How to Make an Aromatherapy Sleep Spray

By
Michelle Ullman
Michelle Ullman
Michelle Ullman
Michelle is a commerce editor covering home improvement, landscaping, and tools. She has been writing about home decor for over 10 years for publications like BobVila.com and Better Homes & Gardens, among others.
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Updated on 09/12/22
Fact checked by
Sarah Scott
SS
Fact checked by Sarah Scott
Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.
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DIY aromatherapy sleep spray in small brown spray bottle

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 5 - 10 mins
  • Skill Level: Beginner

This article is part of our series, Sleep Week: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Your Best Sleep Ever. Sleep Week is your destination for whole sleep happiness, curating our very best tips and product recommendations to help you create your coziest, most comfortable sleep environment yet.

An aromatherapy sleep spray may help you relax so you can enjoy a blissfully peaceful night's sleep. It's a blend of essential oils that smells wonderful, freshens your room, is completely natural, and has no side effects. It's safe to use this spray on a child's bedding for a calming effect, as well. Making an aromatherapy sleep spray is a quick and easy DIY project.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, which are derived from plants, to create a desired frame of mind or physical effect. It’s been around for centuries, and it’s very effective at promoting relaxation, inducing sleep, reducing anxiety, and dulling aches and pains. There are several ways to use aromatherapy oils, but one of the easiest and most versatile is to create a spray that includes lavender to promote sleep.

Warning

Keep all bottles of essential oils safely away from children so they are not tempted to drink them.

How to Make DIY Linen Spray

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Small funnel
  • Small, dark glass spray bottle

Materials

  • 1 to 3  ounces vodka
  • Distilled water
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil
  • 10 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
  • 10 drops bergamot, jasmine, ylang ylang, or geranium essential oil

Instructions

Materials and tools to make an aromatherapy sleep spray

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  1. Add Vodka to Bottle

    Pour vodka into your bottle using the funnel. Vodka won't affect the fragrance of your sleep spray and the alcohol helps the spray to dry quickly so it won't leave wet marks on your sheets.

    The amount of vodka depends on the bottle’s size. For example, use 1 ounce of vodka in a 2-ounce bottle, 2 ounces of vodka in a 4-ounce bottle, and 4 ounces in an 8-ounce bottle.

    Tip

    If you don’t have vodka, substitute witch hazel or rubbing alcohol, but be aware that these might alter the scent of your finished spray.

    Vodka added to small brown spray bottle through funnel

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  2. Add Lavender

    Add 10 drops of lavender essential oil to the bottle.

    Lavender essential oil added to spray bottle

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  3. Add Chamomile

    Add 10 drops of Roman chamomile essential oil into the bottle.

    Tip

    There are two types of chamomile essential oil: Roman and German. Roman chamomile oil is a centuries-old remedy for a good night's sleep. It has been prized for centuries for its abilities to relax both the mind and body. German oil is typically used in a bath for muscle and joint discomfort. It has been used as a medicine for thousands of years dating back to the ancient Egyptians.

    Chamomile essential oil added to spray bottle

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  4. Add the Other Oils

    Add 10 drops of your third choice of essential oil.

    If you want, you can also add 10 drops of a fourth choice from the list of essential oils that will blend to create a delicious sleep scent.

    Other essential oils added to spray bottle

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  5. Finish With Distilled Water

    Pour in just enough distilled water to almost reach the top of the bottle. Leave a little bit of room so you can mix the ingredients. Put on the bottle top and shake to blend oils, vodka, and water.

    Distilled water poured into spray bottle

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  6. Spray Where Needed

    Gently spray your pillows and sheets before climbing into bed at night or wherever the scent could help you to relax.

    Warning

    The lavender in the spray is safe to use on a dog's bed or crate to help your pet settle down. Do not use lavender for a cat's bedding or crate, however, because the oil is toxic for felines.

    DIY aromatherapy spray applied over bed with brown comfortor

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Babar, Ali et al. Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, vol. 5, no. 8, pp. 601-611, 2015. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.12492

  2. Essential Oils. Missouri Poison Center.

  3. German Chamomile. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

  4. Lavender. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.