Ebooks doTERRA eBook Essential Oils and Sleep | Page 5

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CHAPTER
The science behind essential oils
and sleep
For many years, essential oils have been used to help calm and relax the body in an effort to promote a
good night of sleep. You might be wondering, “How does it work? How do essential oils help the body
with sleep?” With any essential oil, the specific benefits of the oil will depend on its chemical makeup.
Every essential oil has a completely unique chemical profile, because each oil comes from a different
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plant part. Some chemical constituents can give an oil soothing or calming properties, while other
Which essential oils are best for sleep?
constituents can make an oil cleansing, cooling, or invigorating. Because each essential oil contains a
different combination of several chemical properties, each oil holds unique benefits. To use essential
oils for their sleep benefits, the user simply needs to select oils with chemical components that are
soothing, calming, relaxing, and promote a suitable environment for sleep.
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How Which
to use chemical
essential components
oils to
contain
properties
that are useful
promote
healthy
sleep
for sleep?
essential oils are more useful for sleep than others. So which
chemical components make an essential oil particularly useful for
sleep? Let’s discuss a few chemical groups that are known to have
benefits for promoting healthy sleep by relaxing, soothing, and
calming the body and mind.
Alcohols
Commonly found in essential oils, alcohols are chemical groups
that are composed of a hydrogen and an oxygen atom. Essential
Because each essential oil has a different chemical makeup, some
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oils that contain alcohols can have a number of possible benefits
including cleansing properties, protection against environmental
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threats, supporting a healthy cardiovascular system*, helping to
uplift the mood, and, of course, supporting restful sleep. Alcohols
The Importance of Sleep
that have the potential to promote restful sleep typically include the
chemicals santalol and linalool.