7 sleep-inducing lotions insomniacs swear by: 'Sooo calming before bedtime'
Consistently getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for your overall health and wellbeing —that’s why it’s so incredibly frustrating when you try to fall asleep at a good time and just can’t.
There are plenty of products out there that claim they’ll help you get to sleep easier, but there’s one category many, many people swear by: sleep lotions. The internet is packed with lotions that imply or flat-out state that they’ll help you nod off at night. And, while it seems far-fetched, experts say there might actually be something to this.
Many of the lotions contain lavender, which has been linked to sleepiness in some animal studies, Jamie Alan, PhD, an assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Among other things, lavender helps modulate the GABA channel in your brain, helping you to calm you down enough to go to sleep, she says. “This is the channel that prescription medications such as Ambien target,” Alan adds.
Several lotions also contain cedarwood and ylang ylang. “There is less molecular data for these, but they have both been shown in a limited number of animal studies to promote sleep and relaxation,” Alan says.
It’s not just about what’s in the lotion: The actual act of putting on the lotion every night could also help you nod off, according to board-certified sleep medicine researcher and neurologist W. Christopher Winter, MD, of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and author of the book The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It. “It’s good when people have a ritual at night,” he explains. “That could be reading at a certain time, putting your phone away and slipping into comfortable pajamas.”
“Putting on a lotion can be part of that,” he continues. “It’s sensory, it feels good on your skin and it has a certain smell.” Your brain is wired to tie scent to memory and, if you’re putting on a certain lotion every night before you go to bed, “you start to associate the smell of that lotion with sleeping,” Winter says. “Those associations can be really helpful in getting you to sleep at night.”
Of course, everyone is different and not everyone will magically get to sleep after using a lotion. Still, a lot of people rave about how well these lotions work for them, so there’s clearly something to these. Here are some of the best sleep lotions to check out, according to reviewers.
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Lush Sleepy Hand and Body Lotion
Sleepy is packed with lavender, almond oil and cocoa butter, and advertises itself as a lotion that’s designed to “soothe your skin and mind.” And people swear by it for insomnia. “Sooo calming before bedtime,” one person wrote in the reviews. “I fall asleep quickly and feel very refreshed when I wake up,” another reviewer wrote. And then there’s this review: “Smells greats and puts me right to sleep.”
Shop it: Lush Sleepy Hand and Body Lotion, $27, amazon.com
Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Lavender & Cedarwood Body Cream
Bath and Body Works’ Sleepy has vitamin E and shea butter to condition your skin, along with lavender and cedarwood to help you relax. Reviewers can’t say enough good things about this. “I’m in love with this lotion! I use it almost every night and it really helps me to fall asleep faster. Wonderful product!” one person wrote in the reviews. “Love, love, love the smell of this product,” another said. “Helps me sleep and keeps my skin soft and hydrated even in the coldest driest part of winter.”
Shop it: Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Lavender & Cedarwood Body Cream, $11, amazon.com
This scented balm is designed to be used all over your body — specifically your lips, chest, temples or hands — and it’s enhanced with scents of lavender, rosemary, bergamot and balsam fir to help you chill out. It’s also USDA certified organic and petroleum-free. There are several glowing reviews, including this one: “For the past 2+ years, I’ve been struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep (plus disturbing nightmares). I dreaded going to bed… But, I found Badger’s Sleep Balm and have totally changed my bedtime routine. Now, I look forward to going to bed! “
Shop it: Badger Sleep Balm, $8, thrivemarket.com
Organica’s Dream Lotion uses the scents of lavender, bergamot and cedarwood to help you relax, and the brand claims that its lotion will “promote a more restful and deep slumber.” Apparently, it works. “When I put this on, I relax and go to sleep—it really works,” one reviewer said. “Don’t know how it works, but it does.”
Shop it: Organica Dream Lotion, $35, amazon.com
Grace & Stella Co. Lavender Hand & Body Lotion
While Grace & Stella Co. talks up its lotions ability to soften and condition your skin, reviewers say it definitely helps them catch ZZZs. “Since I started using it almost a week ago, I’ve been able to sleep well,” one person wrote. “This lotion has seriously changed my life. It has turned my dry skin around, helped with my eczema issues, and helped me sleep through the night and MORE!,” another said.
Shop it: Grace & Stella Co. Lavender Hand & Body Lotion, $14, amazon.com
1001 Remedies Good Night Sleep Relaxing Balm
This sleep balm uses 12 different essential oils with natural sedative properties to relax you, helping you to get a better night’s sleep. It’s also 99.8 percent organic. “I was hesitant to try this but I am so glad that I did! I have a terrible time with staying asleep. I would wake up at 1:30am regardless of what time I finally fell asleep. This had been going on for months. Now when I use this, I get a full night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed,” one person wrote in the reviews. “It does what it is supposed to do, it makes me sleepy and I wake up not being groggy,” another said.
Shop it: 1001 Remedies Good Night Sleep Relaxing Balm, $39, amazon.com
A petroleum-free herbal balm, Wild Thera’s GoodNite uses chamomile, lavender, lemon balm and sage to help you doze off. And it has legions of fans. “I was really surprised that it really worked,” one reviewer wrote. “To know that there are no harsh chemicals in it, I feel comfortable using it regularly. Now I don’t worry about being awake all night.” Another had this to say: “Suffer from severe chronic insomnia, lucky to get 2-4 hours of sleep per night. Don’t want to take prescription sleep aid so trying different alternatives. First night I used this, slept for 6 hours!”
Shop it: Wild Thera GoodNite Balm, $16, amazon.com
Read More from Yahoo Lifestyle:
• Leighton Meester uses CBD balm for stress relief—here’s how you can use it, too
• Can’t sleep? Experts say these bedtime products are game-changers
• After years of insomnia, I curled up under a weighted blanket—and it was miraculous
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