The best pillow sprays to help you relax and fall asleep faster

These essential oil blends can help prevent a sleepless night...

It’s no wonder that sales of pillow sprays are booming. Since the start of the pandemic, stress levels have risen, and the nation is experiencing a newfound obsession with essential oils.

According to research by The NPD Group, sales of luxury aromatherapy products, including brands such as Votary and Neom, increased by more than 500% in 2019.

This year, we are still very much about investing in our wellbeing, especially when it comes to sleep. Therefore, we thought we would round up our favourite pillow sprays to help you relax at night. Sound good? We’ve also rounded up the best mattresses, best weighted blankets and best silk pillowcases for you to shop.

For the uninitiated, pillow sprays are typically a blend of floral waters, herbal ingredients and essential oils. The idea is that you spritz them all over your bed linen before hitting the sack, then take deep breaths to slow your heart rate.

With a third of Brits missing out on the recommended seven hours sleep, consider these scents fast-acting self-care.

Benefits of essential oils in pillow sprays

Stress-busting lavender is the most common of these. “It contains the compound linalool, which has a sedative effect,” says Professor Tim Jacob, a neurologist from the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University.

“Smelling it increases alpha waves in the frontal regions of the brain, encouraging you to relax.”

Used in a pillow spray, lavender also alleviates the catch-22 of sleeplessness: worrying about the fact that you haven’t drifted off.

Numerous studies have shown that lavender has a physical effect, too, by reducing blood pressure and helping the body to produce melatonin, the hormone that promotes restful sleep.

Chamomile, another popular ingredient in pillow sprays, has been shown to alleviate anxiety. While clary sage is anti-spasmodic, meaning it helps your muscles to relax as you wind down.

According to Dr Anna Persaud, CEO of This Works, the benefits of pillow sprays are also deeply psychological.

“Studies have shown that scent can activate the limbic system, which processes emotions and memory. This, in turn, affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls our levels of energy and rest. Over time we also create a connection in our brains that links the fragrance of a pillow mist to the experience of feeling sleepy. It’s a stimulus for relaxation and can help to sustain a healthy sleep pattern.”

Scroll down for our pick of the best sleep aids to save your sanity…

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