Essential oils for a better night's sleep

If sleep doesn't always come as easily as you'd like, a few gentle essential oils can make the loveliest difference. I reach for them most evenings myself — there's something about a calming scent drifting through the bedroom that tells your body it's time to slow down.

Lavender is the one I always come back to. It's soothing and quietly settling, and just a few drops in a diffuser by the bed can help ease a busy mind. Ylang ylang is beautifully calming too, and May Chang has a soft, gently uplifting scent that's gorgeous last thing at night. You'll find all of them among my essential oils.

A little bedtime ritual

About half an hour before bed, add a few drops of lavender to your diffuser and let it fill the room while you wind down — dim the lights, put the phone away, make a cup of something warm.

A warm bath is lovely too: add a couple of drops of lavender to a spoonful of carrier oil or a handful of bath salts first (never straight into the water on its own), and let yourself soak.

And the simplest of all — one drop of lavender on a tissue tucked beside your pillow. That's often all it takes.

A gentle word on safety

Essential oils are wonderfully potent, so a little goes a long way. Never put them neat on your skin — always dilute a drop or two in a carrier oil first. Keep them out of reach of little ones and pets, and if you're pregnant or on any medication, do check with your GP before using them.

Sweet dreams. 🤍

Steph