Take a break from stylized sleep aids and fancy gadgets that promise improved sleep with something more natural: plants. Specifically, plants that help you sleep! While plants are known for producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, many have properties that can help you relax and improve your ability to get restful, restorative sleep. Below, you'll find a list of eight plants that help you sleep.
Aloe Vera
While aloe vera plants are known for treating burns and bug bites, they also produce a lot of oxygen, which is beneficial at night for restful sleep. Additionally, they reproduce quickly, so while you may start out with one plant in your bedroom, soon you'll have enough for every room in the house.
2. English Ivy
English ivy only needs moderate sunlight to thrive. Second on our list of plants that help you sleep, it is a great choice for those who deal with allergies and asthma. In fact, The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reported that, in a 2005 experiment, "English ivy removed 94% of airborne feces and 78% of airborne mold in just 12 hours!" Who could pass up a plant that acts as a natural air filter and demands so little in return?
3. Snake Plant
Snake plant, also called Mother-In-Law's Tongue, is not only a great addition to your bedroom, it's also low-maintenance! According to dailyhealthpost.com, it can be watered every 2 to 3 weeks and rid the air of formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene.
4. Lavender
As we come to the middle of our list of plants that help you sleep, we find lavender. It is widely known for its sleep-inducing effects. Lavender is a great choice if you have trouble settling down after your day. It can help you relax by slowing your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure and naturally reducing the time it takes to fall asleep.
5. Valerian Root
Valerian root is one of the more needy plants on our list, requiring 6 hours of full sunlight per day. The root was used in tea to aid with insomnia and its use of helping people sleep dates back to the second century A.D. Inhaling the plant's fragrance may help you fall asleep easier and faster.
6. Peace Lily
The peace lily is another plant that absorbs and removes toxins from the air. It also increases a room's humidity by as much as 5 percent. Moist air helps prevent the symptoms of allergies, which means more sleep and less tossing and turning at night from a stuffed-up nose.
7. Jasmine
Jasmine plant is good at reducing anxiety with its soothing fragrance. According to curejoy.com, it improves quality of sleep and leads to increased alertness and productivity. It also helps prevent forceful tossing and turning at night.
8. Spider Plant
Spider plant is a champion at removing formaldehyde from the air. NASA tests showed it as removing 90 percent of the harmful toxins from the air, according to Natural Living Ideas. Since the toxin can be present in more than just your bedroom, it's a good idea to have spider plants around your house. The plants can also absorb odors and fumes.
The majority of these plants are readily available from your local nursery, landscape department at most big box home improvement stores and via online seed catalogues. Information for this post was gathered from Daily Health Post, Natural Living Ideas, curejoy.com and Epic Gardening.
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