When it comes to improving our capabilities of falling asleep faster or simply getting better sleep we can try a lot. Today we are going to look at a sense that is often underrated when it comes to its sleep preparation capabilities.

Smell!

Did you know that smell is the only sense that has direct access to our emotional center also known as the limbic system?

Why should I care?

A smell can trigger a related emotion instantly. There is no conscious action in between that decides if the emotion will show up or not. This is a great advantage – especially when we feel stressed or down and have a hard time changing this emotion consciously through thinking about nice things.

Do you have an example?

Well, let’s say somebody is cooking something you used to love in your childhood. You smell it and – boom – you feel good as you did years before.

OR

Somebody passes you using the same fragrance that somebody you love uses (or somebody you loved a long time ago).

In both cases, you feel good first and then you can tap into what this smell is related to for you. But you don’t have to – the feelings are there instantly!

How can smell promote sleep?

Now, technically it can’t. But it can get us into an emotional state like feeling

• safe
• emotional balanced
• relaxed
• loved
• calm

and that will help us to fall asleep faster.

In this regard we want to focus on the emotion we want the smell to induce rather than focusing directly on sleep.

What scents will help me to relax?

There is no clear answer to this question. Generally speaking, there are smells that you personally relate to relaxation. As an example, this can be the washing powder that was used on your last vacation, a smell that gets used in your favorite spa and so on…

That said – there are smells that tend to have a relaxing effect on most people and you might simply want to test those.

Substances like:

• lavender
• bergamot
• ylang ylang
• jasmine
• geranium

seem to have a natural capability to relax most of us and are widely available as essential oils.

What is the best way to use scents?

There are tons of ways to do so. The two that I find to be the most practical ones are to use a

• diffuser
• pillow spray

Either one does a great job for me. In my bedroom, I personally go with the pillow spray. It’s simple to use, only takes a couple of seconds to be all set up and it’s easy to switch smells (no need to change the water & oil like in a diffuser).

No matter if you use a pillow spray or essential oils in a diffuser. Be sure to use high-quality products. I use the pillow sprays from the Drowsy Sleep Co which is ethically sourced, vegan and has powerful ingredients mixed into wonderful scents.

This works for me – now go and check what works for you 🙂

Have a superb sleep,
Michael Hildebrandt