While it's not as drool-inducing as a powder shot of melatonin, this balm is meant to help you relax, which always makes for a better night's sleep. Scented with bergamot, lavender, rosemary, ginger and balsam, it certainly promotes a feeling of well-being. Scientifically, the scent of lavender has been shown to have sedating effects in some small studies.
Regardless of the effect of aromatherapy as a sleep aid, the ritual of applying this balm (to your lips, temples, neck or face) does signal the body that it's time for bed, which can have a Pavlovian effect on your sleep cycle. At any rate, the olive oil, castor seed oil and beeswax base make for an incredible moisturizer and lip balm.
This essential oil blend is refreshingly not like your typical sleep-promoting aromatherapy concoction: you won't detect lavender in this little bottle. Meadowsweet, calendula and a hint of sweet citrus dominate the notes of this fragrance -- and fragrance, indeed, it could double for. The scent is strong enough to turn heads as you float your way to dream land.
A warm bath to help you sleep isn't just a myth. Hydrotherapy, as it's known in the science realm, has been shown to help jumpstart drowsiness through the abrupt cooling-off period that occurs after you step out of a warm bath by mimicking the temperature drop experienced when you drift off to sleep. Give your insomnia a double hit by adding a bath fizzy like Lush's Twilight Bomb to the mix. Besides the relaxing satisfaction you'll get from watching the bomb slowly fizz away, the lavender oil and tonka, a vanilla scent, in this bomb slowly send your stressful thoughts down the drain.
