There are thousands of plant-based sleep apnea remedies on the market, along with supplements to help with sleep apnea, which may vary in effectiveness, depending on your overall health, sleep habits, and the nature of your symptoms.
For many, the best ways to enhance natural sleep are to focus on a holistic approach, with positive lifestyle changes, sleep-promoting and anxiety-reducing routines, and learning powerful breathing techniques that can support healthy nighttime breathing. In this guide, we’ll discuss the potential relief essential oils may offer, along with other non-medical approaches, such as positional therapy for sleep apnea, that you may wish to try.
Comparing Natural Approaches for Sleep Apnea
As most sleep apnea sufferers will know, there are countless possible ways to deal with the condition, from prescribed medications and CPAP machines to focusing on a more sleep-inductive lifestyle and routines, lowering overall stress, and ensuring a well-balanced diet and nutrition.
Essential oils have been used in alternative medicine for many years, and some forms of aromatherapy are thought to be useful. Aromatic plant oils can help balance the chemicals in our brains that help us feel calm and relaxed, including serotonin and endorphins.
The basics are that when we have a good balance of these ‘feel-good’ hormones, our brains also produce melatonin, the hormone we rely on to wind down and drift off to sleep. Products made with eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint oil are also thought to help lower the amount of mucus in the airways, contribute to a relaxed mood, or augment the way sleep apnea sufferers perceive that conventional medicinal approaches are working.
You might want to try using a diffuser–keeping in mind that essential oils should not be used in a CPAP machine. Apply massage and body creams infused with essential oils, or purchase bath foams and products designed to help in natural relaxation.
Is There Proof That Essential Oils Can Help Improve Nighttime Breathing?
Sleep apnea can be complex. While obstructive sleep apnea is more likely to respond to natural approaches, it remains key to follow the guidance of your physician and avoid making any changes to your routine without first verifying that they are safe and appropriate for you.
However, there is evidence, albeit limited, that some types of essential oils positively impact sleep or anxiety–while not being considered a standalone treatment or alternative.
A systematic review, which analyzed a range of studies and clinical trials, found that essential oils have some applications in addressing mild sleep disturbances. Most research is based on lavender oil.
However, the findings state that inhaled essential oils are possibly a ‘safe alternative’ to medical interventions for those with less severe sleep disturbances. They also note that more studies are necessary to reach more definitive results.
Finding Natural Ways to Help Overcome Sleep Apnea
We mentioned positional therapy, which involves changing the way you sleep, usually switching to sleep on your side, to try and reduce the way sleep apnea disrupts your sleeping pattern.
This can involve using special pillows to support a particular posture and alleviate pressure on your airways. Varying studies have contrasting outcomes, with some noting positive reductions in the number of waking instances per night and others finding that positional therapy made little change to quality of life.
That said, you may find that adjusting your sleeping position is helpful because much depends on the factors contributing to your sleep apnea. Other options may include adding beneficial supplements, plants, and herbs to your diet, practicing meditation to reduce stress and anxiety around bedtime, and adapting your sleep routine with a focus on good sleep hygiene and a restful sleep environment.
Many encouraging studies indicate that essential oils, alongside other holistic changes, may have positive outcomes. You’ll find more in-depth guidance in our latest publication, which explores breathing routines, exercises, and sleep-inducing habits to help overcome sleep apnea for good.
