13 Best Plants to Help You Sleep

Bad sleep means low energy, bad health, and just simply dragging yourself through the day. Here are 13 plants that help you get to sleep.​

Best plants for sleep with some greens placed on a shelf while others are in pots, all placed somewhere with warm sunlight

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At some time in your life, you’ve probably had a hard time getting to sleep. Bad sleep means low energy, bad health, and simply dragging yourself through the day.

It’s already been proven that surrounding yourself with nature helps with anxiety and stress, which are the two main reasons behind many sleeping issues.

But did you know that bringing a little nature to your room can also help? Here are 13 plants that help you get to sleep.

Munstead Lavender Seeds

Munstead Lavender Seeds

Introduced in 1916, ‘Munstead’ was named for Munstead Woods in England where it was a favorite of renowned garden designer, writer, and artist, Gertrude Jekyll.

‘Munstead’ flowers earlier than other lavenders and stays compact. English lavenders are preferred for culinary uses and oils. Heat- and drought-tolerant plants attract pollinators.

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English Ivy

A brown hanging pot with a lush cascade of leaves spilling over its edges, adding a touch of natural elegance to any space. The leaves catch the sunlight, casting a gentle glow and infusing the surroundings with a serene ambiance.
It is a great indoor plant for its ability to purify air well.

While this plant is considered invasive in many areas, if you’re going to use it indoors, you should be just fine. The reason it’s such a powerful plant for the bedroom is that it purifies the air much better than many other plants.

In fact, astronauts take it into space because it is just that good at air purification. One thing to remember, however: it’s poisonous. So don’t eat it and keep it away from children or pets.

Peace Lily

White lovely flowers with delicate, pristine petals contrast beautifully against a backdrop of green foliage.
This plant improves air quality in an enclosed space.

Aside from being beautiful, the peace lily has many unique properties that most people are unaware of. It filters the air inside your house of two dangerous compounds: benzene and formaldehyde.

It will also help add a bit of humidity back to rooms that are too dry, usually around 5% to 10%. If you are suffering from dry skin or a dry mouth, that might be all you need to get a little bit of relief. On top of that, you will remove the need to run an air humidifier, which will save you money on the purchase as well as electricity costs.

As if it couldn’t get any better, peace lilies are also very easy to maintain. All you have to do is water them once a week.

Bamboo Palm

A shot of a developing houseplant on a white pot, showcasing bamboo palm indoors
It needs moisture and sunlight to thrive.

This tropical plant will add a different vibe to your bedroom compared to most of the plants on this list. All you need to do to care for it is keep it moist and give it partial sunlight, and it will go to work for you by purifying your air and removing unwanted smells.

Snake Plant

Upright, sword-like leaves with deep green centers and light yellow margins grow rigidly from a white pot.
They effectively clean air constantly.

This plant is one of the better plants to have if you want to purify your air. No matter what time of day it is, snake plants will be working away to remove harmful compounds from the air. It also doesn’t look too bad either!

Unlike most plants, snake plants also exhale oxygen during the nighttime instead of inhaling it, meaning that your room will be highly oxygenated as you go to sleep. This gives you a bit of extra relief on top of its air purification properties.

Aloe Vera

Long, succulent leaves with a smooth, waxy surface and serrated edges, growing in a dense cluster in a white pot on a light windowsill.
Its gel is amazing for the skin.

Most people know aloe vera for its many other benefits besides sleep. You can use the gel to heal skin injuries much quicker, you can use it as a drink to help you digest food more efficiently, and the list goes on.

But one of the lesser-known uses for aloe vera is as a plant in the bedroom. As the sun goes down, aloe vera exhales oxygen, which increases the amount of oxygen in the air. This means you’ll have an easier time sleeping, especially if you are suffering from sleep conditions like sleep apnea.

It’s one of the easiest plants to take care of, requiring practically no maintenance at all.

Gardenia

Glossy evergreen leaves frame waxy white blossoms in a dense, rounded shrub.
The plant’s scent aids quality sleep.

Gardenias have one of the most pleasant scents of any flower that you can grow. They’re very similar to jasmine in both appearance and scent, along with their effect on you as a person.

Simply smelling the flowers will sedate you, making it very easy for you to get to sleep. Some people even use gardenias and jasmine in place of sleeping pills as an eco-friendly and natural way to deal with their sleep issues.

Spider Plant

A close-up shot of a potted spider plant, placed on top of a table in a well lit area indoors
They are easy to maintain.

While the name is a bit weird, this plant is a powerhouse. It can remove many toxins from the air, especially formaldehyde. Spider plants are also low-maintenance, so even those with “brown thumbs” can take care of them without fear of killing them. There’s really no reason why you shouldn’t have a spider plant in your bedroom!

Gerbera Daisies

Bright pink gerbera daisies with multiple layers of smooth, slightly rounded petals and dark centers, surrounded by glossy, deep green leaves with gently serrated edges, fill a flower pot viewed from above.
This plant helps oxygenate the air in the bedroom.

It’s always nice when a plant that helps you with your sleep also happens to look beautiful. Gerbera daisies are very similar to aloe vera plants in that as night falls, they release more oxygen into your bedroom.

Many people with sleeping disorders find this very helpful, as they take in less air than the average person, so more oxygenated air will help them get a bit of relief.

Golden Pothos

Glossy, heart-shaped foliage with marbled patterns of green and creamy gold on delicate vines in a wooden pot, close-up.
They work well in pots or hanging containers.

Golden pothos is very easy to grow, and you can put it in a container that you hang from your ceiling. I personally like to put a couple in the corners of my ceiling to brighten up the room and because the plant has exceptional formaldehyde and benzene removal properties.

You may want to consider placing it near a window, especially if you keep it open and live in an area where there are cars, smog, smoke, or other particulates in the air.

Jasmine

In this captivating close-up, white jasmine flowers are prominently displayed, showcasing their delicate beauty as they bask in the warm sunlight. Surrounding the flowers, lush green leaves create a vibrant contrast.
Its scent is calming, aiding sleep.

Jasmine is one of my favorite plants of all time. Whenever I walk by it on the street, I make sure to stop and smell the flowers. The sweet scent that emanates from the white flowers of the jasmine plant has been proven to have a calming effect on people as they try to fall asleep. People who have jasmine in their bedroom tend to toss and turn less forcefully and get to sleep quicker.

You can also use jasmine flowers to create a great essential oil that helps with some more severe health issues like depression or anxiety.

Lavender

A close-up shot of a composition of vibrant purple colored flowers of an aromatic plant, which showcases if a lavender is an annual or perennial
It’s popularly made as scents or oils because of its calming effect.

Most of you will recognize lavender as a popular scent in essential oils, beverages, and candles. This is because it has a calming effect on most people. In fact, studies have shown that even the scent of lavender will help calm babies down and help them sleep better.

But the power of lavender extends past infancy. It’s a great scent and plant to have in the home to calm you down as you go to sleep.

Valerian

A close-up of delicate pink valerian herb flowers. The intricate petals gracefully unfold, hinting at nature's elegance. In the backdrop, a soft blur reveals a lush canvas of green foliage, setting a serene ambiance.
It has proven benefits, contributing to sleep and relaxation.

Valerian is a heavily studied plant with scientifically proven effects on sleep and relaxation. Herbalists and practitioners have used its roots for centuries as a treatment for insomnia and anxiety. It’s also mixed into many other natural sleep remedies as an additive.

The plant is quite pretty, so it will beautify your room as well as prepare your body to sleep.

Red-Edged Dracaena

A closeup shot of a Red Edged Dracaena appearing to have long green leaves with red edges placed under warm sunlight
It cleans the air well and adds color to any space.

The striking red spiky leaves of this large houseplant make it a wonderful way to add color and vibrancy to your room. It also removes many common toxins from the air.

However, it needs quite a bit of light to grow well, but you may not want to give it as much as it needs, as it can grow up to 15 feet tall, which is a bit big for most bedrooms!

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