolzies Sweet Dreams Oil Blend helps to relax the mind and body and relieve insomnia. It has an earthy floral aroma and is a combination of lavender, chamomile, orange, and clary sage oils.
The Woolzies Relax Oil Blend is a calming and relaxing floral oil. They reduce stress and anxiety by powerfully soothing and uplifting the mind and body. It contains vetiver, rose, lavender, jasmine, basil, and bergamot oils.
Folkessence Sleep Essential Oil Blend by Folkulture
Introducing the Folkessence Sleep Essential Oils Set, a carefully curated collection of six 10 mL bottles, including eucalyptus, jasmine, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and orange oils.
Handcrafted and rigorously tested by a trusted home fragrance brand, these organic oils offer a luxurious aromatherapy experience. They’re perfect for inducing relaxation, relieving stress, and promoting peaceful sleep after a long day.
Amazon Review: “I absolutely love these, they last long they smell amazing and it gives a comforting feeling. Absolutely worth the money”
Folkulture Sleep Essential Oil Roll On Set
If you prefer to apply the essential oils topically, Folkulture also has a roll-on sleep collection!
For external use, apply directly to wrist, chest, temples, palms, soles of feet, or behind ears. Compact and portable for your convenience, these sleep essential oils are your perfect on-the-go aromatherapy companions.
If instead you want it massaged on your body, apply a suitable amount of lavender roll-on essential oil to the desired body area, warm your hands, and then apply gentle pressure. Repeat the pressing 3-5 times for a soothing experience.
Amazon Review: “I’m so very pleased with the quality of these oils. Some of the reviews had me a little scared and hesitant. Especially because the price tag was almost $30 so that’s kind of a lot to pay for oils that I may not like. (They were on a small sale so I decided to buy them). In the past I have bought oils that claimed to be essential or with a little touch of fragrance and it just smelled like a chemical factory. Which to me is overwhelmingly yuck and never appreciated! I’m so glad to say that this is NOT the case with these. They smell amazing while also seeming to be pretty natural. They literally made the perfect blend of the oils that they used. Thank you ????”
Lavender Essential Oil by Majestic Pure
Majestic Pure Lavender oil is a blend of two pure, steam distilled lavender oils; Lavandula Angustifolia from Bulgaria and Lavandula Hybrida from France. Its rich floral scent has a sweetness to it with a mix of balsamic and herbal undertones and notes. The beauty of the flower has been captured in this oil, and it will keep pulling you back for more.
With a distinct top note, its rich floral scent is somewhat fruitier, mellower, and a little camphoraceous. For topical use as a scent, dilute with a carrier oil before use and thoroughly enjoy its fresh, soothing scent which is a favorite when it comes to aromatherapy.
Majestic Pure also carries a wide variety of other scents, so be sure to check out their full line through the link above!
Amazon Review: “I wish they sold 8oz or 16oz bottles so that they could last even longer. It smells great! It’s easy to recycle once you’re done with them. I especially recommend this to those who plan to use it for aromatherapy at home and such since it’s the only one ingredient so it’s safe to use.”
I’ve heard valor is also great for snoring when applied to the big toe