We asked Sleep Expert Dr Lindsay as part of our Sleep Series “Do scents help with sleep?”
“A pillow spray is a fragrance you spray onto your pillow before sleep, often containing essential oils such as lavender or chamomile. It’s a lovely way to make bedtime feel more pleasant. While small studies suggest that lavender and other essential oils may promote calmness or improve how people feel they’ve slept, there’s no strong scientific consensus that they directly improve sleep itself.
What really matters is finding a scent you enjoy and making it part of your bedtime ritual. Using a familiar fragrance before bed can help your brain associate that smell with winding down and preparing for sleep.
Personally, I use a pillow spray every night and take it with me when I travel. That familiar scent helps create a sense of comfort and consistency, wherever I’m sleeping.”
“It’s not about a scent ‘fixing’ sleep — it’s about creating a calming bedtime ritual that your brain learns to associate with rest.”
— Dr Lindsay, Sleep Expert
Explore our Sleep Better collection for calming essentials designed to help you relax, unwind, and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.
