Another sleepless night has passed and you have to get up and go through your busy day giving your best. What’s more difficult than that? Sleeping disorders will drain your energy, reduce your productivity, make you moody and nervous, and in a worst-case scenario cause some difficult health problems.
There’s one easy way how you can improve your sleeping without having to rely on sleeping pills: plants for a bedroom. (1)
Yes, bring flowers and plants into your home. They will not only spice up the décor, but they will also help you relax and purify your body-eventually leading to better sleep.
Since anxiety and stress are guilty of half of the sleeping disorders, it will certainly do you good if you decorate your house with various plants which have calming effects.
According to studies, spending time in nature is the best cure for stress and anxiety, but since we are living such a fast-paced life and we can’t afford to go to nature very often, then why not bring nature to us.
Polluted air, molds, and bad odor are a few things that affect our breathing, causing insomnia and sleeping disorders. According to a study conducted by NASA, these could be easily solved just by decorating your home with a few plants which can purify the air.
Due to their purifying and calming effects, these are the 12 bedroom plants that will help you sleep better:
Jasmine
Jasmine is an exotic, gentle plant that has many calming effects. According to a study having jasmine in your home will be helpful in reducing anxiety, thus improving the quality of sleep. And not to mention, jasmine plant care is easy and will enrich the appearance of your room. It’ll attract a lot of attention with its ivory or pink blossoms.
In fact, Jasmine can replace chemical air fresheners with its fresh, springy scent.
Research has also shown that such quality sleeping will increase your readiness and you’ll make the most of your day.
Lavender
All of us are familiar with the smell of lavender. Lavender is also famous for its calming and relaxing effects which can induce sleep and reduce anxiety and nervousness. Research has confirmed that the smell of lavender slows down the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress.
Another study has shown how lavender scent calmed down crying babies, and at the same time reduced the level of stress in the child and the mother as well. Isn’t this great news for all new mothers?
Lavender scent will increase light sleep in women, and decrease rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, and will also decrease the period of time to wake after first you’ve fallen asleep, but it’ll have the opposite effect in men.
Sure there are many alternatives where you can get lavender scent from, like lavender mattresses or scented sleep masks. But a beautiful lavender plant will fill the room with an amazing scent and enrich the décor as well.
Lady Palm (Bamboo Palm)
Lady Palms serve a solely decorative purpose, perhaps unlike many other bedroom plants, but that doesn’t make them any less dandy and beautiful.
Regardless of your home decor style, the Lady Palm will fit in perfectly with its elegant evergreenish fan pattern. This houseplant is fairly simple to grow and nurture because it doesn’t need excessive watering or direct light. You can put it on one of your shelves or in the corner of your bedroom.
The Bamboo Palm or the Reed Palm is an exotic plant that. In case the leaves lose their authentic green color and start turning yellow, you might need to treat the plant with insecticide.
Fun fact: Lady Palms are ideal for homes with cats as they neutralize litter box smell.
Snake Plant (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue)
The Snake plant is number one plant when it comes to purifying the air. That’s because it takes in the carbon dioxide during the night while at the same time emits oxygen, thus filling the room with clean air, providing us with better sleep.
This plant is also an effective filter for some nasty household toxins from the air, like trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde.
Another positive side of the Snake plant is that it’s a pretty strong and easy-to-care-for plant. So if you are one of those who want plants but find it difficult to take care of them, the Snake plant is the real choice for you.
You can purchase it in a 6-inch pot from this page on Amazon.
Aloe Vera
The Aloe Vera has the same effect as the Snake plant. It takes in carbon dioxide and emits oxygen. The amazing Aloe is also easy-to-take care for plant, so don’t worry if you forget to water it sometimes.
The Aloe Vera reproduces very fast, so if you have only one plant for now, soon you’ll have enough to decorate every room of your house and even give some as a gift to your friends and family.
Since the Aloe Vera needs a lot of sunlight, the perfect place for this plant would be by the window.
The gel from the Aloe Vera is an excellent healer of insect bites, minor cuts, burns and it’s also good for dry skin and much more. Aren’t these reasons enough for you to have this plant at your home?
Gardenia
These beautiful flowers are another great choice for your bedroom because they can be very helpful in providing you with quality sleep. According to some studies Gardenias are as effective as Valium in reducing anxiety and promoting quality sleep.
But Gardenias can be difficult to take care of because they need constant care in order to maintain the leaves beautiful. Place an indoor Gardenia in a place with enough daylight, but do not expose it to direct sunlight.
The benefits you’ll get from having a Gardenia in your home are worth putting a little effort in trying to take care of it.
Passionflower
Passiflora refers to a genus of about 500 types of flowers from the family Passifloraceae. Passionflowers are another wonderful bedroom plant choice because of their soothing smell, exotic flowers, and distinctive petaloid.
According to folk medicine, passion flowers aid in reducing anxiety and insomnia.
Bromeliad
Looking like being plucked from a coral reef, Bromeliads are a type of tropical air-cleansing plant that captivates with its vivid colors. The Bromeliads are called air cleansers because they increase oxygen in the evening and absorb carbon dioxide during the day.
This bedroom plant is a family of monocot plants encompassing over 3000 species. The flower is native mainly to the tropical Americas such as Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia.
To bring a piece of that tropical heat in your home, you should just get a Bromeliad—extravagant, colorful, and ever in full bloom. As for watering, Bromeliads are not very needy—once a week is enough for them.
Spider Plant
The Spider plant is also a very effective air cleanser. According to NASA tests, it’s good in removing 90% of formaldehyde- which is considered a cancer-causing chemical. And formaldehyde is one of the components in many household products so maybe it’s a good idea to have one of these plants around.
Plus the Spider plant will absorb bad smells and fumes and maintain normal level of oxygen in the room, thus improving your sleep.
Valerian
The Valerian is a seasonal flowering plant. Its scented white or pink flowers bloom in summer.
In the 16th century, the blossoms of the Valerian were used as a perfume and its root was the major ingredient of tea or tinctures. The Roman philosopher and physician, Galen prescribed Valerian root as a cure for insomnia.
Recent research proved that Galen was right in his theory- it’s sufficient to only smell the root and you’ll fall asleep fast and sound.
Keep this plant by the window since it needs 6 hours of direct sunlight. You can also add several petals to your bath to help you relax.
Chinese Evergreen
For all those preferring evergreen plants that look lavish yet don’t need much attention, the Chinese Evergreen is a perfect choice. The plant is a powerful air cleanser, much like the Bromeliad. Chinese Evergreens have splendid leaves and thrive in medium to low light or indirect sunlight.
The houseplant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and apart from being ornamental, it is also considered to be a luck bringer.
English Ivy
English Ivy is an easy-to-take-care-of plant that requires a little direct sunlight exposure and is very effective in cleansing the air.
According to studies the English Ivy is good in fighting allergies and asthma- which can cause many sleeping disorders. In a report from The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology it was said that this plant removed 78% of airborne mold and 94% of airborne feces in a period of 12 hours.
We all know how harmful sleeping in a room filled of mold is, so buying an English Ivy is not a bad idea at all.
The plant will look luxurious in a hanging basket with its leaves trailing down. But you should have in mind that it’s toxic, so make sure it’s out of reach for pets and children.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily is not only a beautiful plant to look at. It’s also a champion in filtering trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and benzene from the air.
This bedroom plant can raise the level of moisture in a room by up to 5%, thus suppressing airborne microbes which cause allergies. It also calms down an irritated dry nose and dry throat, which can cause sleeping disorders as well.
Place your Peace Lily in a shady place, keep it away from children and pets, and water it once a week- it doesn’t need much and it’ll provide you with a good night’s sleep.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a perennial herbaceous plant from the mint family, native to south-central Europe and the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and Iran.
The lemon balm bedroom plant is aids anxiety, stress, insomnia, indigestion, and it’s also used as prevention for dementia.
If you cannot fit it into your bedroom or you have enough bedroom plants already, drinking lemon balm tea, using the lemon balm-based essential oil as your air freshener can also have a calming effect on your body.
In fact, many plant-based supplements that treat insomnia use mint and lemon balm as their main solidity.
Bamboo Palm
The Bamboo Palm or the Reed Palm is an exotic plant that will replace the chemical air fresheners.
Place it in a shady place, water it regularly but be careful not to wet the soil too much, and enjoy clean, fresh air throughout the day and night.
Gerbera Daisies
Yellow, orange, pink, white- the choice is yours. These beautiful flowers will certainly improve your mood. But that’s not all they can do. Gerbera Daisies also purify the air during the night and release oxygen, thus help you breathe easily while you’re sleeping. These daisies will certainly be helpful if you suffer from allergies or apnea.
Have in mind that these Daisies require extra attention since they are easily prone to fungal diseases.
Golden Pothos
NASA names this plant as another excellent air cleanser. The Golden Pothos has heart-shaped leaves and it’s an easy-to-take-care for plant. A few hours of sunlight exposure and weekly watering it’s all this plant needs.
The best place for this plant is in a hanging basket. Keep it out of pets’ and children’s reach because it’s a toxic plant.
Rosemary
Native to the Mediterranean region, the rosemary bedroom plant is an indoor, needle-leaved shrub with pink, purple, blue, or white flowers.
The rosemary plant needs direct sunlight and regular watering, but be careful not to over-water it for the root may start to rot. The plant is used for improving indigestion, memory, and it’s a rich source of antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties.
Once in your home, you can use its leaves in your day-to-day cooking as a spice, or make rosemary oil which you can use as a powerful cognitive stimulant.
When Bringing Plants To Your Home:
- You should make sure that they aren’t toxic to pets and children.
- Don’t forget to wipe their leaves at least once a week so they can do their job of filtering the air effectively.
- For better results combine plants that will purify the air and those which will provide you with a good night’s sleep.
- According to NASA 15-18 air-cleansing plants in an 1800 square foot house will be enough.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.