We all have our own techniques and methods for dropping off to sleep, and for us, one of our favourite methods is the best pillow sprays. If you’re having trouble switching off at bedtime, a soothing pillow spray could induce sleep much faster than counting sheep. After all, they’re packed full of essential oils that help ease stress and anxiety to ease you into a restful night's sleep. So when you have found the best pillow for you, the finishing touch is a little pillow mist to make sure you have a slumber that supports you and helps you sleep deeply.
If you've tried earplugs, silk pillowcases, and meditation, then you could try a sleep spray or pillow mist. These can all help to create the right sleeping environment for you, especially if you struggle to sleep in hot weather. To be specific, they work by using a blend of essential oils that encourage your mind and body to relax and destress. Research suggests the aromas cause our bodies to produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes restful sleep.
Best pillow spray at a glance
• Editor's pick: Pacifica, Lavender Moon Body and Pillow Mist - View on Cult Beauty
• Best overall pillow spray: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - View on Amazon UK
• Award-winning spray: Tisserand Aromatherapy Sleep Better Pillow Mist - View on Amazon UK
• Budget pillow spray: Aromatherapy Beauty Sleep Pillow Mist Spray - View on Avon
Simply spritz a few pumps of your favourite sleep spray over your memory foam pillow or pillow of choice and sheets. This should be done 15 to 30 minutes before you go to bed to allow the essential oils to settle. Not only will they help you fall asleep quicker, but the oils will be re-released into the atmosphere as you move around in your sleep. Here, they'll ensure you stay in a deep slumber throughout the night. You'll wake up feeling refreshed and recharged after such a good night's rest.
With so many different choices available to buy, we've rounded up some of the best pillow sprays to help you find the best pillow spray for you. They will send you off into a peaceful night’s slumber.
Best pillow sprays
Best overall pillow spray
Description
A calming blend of lavender, vetivert and chamomile, this award-winning pillow mist promises to help you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more refreshed. It has proven results too – in a study by This Works, 97 per cent of participants slept better after using the spray.
Customer Review: "After using the spray I've seen a noticeable change in the quality of my sleep. I've been waking up more refreshed, taking fewer to no naps during the day, sleeping for longer at night and looking less tired. I even let my boyfriend try it and he said he slept a lot better too!"
Pros
- Best-selling, natural spray
- A soothing and calming blend
- Reduces sleep anxiety
Cons
- Pricey
Editor's pick
www.cultbeauty.co.uk
Description
Spray! And, relax… Packed with powerful essential oils, Pacifica's Lavender Moon Pillow Mist is a water-based spray designed to help you relax and get in your eight hours. We love this pillow mist's fresh and natural scent.
Our Review: "This smells like a fresh lavender plant that you brush past on the street. I sprayed this onto my pillow before getting into bed and I felt very calm and ready to sleep! Sometimes, I get restless before bed - but this eliminated any stress I was feeling. This will stay on my bedside table."
Pros
- Fresh, natural scent
- Packed with essential oils
- Eight-hour relaxation
Cons
- Mixed reviews
Best pillow spray with chamomile
www.boots.com
Description
Feather & Down's sleep mist infusion of lavender and chamomile will soothe your anxiety and allow you to drift off into a peaceful sleep. Simply, spray a generous amount onto your pillow and relax.
Customer Review: "Husband went to great lengths to research this for me, it works so well. Love the smell and lasts for quite a while too, so good value for money."
Pros
- Calming scent
- Lovely smell
- Not overwhelming
Cons
- Mixed reviews
Best award-winning spray
Description
This award-winning 100 per cent natural pillow spray is a pure blend of jasmine, sandalwood and lavender essential oils that will ensure you wake up feeling refreshed and recharged.
Customer Review: "I have struggled with sleep since I was a teenager and particularly when I am stressed around exams or deadlines. I have tried a wide range of techniques, medications and herbal remedies but this one is definitely the best so far. Spray generously onto the pillows and over the duvet and snuggle down, you can feel yourself unwind as you breathe in the essential oils."
Pros
- Natural and pure oil
- Dreamy blend for sleep
- Unique, calming and comforting
Cons
- Can come without lids
- Not strong enough for some
Best premium pillow spray
Description
L'Occitane's sleep spray aims to promote relaxation and well-being with the divine scent of this concoction of lavender, bergamot, mandarin, sweet orange and geranium essential oils.
Customer Review: "It really works, just spray on your pillow as you get into bed, breathe in the aroma, helps you to relax. I'm sold. Can highly recommend."
Pros
- Promotes relaxation and well-being
- Improves overall sleep
Cons
- Fleeting smell
- Expensive
Best travel size pillow spray
www.johnlewis.com
Description
Suitable for all sleepers, this pillow mist's soothing blend of frankincense, hops and lavender is designed to relieve muscle tension and aid rest. A soothing natural perfume, blending floral notes of lavender with deeply restful Frankincense, to relax both the body and mind.
Customer Review: "This spray is amazing. Two sprays on my pillow at night and I'm down for the night. A welcomed surprise that I will continue using it every night and recommend anyone with sleep issues to try it. Thanks, REN for another fantastic product."
Pros
- Calming and soothing
- Spray and switch off
- Reduces anxiety
Cons
- Not strong for some
Best smelling pillow spray
Description
The Neom Organics Pillow Mist is made from a blend of 19 organic essential oils from English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine.
Customer Review: "Absolutely in love with this product! I have purchased it several times and won't go to bed without it."
Pros
- Calming and relaxing
- Only need one spray
Cons
- Small bottle
- Pricey for some
Best budget pillow spray
avon.uk.com
Description
Featuring the relaxing scents of lavender and chamomile, this affordable pillow mist is popular and aims to relax you as soon as that spritz hits your bed linen.
Customer Review: "Brilliant nights sleep after the first use, still having great nights sleep."
Pros
- Recyclable bottle
- Relaxing aroma
- Fresh, natural essential oils
Cons
- Too subtle for some
Best pillow mist that doubles as a body spray
www.lush.com
Description
This body spray went viral when it was first launched, with customers praising its use as a pillow mist to help them get to sleep - it sold out almost immediately, but it's back in stock now. It contains lavender, sweet tonka, and Ylang Ylang.
Customer Review: "I love this product so much, I'm currently on my third spray bottle! Lavender has to be one of my favourite scents and with the notes of ylang-ylang, it's just to die for. Perfect for your self-care routine to relax and wind down, and just before sleep. Thank you, Lush!"
Pros
- Great blend
- Cult-sell out
- Body spray
Cons
- Pricey
Best calming pillow spray
Description
Supremely popular with customers, we also love This Works pillow spray for getting us off to sleep reliably. It features the scents of lavender, chamomile and vetivert. The brand also helpfully explains that it's suitable for children from six months old, and pets too.
Customer Review: "Love this spray! I use it every night in my toddlers' room. Highly recommended."
Pros
- Lasts for a while
- Lovely scent profile
Cons
- Strong-smelling
Best affordable organic pillow spray
Description
It's billed as a lavender pillow spray, but it also includes other essential oils to help you relax including Ylang-Ylang, vetiver, patchouli, bergamot and Arabian jasmine.
Customer Review: "I have used this before and find it lovely and relaxing, it helps me to wind down and sleep."
Pros
- Aromatic and relaxing
- Organic and calming
- Packed with essential oils
Cons
- Dodgy nozzle
- Fleeting scent
Best spray with Eucalyptus
echor.co
Description
Not only is this gorgeous lavender pillow spray scientifically proven to help you get a better night's sleep, but it also contains strong and pure soothing essential oils that will set the mood before you drift to sleep. This spray includes ingredients such as Lavender, Geranium, Eucalyptus and Sweet Orange to let your stress fade away as you fall asleep.
Our Review: "This beautifully fragrant spray sets the mood before you go to sleep. I spray my bedsheets or pillow five to ten minutes before I get ready to go to sleep. The scent can be very strong at first, so make sure to spray your pillow at some distance so it can be sprayed evenly. The scent settles after five minutes, and it genuinely helps to relax you and send you to sleep."
Pros
- Beautifully-fragrant
- Strong and pure oils
- Healing and refreshing
Cons
- Settles after five mins
FAQs: Best pillow sprays
How do the best pillow sprays work?
This Works has a range of sleep sprays including Deep Sleep and Sleep Together (both featured in our list below). They have conducted extensive research into how and why pillow mists are so effective at helping us get to sleep.
This Works says: "We decided to support an independent functional MRI (fMRI) brain-scan study, led by world-leading neuroscientist and medical doctor, Professor Gaby Badre. During the study, two fragrances were tested and both were found to activate the regions of the brain linked to smell. However, our Deep Sleep fragrance also activated specific areas of the brain associated with pleasure and calmness, enabling the research team to propose that the fragrance could evoke feelings of social comfort, trust, and calmness - conceivably impacting sleep."
Michael J. Breus, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist and both a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. On his Sleep Doctor blog, he writes about the power of lavender in helping us to sleep:
"Lavender works as an anxiolytic (an anxiety reliever) and as a sedative, to increase relaxation and calm, and help bring about sleep. Lavender interacts with the neurotransmitter GABA to help quiet the brain and nervous system activity, reducing agitation, anger, aggression, and restlessness."
Are pillow sprays safe?
In short, yes. Pillow sprays are safe for most adults. Like with many products, it's important to avoid contact with the eyes. These sprays are also not meant to be applied to the skin, so they may cause an allergic reaction for those with skin sensitivity. If they do get on your skin, wash with soap and water and seek medical attention if a rash occurs.
When it comes to keeping our pillows safe, these sprays are safe to use on most fabrics. If however, you have a silk pillowcase, do not use a pillow spray as this could ruin the fabric.
Do pillow sprays affect allergies?
Allergies that affect you at night are usually down to dust and mites in your bedding. So, make sure you're regularly washing your bedding at a high temperature.
If you are finding your allergies are being set off by your new pillow spray, it could be that you are allergic to lavender. This is a very common allergy that could cause itchiness, redness, rashes and in some cases sneezing, runny nose, coughing, and itchy eyes. Try a pillow spray that doesn't contain lavender to see if this is what is setting you off.
What are popular scents for improved sleep?
There are some essential oils that are renowned for stress relief and helping you drift off to sleep; check out the ingredients of your chosen sleep pillow spray and look for one that features these oils:
Lavender: This soothing scent has been a traditional help for relaxation and sleeps for centuries. Lavender pillow sprays are so popular that there have been numerous scientific studies into them; it's been shown to help with anxiety and depression, and has a sedative effect, helping you fall into a good night's sleep.
Vanilla: A very familiar scent, but usually related to cakes and baking. Vanilla also has a sedative effect, so is great for getting you to sleep. Particularly good if the smell of cookies usually relaxes you.
Rose and Geranium: Both floral scents are known to help reduce stress and anxiety. A pillow spray with either or both of these oils will ease your body and mind at bedtime.
Jasmine: Sweet and floral with great sleep-inducing qualities. Studies have shown it increases the quality of your sleep, reducing restlessness, and also increasing alertness during the day too.
Does it have to be a lavender sleep spray?
Not everyone loves the smell of lavender and it might not be what you want to smell when you're drifting off to sleep. Essential oils in pillow mists and sleep sprays all work differently for different people. Try different scents out to discover one which works best for you.
While lavender is definitely one of the most popular and well-known essential oils when it comes to deep sleep pillow sprays and relaxation, it's not the only one. There are lots of other scents and oils that are also used for helping you get some rest.
DIY: Make your own pillow spray
If you want to make your own concoction of relaxing essential oils for your pillow, you can always have a go at making your own homemade batch of pillow sprays. We've taken some inspiration from A Beautiful Mess with this method.
You will need:
A clear mist bottle (glass or plastic)
Small funnel
3 essential oils (Lavender, chamomile and orange work really well together)
Distilled water
Method:
Use the funnel to add 20 drops of lavender oil, 15 drops of wild orange and 10 drops of chamomile to your bottle. Fill the rest with distilled water. Shake before each use.
Are there any alternatives to pillow sprays?
If you don't fancy a pillow mist, or find the scent too strong, there are other ways to get the scent of relaxing essential oils into your bedroom to relax and induce sleep. Here are some of our favourite alternatives to pillow sprays:
Nathan Katnoria is a digital writer at Heatworld and Closer, with writing credits for Yours and Mother&Baby.
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