Aromatherapy must be one of the most delicious ways of treating insomnia. It consists of massage using essential plant oils in a vegetable oil base, and is a wonderful way to experience deep relaxation, excellent for tension and stress-related conditions.

It is more than a pleasant experience, however. The essential oils are distilled from the flowers, leaves or roots of plants with specific curative properties. Their volatine elements are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, and into both the body and brain through the membranes at the back of the nose. They can affect the organs and glands within the body, and have a direct effect on mood, since they reach the parts of the brain controlling the emotions. So there are oils that can simultaneously calm you, clear your brain, and lift depression, as well as healing your physical body.

In France aromatherapy constitutes a complete system of alternative medicine; in the UK it has until recently been more associated with beauty care, since the oils are often used as an adjunct to a general massage or facial. However, practised by a qualified aromatherapist, there are medical conditions like rheumatic pains that it can certainly ease. Robert Tisserand, Britain’s leading aromatherapist, points out that the combination of massage, essential oils and relaxation can boost the immune system; his book Aromatherapy for Everyone (Penguin Books, 1988) includes a variety of case histories illustrating its various therapeutic uses.

These days aromatherapy is used in some hospitals and hospices, largely at the instigation of nurses, who recognize the value of healing touch. Within the medical context it does not replace drugs, but it does enhance their effects so that smaller doses can be prescribed.

A qualified aromatherapist will first take clients through a questionnaire to check on their medical history and specific needs, looking in the case of insomnia for its emotional and physical causes before choosing what combination of oils to use. One of the beauties of aromatherapy is that each oil has several properties, so that you can be treated on several levels at once.

The treatment itself can take up to an hour, sometimes longer, and usually the whole body will be massaged. Some people find themselves going to sleep on the massage table; some find that in this relaxed state they can talk out their problems with the therapist. And because scents can trigger the emotions and the memory, clients may find themselves experiencing an emotional release during or after a treatment. ‘You release the tensions, and also bring out things that people may have buried,’ says aromatherapist Tricia Dona-Hooker. ‘When people allow things to come up in them, they can be recognized and dealt with.’

Aromatherapists may well be able to help you come off sleeping pills or tranquillizers, using oils that can both calm you and cleanse your system of the drugs; like other natural therapists they will want you to get your doctor’s agreement first.

The choice of oils will depend on the individual’s physical and mental state. In Aromatherapy for Everyone Robert Tisserand describes how he helped an elderly widow suffering from depression and nightmares, one of whose children had died from a heroin overdose. Aromatherapy massage using a blend of frankincense, bergamot, clary sage and jasmine gradually cured her of her nightmares and depression, and enabled her to give up her nightly sleeping pill.

Your aromatherapist may also suggest nutritional changes, or supplements, Bach Flower Remedies or herbal remedies to take at home.

Self-help

A full aromatherapy treatment must be given by a professional, but your therapist may make up a mixture of oils for use at home, perhaps to rub into painful joints or as a relaxant in the bath. Oils can also be inhaled, either by putting a drop or two on a handkerchief, or as an inhalation in boiling water. You can buy essential oils in health food shops and pharmacies, and from herbalists; make sure they are reputable brands. Good quality oils include those made by Body Treats, Fleur, Neal’s Yard Apothecary, Shirley Price and Robert Tisserand. Some shops make up their own cheaper brands which may be of inferior quality or heavily diluted; they smell nice but don’t do much for you. Unfortunately, good oils can be expensive; prices vary according to the rarity of the plant. Blue Camomile, for instance, which is excellent for insomnia, costs around ?40 for a small bottle.

More moderately priced oils which are helpful for insomnia are firstly lavender, which is extremely versatile; it’s good for burns, insect bites, period problems and strengthening the immune system, among other properties. Neroli, marjoram, lemongrass, and linden (lime) blossom are all soothing; geranium helps to create balance and harmony; melissa oil is uplifting, and ylang-ylang will help lift depression. (Ylang-ylang also has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, so using it for a bedtime massage might not lead immediately to sleep.) Any of these oils can be used in the bath. To aid sleep, you can also put two or three drops on your pillow or on a handkerchief to sniff if you wake in the night.

If you have a partner or friend who will give your neck, shoulders and spine a gentle massage, you can make up your own massage oil. Use three or four drops of a single aromatherapy oil or two drops each of two oils in an egg-cup full of a base oil such as sweet almond or grape-seed.

If you make up larger amounts remember that once mixed, they will not retain their properties for very long. Keep the mixture in a dark, air-tight bottle and use it within three months. Don’t use the same oil or oil mixture consecutively for too long, as it may lose its initial impact.

Caution: Essential oils are extremely potent, and should not be used neat on your skin; you could have an allergic reaction or, like the man who unwittingly used neat rosemary oil on his head for baldness, you could suffer from even more severe insomnia and ‘mental chatter’.

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Anti-Depressants/Sleeping Aid