Herbal Dream Pillows | What to use

Herbal dream pillows, whether you sew them by hand or just tie up the dry herbs in a sock, help a lot if you have nightmares all the time or just struggle with calming down. It’s an easy way to use aromatherapy to promote healthy sleep! But which plants should you use, and why? This post lists the most common and easy-to-find dried herbs for sleep aid, lessening  insomnia, anxiety, and the stress hormone- cortisol. All the herbs I mention are dried, and can last a little over a year if you store your sleep pillow in a low temperature room where it wont get wet!

Choice herbs and why to use them:

• Lavender (flowers)

The most common sedative plant around. Lavender’s scent calms the mind and promotes deep sleep. Using this will help if you have nightmares, joint aches, or a busy mind at night.  

• Linden (leaves)

Linden is used to help relax a worn out nervous system. It’s got a very mild smell and makes a big difference in how deeply you sleep. 

• Holy Basil or Tulsi (leaves)

Holy Basil is an invigorating smelling adaptogen, it helps your body manage stress by lowering cortisol and improving mental endurance. Using this also makes dreams more vivid because Holy Basil has a strong smell. 

• Chamomile (flower)

Chamomile is a mind-calming and muscle-relaxing flower that helps lower depression and stress. Its mild scent also helps with bad digestion which affects how deeply we sleep. 

• Catnip (leaves)

Catnip helps regulate mood, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system. It has very little smell and is a great filler for your herb pillow.

• Rosemary (leaves)

Rosemary is common for improving memory strength and dreams. It’s another plant that helps regulate mood to lessen anxiety and depression. 

• Peppermint (leaves)

Peppermint has a very stimulating smell that clears the mind. It’s used for headaches, dizziness and relaxing strained muscles. 

• Sage (leaves)

Sage’s calming smell decreases cortisol levels, using this herb will help boost your mood and stimulate clear thinking. 

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Any of these herbs can be used in combination to stuff a little sachet. Fill your dream pillow or honored sock halfway with a dry grain like rice, wheat, or barley to give it weight (or if you want to warm up the little pillow in the oven for relieving strained eyes or joints) and measure out small, even portions of the herbs you picked to fill the other half of the dream pillow. Stitch it up tightly and keep it in your bed! 

Ever used one of these before? How did it affect your sleep?