Aromatherapy for Sleep: Step-by-Step Essential Oil Foot Massage

Are you struggling to get a good night's sleep? If so, you're not alone. Many of us face the challenge of winding down at the end of a busy day and achieving deep, restorative sleep. Having a 2-year old certainly doesn’t help!

I find that even when I can get to sleep easily, I’m often getting woken during the night and that’s when I really have trouble getting back to sleep! Waking up feeling exhausted makes for a tough day ahead!

There is a simple trick you can do that requires very little effort but provides big returns.

In this post I’ll explain the basics of a quick foot massage using sleep inducing oils. And these aren’t weird or expensive oils you’ve never heard of. In fact, you could just use pure lavender oil, and a base oil like olive or almond oil and you’ll still be winning! I’ll share with a little bit of science, a little bit of energetics and some simple steps.

Before you know it, you too will be drifting into blissful, scented slumber and waking up feeling ready to face the world!

Why foot massage?

Imagine your body as a complex network of systems, each working together to keep you healthy and balanced. One important system is your nervous system, which controls everything from your heartbeat to your mood. When it comes to sleep, your nervous system plays a crucial role in helping you relax and unwind after a long day.

But what does the nervous system have to do with the feet?

The answer lies in the principles of reflexology, an ancient practice that involves stimulating reflex points on the feet to promote relaxation and balance throughout the body. Your feet contain thousands of nerve endings and reflex points that are connected to various organs and systems.

By massaging oil into these points, you can indirectly influence the corresponding areas of your body, promoting a sense of calm and well-being.

Additionally, the feet have large pores and can quickly absorb substances applied to them. When you coat your feet in oil infused with the right essential oils, you're not only providing a soothing massage but also allowing the beneficial compounds in the oil to be absorbed into your bloodstream, where they can take effect more rapidly.

You don’t need to be a qualified reflexologist to get the benefits of foot massage!

And why essential oils?

Two of the best sleep oils are Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) and Clary Sage (Salvia Sclarea).

Research has shown that certain compounds found in lavender and clary sage can interact with neurotransmitters in your brain, such as serotonin and GABA, which are involved in regulating sleep and relaxation.

Lavender, with its high levels is known to increase the percentage of deep or slow-wave sleep (SWS). It also increases stage 2 (light) sleep, and decreases rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of time to reach wake after first falling asleep (wake after sleep onset latency). This gives you higher vigour the morning after lavender exposure, due to the restorative deep sleep increase. [i]

Clary Sage is also high in linalool and linalyl acetate, which possess sedative and anxiolytic properties. It can support better quality sleep by helping modulate neurotransmitters, including serotonin, in the brain, which are crucial for regulating mood and sleep patterns (Joukar et al., 2019).

So, by combining the principles of reflexology with the therapeutic properties of essential oils, coating your feet in oil infused with lavender and clary sage becomes a powerful and holistic approach to promoting relaxation and improving sleep quality.

What are the steps?

It’s easy to fit theses steps into even the most minimalistic nighttime routine, and trust me – the benefits are worth the minor effort!

Steps:

Add a few drops of lavender and clary sage essential oils (or your choice of oils) to your carrier oil. Aim for a dilution ratio of 2-3% for adults (approximately 6-9 drops of essential oil per 30mls of carrier oil).
Sit comfortably and take a small amount of the oil mixture into your hands and warm it by rubbing your palms together.
Starting with one foot, gently massage the oil into the skin using circular motions. Pay attention to the entire foot, including the soles, heels, and toes.
Spend extra time on any sore spots, applying slightly firmer pressure to stimulate these areas.
Continue massaging for a couple of minutes, or until the oil has been fully absorbed.
Repeat the process with the other foot, using the same gentle, circular motions.
Once both feet have been massaged, take a few deep breaths to really take in the scent of the oils

Wash your hands thoroughly after applying the oil to avoid accidental contact with your eyes or mucous membranes while you are asleep.

And don’t let a lack of fancy oils deter you – you can use olive oil if that’s all you have! And likewise, swap out the oils for ones you prefer if you’re not a fan of lavender or clary.

If you don’t what to buy more than one oil, I’d say stick with Lavender oil – its definitely one of the best for sleep. Just make sure you buy pure, reputable lavender. Companies like Florihana.com deliver to most places around the world and they have good quality, well tested oils. If you use cheap oils from Amazon or the local chemist, the benefits of this practice will be lost.

Let me know how you go!

Incorporating essential oil foot massage into your bedtime routine can be a simple yet effective way to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. By combining the therapeutic properties of essential oils with the principles of reflexology, you can support your body's natural ability to unwind and prepare for restorative sleep.

So why not give it a try tonight? Your feet – and your sleep – will thank you for it.

I’d love to hear from you with any feedback – I love a good success story 😊

[i] Goel, N., Kim, H., & Lao, R. P. (2005). An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2(3), 375-377.