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If you have trouble getting a good nights sleep, you’re not alone. Each year an estimated 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia alone according to a widely circulated NPR report. That number doesn’t even touch on all of the many other possible sleep disorders out there that people may also have.
While the majority of us turn to sleeping pills, melatonin, sound and aromatherapy machines, eye masks, and various other methods in vain attempts to get some much needed shut eye, there may be an easier way. Simply placing several different types of plants around your bedroom can actually help to calm and relax both your body and mind when your head hits the pillow at night. It may not be the answer to all your sleep problems, but it will definitely make a positive, noticeable difference in your overall health.
That’s because having a few plants around your house helps to clean and purify the air inside and breathing in cleaner, fresher air can do wonders for our mind and body. With less toxins floating around in the air, we’re able to breathe in cleaner oxygen, which in turn reduces our chances of becoming sick or ill. It also makes us healthier by boosting our mood, so you stress and worry less at night and can focus on going to bed rather than on all of that stuff.
Here are six plants that can help you get a better nights sleep:
1. Jasmine. Jasmine has a very potent, powerful scent that smells wonderful, as well as natural qualities which make it an effective sleeping aid. According to a study done by Wheeling Jesuit University, jasmine acts to improve sleep while boosting your mood and decreasing anxiety. But this is nothing new, people have turned to the plant in order to help with sleep/anxiety issues for thousands of years.
2. Lavender. Lavender is another pleasant smelling plant which people have used since ancient times to reduce anxiety and stress problems. Its scent is what aids sleep because of the calming effects and soothing properties that it contains. Studies have found that breathing in both lavender essential oil and the fragrance from the plant is effective at helping to treat insomnia and anxiety.
3. Snake Plant. Don’t let the name turn you off, snake plants are extremely hardy and low maintenance. They are excellent mini air filters and come alive at night, when they release higher amounts of oxygen than what they produce during daytime hours. More oxygen equals better air quality which results in cleaner breathing and improved sleep.
4. Aloe Vera. Aloe is perhaps the most widely available plant on this list. It has long been used for a variety of health related issues and people use the gel found in it to treat everything from cuts, scrapes and burns to constipation and other skin related conditions. Aloe helps you sleep better by releasing high amounts of oxygen throughout the night. It’s another one of nature’s natural air purifiers!
5. English Ivy. English ivy works wonders at absorbing harmful toxins, such as formaldehyde and airborne mold, from the air. According to the Clean Air Study conducted by NASA, it ranks as the top-most effective air filtering and purifying plant. Be sure to keep several in your bedroom for the best results!
6. Red Edged Dracaena. This is the biggest plant on the list so it’s perfect if you have an empty spot in your room that needs filling! Red-edged dracaena also happened to make the NASA air study, where it was found to filter out large amounts of highly common VOCs (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are super toxic to human health and include the nasty chemicals such as formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, and toluene. Cleaner air with less of these chemicals in it means better sleep and health
There are a lot of other great plants that can boost your health and improve your quality of sleep beyond those covered above. The accompanying video goes over several more of them so be sure to check it out and see which ones work best for you!
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