Trouble Sleeping? How Succulents Can Help Improve Your Sleep

As somebody who’s suffered from sleep issues for many years, I know how important it is to get a proper, decent night’s sleep. Over the years I’ve tried so many different things all with varying amounts of success, that is until a friend suggested I tried placing a succulent or two in the bedroom. This worked so well that I decided to investigate why and I’m sure, like me, you’ll be surprised with what I found.

Do succulents help you sleep? Not only can succulents help you to sleep but they can also improve the quality of your sleep too, allowing you to wake up refreshed, rejuvenated, and recharged.

A study carried out by the Cleveland Clinic found that between 33% and 50% (up to 70 million) of all Americans will suffer from some sort of sleep disorder in their life [source]. While this number may be shocking, you’ll be pleased to know that succulents offer one of the best natural remedies for this.

How do succulents help you sleep?

There’s a common misconception that says you shouldn’t put any plants in your bedroom because they produce carbon dioxide at night but this is completely wrong, especially for succulents. This is just one of the many ways they can help you to sleep, stay asleep and help to improve the quality of that sleep.

There are a number of different ways that succulents can help you to sleep.

Producing oxygen 24/7

We all know that plants use photosynthesis to grow and that a byproduct of this is that they absorb carbon dioxide and expel oxygen during the day. Succulents, on the other hand, don’t restrict this process to just daylight hours. They’re even able to do this without any sunlight at all which is why they’re probably the best ‘sleep aid’ plant you’ll ever find.

You might be thinking that all this extra oxygen is great but how does it help me sleep? I wondered this myself until I came across a 2004 clinical trial into the effects of oxygen on sleep, the trial found that an oxygen-enriched room will help you to spend longer in deep sleep. While that doesn’t mean an oxygen-rich room will help you get to sleep any quicker, what it does mean though is that the sleep you do have will be of a better quality. After all, deep sleep is what we need to help us feel more energized and ready for the day ahead. Deep sleep is also what the body needs to help it recover from the stresses of the day (both physical and mental).

Purifying the air

As well as producing more oxygen succulents also help to actively clean the air of volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) which can interfere with our breathing and our ability to take in enough oxygen. These nasties (which come in the form of formaldehyde, ammonia, trichloroethylene, benzene, xylene, toluene, and nitrogen oxides) can all have a negative impact on the freshness and quality of the air around us which is where succulents come in.

You might think that your home is clean and doesn’t contain any of these compounds but they can be found in common household items such as cleaning products, grocery bags, hair spray, varnishes, and of course tobacco smoke. In fact, it’s believed that there are 5 times more VOCs in the average home than there are outside. If that seems like a scary thought don’t worry, help is at hand from the scientists at NASA. They’ve listed succulents (and the snake plant in particular) as being one of the best plants for removing VOCs from the air we breathe.

With the air now cleaned and purified you’ll be able to breathe in clean, fresh oxygen all night long, something your body will thank you for even if you don’t realize it yourself.

Reducing your stress

Okay so this might be a bit of a tenuous link but reducing your stress can, indirectly, help you to get a better night’s sleep. After all, if you’re more relaxed then you’ll definitely sleep better.

If you’re wondering how they can reduce your stress you should read this article about lowering your stress levels, but to briefly summarise they do it by reducing your blood pressure and heart rate and by increasing your production of serotonin (which boosts your mood).

How many succulents should you have in your bedroom?

While many of us subscribe to the ‘everything in moderation’ camp the good news is that this doesn’t apply when it comes to succulents and to some extent the more the merrier. That said though there is a minimum amount that we can use as a guide.

According to NASA, you should have somewhere between 15 and 18 plants per 1800 square feet of space which works out to be roughly one plant for every 100 to 120 square feet. This means that with the average bedroom being around 200 square feet [source], you’ll probably only need 2 succulents.

What are the best succulents to aid sleep?

All succulents are great at giving you free, clean oxygen around the clock but some are better at purifying the air than others which is why I suggest using any of these in your bedroom.

Snake plant

Not only does the snake plant (sometimes referred to as mother-in-law’s tongue) produce oxygen around the clock, but it’s one of the best natural air purifiers going. Helping to remove harmful chemicals from the air it’s especially good at getting rid of formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and benzene.

Aloe vera

Even if you’ve never even seen a succulent before, guaranteed you will have come into contact with aloe vera at some point in your life. The reason for this is because this ‘medicinal’ plant is used in cosmetics, and medicines and can even be eaten (or drunk if you prefer). As well as all of this they’re also perfect for cleaning the air of formaldehyde and benzene.

Jade plant

The jade plant, or money tree as it’s sometimes called, is known to help improve the chi (or energy) of a room which is one of the reasons why it’s so good in the bedroom. Not only does it promote a more relaxed environment, which is obviously better for your sleep, but it also helps to regulate the humidity of the room. As an added bonus, the jade plant is believed to bring people good fortune, good health, and wealth.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you did I’d be grateful if you could share it please as it would really help me.