Written by Melanie Kassel, Performance Editor
Is there anything worse than tossing and turning every night? Don’t you just hate it when you go to bed feeling exhausted and then your mind starts replaying events from the entire day, recalling what happened?
Not only is this an unpleasant current sensation, but it’s also something that might prevent you from getting a good night of sleep. This can result in further exhaustion and lack of productivity throughout the following day.
What if we told you that there is a nice, convenient and all-natural solution to this problem? What if you didn’t have to take any hard medicine and handle this without so much as a hassle? Well, we are here to help you out by looking at a more natural remedy, with plants. Let’s see how.
Benefits of Sleep Inducing Plants
Right off the bat, these flowers can improve the quality of your air in a few different ways. Through their respiration, they are capable of reducing and regulating the CO2 levels as well as the humidity. They are also going to cut the count of different pollutants and the levels of dust as well.
Flowers and foliage are also capable of reducing the background noise in your room, especially if you live near a road or a boulevard. There are studies which are quite definitive, and they show that trees can do this and, apparently, the same is true with herbs and the like at home.
There are also quite a few different, well-documented mental benefits of keeping herbs and flowers indoors. It’s also true that their grace and their beauty touches us in a range of various ways.
11 Bedroom Plants to Help You Rest
Lavender
Lavender is probably one of the most recognized herbal scents out there. This is one of the most famous flowers and is capable of reducing anxiety levels and inducing a good night sleep. There is a lot of research which backs these claims up.
Lavender is known to slow down your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, reduce the overall stress levels and ease you into sleep. What is more, there are also scientific studies done, showing that lavender is capable of reducing the crying in newborn babies. This is something that parents would appreciate.
Jasmine
Not only is its exotic scent gentle and beautiful, but it also has a very soothing effect on your body and your mind. It has been determined that it can help in reducing levels of anxiety which leads to a more powerful and relaxed night sleep.
Furthermore, there are studies which also suggest that the scent of jasmine has very positive effects regarding your alertness and daily productivity. Its overall sedative properties are overly regarded as beneficial. Given the fact that it also looks fantastic, there’s no harm in using this to enhance the overall appeal of your room.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of the top herbs known for their air-improving capabilities according to NASA. It works a lot like the less-known Snake Plant. As such, it emits oxygen at night, which will potentially make your slumber a lot more restful. It is also one of the options which don’t require a lot of effort to grow and to maintain. It does tolerate “neglect,” so to speak, meaning that you don’t have to water it very frequently.
It’s enough to say that ancient Egyptians dubbed it the key to immorality because of its beneficial properties. This is known to soothe your mind, induce sleep and to enhance your overall mental alertness and clarity.
Snake Plant
This is one of the most commonly recommended options when it comes to improving the indoor air quality in your bedroom or any other room in the house. It is straightforward to take care of, which, let’s face it, is one of the things you are looking forward to.
The best thing about it is that it is easily capable of emitting oxygen during night time. At the same time, it’s taking in carbon dioxide – this is a gas that we produce while breathing. In other words – it will purify the air and induce a better night of sleep.
Valerian
Valerian is a type of herb which has caused reasons for a lot of interest, and it has been studied for its hypnotic effects ever since 2004. A team of Japanese researchers managed to determine that merely sniffing the scent could enhance the GABA system of your brain – that’s the one responsible for relaxation.
What is more, the root of the flower is also considered to be amongst the best herbs for handling insomnia. It is also used as an anti-anxiety treatment and as a sedative. What is more, it’s sold as a painkiller as well, as it is capable of reducing severe pain caused by a variety of injuries.
Peace Lily
Peace Lily is known for its ability to remove benzene as well as formaldehyde from the air within the room. That’s why it’s capable of cleaning dry environments and making them moister. This is something which would regulate the levels of humidity and make sure that the air within the room is appropriate for sleeping and relaxation.
This is why they are considered to be ideal for different types of dry climates. In other words, you can easily use them as an electric air humidifier but they won’t make nearly as much noise, and they would be far less expensive to maintain. You can water them about once a week, and that would be all they need.
Gardenia
Similarly to Jasmine flowers, the gardenias have characteristic white blooms and more than appealing and enjoyable scent. They are also capable of inducing a substantial sedative effect on those of you who decide to inhale their pleasant fragrance.
There was a study conducted back in 2010 in Dusseldorf’s University Heinrich Heine which managed to determine that the scent is just as useful for its relaxation properties as valium. This is quite substantial. It means that you can use a gardenia on your side while sleeping and this would potentially prevent you from taking sleeping pills.
Gerbera Daisy
Now, the truth is that out of all the options that we’ve listed up until now, this one requires the most care. However, it is also known for having a beautiful blooming flower which is capable of bringing cheer to any room. Just like the snake plant and the Aloe Vera, this one is going to help you sleep through the release of extra oxygen into the air.
This is something which is going to help all of you who are suffering from sleeping issues as you wouldn’t have to turn to heavy medicine and sleeping pills. What is more, it’s beautiful and cheery, and this would bring a lot of positivity and joy to your room just by being placed there.
Spider Plant
Chlorophytum Comosum, or Spider Plant, as it is most commonly known, is used to purify the air in an incredible, natural manner. It has the ability to get rid of formaldehyde from the air you breathe with a substantial efficiency. NASA even did a study, showing that it is capable of getting rid of up to 90% of the formaldehyde in the air which surrounds them. This is undoubtedly something beneficial.
If you want to get fresh air free of this harmful yet ever-present pollutant, you can keep one or two of these beautiful plants in your bedroom – it’s certainly something that’s capable of helping you out for a better night of sleep.
English Ivy
This has also been researched by NASA, and the research showed substantial detoxifying effects, much like the ones of the aforementioned spider plant. It is great for bedrooms and for other spaces which need fresh air.
It is an excellent solution for people who are suffering from different allergies. However, you ought to take into account that this is toxic if you ingest it. So, even though it could be beneficial, if accidentally ingested, it could also cause some issues. That’s why we advise refraining from putting this inside, especially if you have small children or pets.
Golden Pothos
According to NASA, this is an exceptional choice and is capable of purifying the air around it in a very convenient manner. If you have a hectic schedule, you will really appreciate the fact that this plant doesn’t really require any special care. All you have to do is to put it in a place where it’d get a few hours of sun every day and water it once a week.
It is also something which makes for a great hanging solution. This would curb the overly invasive nature of it, and it would also keep the mildly toxic leaves of it away from pets and kids.
How to Take Care of Them?
Of course, growing houseplants in a successful manner would require quite some care. There are a few things that you’d have to keep in mind. First, you should know that you ought to place them at the right location. All plants like sunlight – keep this in mind. Of course, direct sunlight might be harmful to some of the flowers.
You should also keep in mind that irrigation is critical. Depending on the plant, you might have to water them daily or once a week. Look up for dehydration signs. These might include translucent leaves, slow leaf growth, brown, yellow or curled leaf edges. If you start noticing them, it means that you’re not watering your plants regularly. Make sure not to overwater them, though, as it could cause the same amount of damage as dehydration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Houseplants grow in low light?
Not all of them, but some of them might be able to. Naturally, though, those plants which are exposed to sunlight are going to grow quicker and faster, and they’d produce more oxygen. This makes them more efficient altogether.
Do they release oxygen for better sleep?
Yes, all of them do. This is something pertaining to all plants – they consume CO2 that we exhale and they produce oxygen. This helps regulate the levels in the air, making the overall environment predisposing for a great night of sleep. This is the so-called “air purifying” effect that we’ve mentioned above.
Where is the best place to put them?
This would depend on the aim that you have. Some plants such as Valerian, for instance, might actually produce a rather strong scent and hypnotic effect, so it’s probably better to keep them at a further distance from your bed. Also, there are plants which are toxic when ingested, so it is a good idea to keep them out of reach of children.
What is the feng shui of plants in the bedroom?
Well, usually, having plants in your bedroom is not considered a good feng shui approach. Of course, if you have a very spacious bedroom and you can put them at a larger distance from each other – then you might consider it. However, strictly speaking, plants are not considered the best option for your bedroom in terms of feng shui.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether you’re having sleeping issues or not, having plants at home is something that you should consider. Their natural properties are particularly beneficial. Most of them have strong purifying capabilities and are even capable of removing benzene and formaldehyde from the air.
They bring proper balance and reduce the levels of CO2 at home which is critical for our well-being. As you know, CO2 is toxic in high levels, and we produce it with every single breath we take. With this said, plants are there to regulate this and to make sure that you inhale purified air.
Having them in your bedroom could induce proper night of sleep, and even though it’s not considered the best feng shui, there’s a lot of research and studies on the topic, backing their overly beneficial properties.
Above are some of the best sleep-inducing plants that you can consider. Hopefully, they will make your night a lot more relaxing.
Sources and References:
- Interior Landscape Plants For Indoor Air Pollution Abatement – NASA.gov
- Planting Healthier Indoor Air – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Recommended Reading:
- Top 11 Sleeping Habits of Successful People [Infographic]
Melanie Kassel
Performance Editor
About Author
As Sleep Advisor’s Performance Editor, Melanie writes and edits content throughout the site to ensure it’s accurate, engaging, and up-to-date.
Combination Sleeper