Indoor plants to help in making you sleep better

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2. Top Six Indoor Plants That Can Help In Making
You Sleep Better
Once upon a time, there was a country boy who wanted nothing but the city life. He
strived hard to pursue his lifelong dream of moving to the city. He wanted nothing else
but be away from the fields, the flowers and the forests that he lived with for many
years. The time finally came and he found an opportunity that would take him to the glo-
rified city. And yet all its glory came tumbling down after a short while. No parties, no
glamour and no money can substitute for his quiet home in the country side.
As we move closer progress, we become more distant with na-
ture
We settle for smaller, lesser-ventilated apartments just to make it in the city. No gardens
or even peaceful walks in the fields can be enjoyed. And even more alarming is that
such conditions lead us to various disorders, including those associated with a sound
sleep. Insomnia can be triggered by poor sleep hygiene or external stimuli. Similarly,
sleep-disordered breathing diseases can be triggered by poor environmental conditions.
And those suffering from allergic diseases like asthma or sinusitis might find it hard to
sleep due to the congested feature of city dwellings.
But all hope is not lost
If you find yourself gasping for some fresh air while in the city, it’s time to take action. If
you find yourself deeply affected by the congested condition of your apartment, there’s a
solution you can turn to. In this blog post, we’re going to be highlighting six of the best
indoor plants that you can put in your bedroom. Some are natural air purifiers while oth-
ers are natural sleep inducers. Take your pick or better yet, go for a combination of
plants instead.

3. 1.Gerbera Daisies
Effect/s: Gerbera daisies are known for their colorful flowers that can immediately perk
the mood of those who see them. These were the very first species of daisies that were
scientifically mentioned in a botanical magazine. Gerbera daisies are native to the re-
gion of South Africa, though you can easily find their seedling or divisions in local mar-
kets as well. In the older study/report published by NASA, wherein they discussed the
best indoor plants to use for the removal of indoor pollution, gerbera daisies were one of
the top recommendations. You would see that in the study, gerbera daisies were able to
effectively absorb the highest amounts of benzene and trichloroethylene, as compared
to the other plants.
Beneficial For: Gerbera daisies can be very useful for people suffering from asthma.
Since asthma attacks usually occur during night time, having gerbera daisies in your
bedroom can help. Aside from reducing the air pollutants indoors, it also produces high-
er oxygen levels during night time. This type of plant can also be beneficial for those
suffering from insomnia caused by colds or flu, as the extra oxygen levels can help one
breathe better.
Maintenance Level: Gerbera daisies are best grown via seedlings or divisions. There
are markets that sell seeds but growing them can take a bit of time. Find a place where
the plant can have sunlight but not exposed directly to it. They grow well in small pots
with well-drained soil. Water them everyday during the early morning to allow for drying
within the day. This way, you can also avoid the growth of fungus and mildews.
Sunlight Requirement: Medium sunlight but not direct
2. Bamboo Palm

4. Effect/s: Bamboo palm is also known as Areca palm, or sometimes butterfly palm. As
the name suggests, the leaves of the plant resemble that of the bamboo. This plant is
native to the region of Madagascar although it is now widely cultivated in different areas
around the world. In the same study mentioned above, bamboo palm was found to be
an effective remover of xylene and toluene indoors. These toxic air pollutants are
present in everyday substances such as nail polish remover and even glues.
Beneficial For: Delhi, the capital of India, was rated as one of the most polluted cities in
the world. But did you know that there exists an oasis in this concrete jungle? It is Del-
hi’s very own green building, the Paharpur Business Center and not surprisingly, bam-
boo palm is one of the plants grown in here to alleviate the indoor air pollution. It is even
recognized by the Government of India and the company claimed to have reduced en-
ergy consumption to 60% over the last few years of their operation. As compared to the
employees of other buildings, the rates of asthma, respiratory diseases and irritation are
significantly lower for the employees who work in this building.
Maintenance Level: It’s best to buy propagated bamboo palms instead of growing
them from seeds. The latter takes a few years to achieve. Bamboo palms need hard
water to survive because of its high salt content. Further, it doesn’t survive when left on
moist to wet soil. So make sure that the soil is dry before watering the plant again. Other
than these guidelines, bamboo palms are very easy to maintain and care for.
Sunlight Requirement: Medium to low sunlight but not direct
3. Boston Ferns
Effect/s: Boston ferns are very ornate and beautiful plants especially when hanged in
baskets. Originally, Boston ferns were found in the regions of South America and Cen-
tral America. These indoor plants are effective for the removal of the indoor toxin known
as formaldehyde. Yes, the same product used for embalming the dead can be found in
the daily products you use in your house. These include air fresheners, nail polish and

5. even plywood. In this study, what makes Boston ferns effective is that they remove and
degrade formaldehyde more effectively the longer they stay in your house.
Beneficial For: Since Boston ferns are natural air purifiers, the asthmatics can benefit
well from these indoor plants. Likewise, those who have allergies with dust and other air
pollutants can also benefit from the Boston ferns. Diseases like allergic rhinitis or sinusi-
tis are triggered by such pollutants.
Maintenance Level: Boston ferns can be grown either in hanging baskets or pots. Soil
can be a mixture of peat, soil and sand. The pot or basket should have drainage but
make sure that it holds water well since these plants need moisture. Speaking of mois-
ture, Boston ferns thrive on wet soil but not overly saturated ones. Sunlight need varies,
but the idea is to expose it to medium sunlight during winter or rainy seasons and low
sunlight during summer season.
Sunlight Requirement: Medium to low sunlight but not direct
4. Lemon Balm
Effect/s: The lemon balm plant is a close relative of the mint plant family. Its signature
scent, which is a mixture of lemony and minty, can help relax the insomniac’s mind. In
fact, in this study, it was found that lemon balm ingestion reduced the stress induced to
participants by the researchers. In yet another study, lemon balm juice ingestion re-
duced the stress of the participants and at the same time, improved their memory. It’s
important to note that these studies focused on the in-vitro effects of ingested lemon
balm.
Beneficial For: Lemon balm can be beneficial for those suffering from stress-induced
insomnia. The mere smell of the plant can relax their racing minds and lead them to op-
timal sleep. But if you want a more potent effect, take some of the leaves of the plant
and brew them into a tea. This way, you can benefit from the sedative effect of the

6. plants even more. This is because it works by inhibiting the release of GABA transami-
nase, which degrades GABA. With increased GABA, neural transmission is reduced
and stress is also reduced.
Maintenance Level: The good thing about lemon balm is that it grows easily from
seeds. The plant grows within a week or two from the seeds themselves. Lemon balm
needs ample water but make sure that there’s ample drainage. Without so, the roots
can rot and the plant can wilt. Also, you need to make sure that the plant gets ample di-
rect sunlight everyday for at least five hours.
Sunlight Requirement: Direct sunlight of at least five hours each day
5. Lavender
Effect/s: Lavender is a widely cultivated plant although its origin region is the Mediter-
ranean. This plant is a well-studied herb for insomnia and sleep disorders. Its oil form is
known to induce sleep even with just a few breaths. Lavender is either ingested or used
topically in most studies. Although there are several studies that have also highlighted
its sedative effects even with just smelling it. This is an evidence of one such study,
wherein researchers tested the efficiency of lavender for inducing sleep through the ol-
factory senses. These were healthy volunteers and the result was that lavender was
able to increase their deep sleep as well as give vigor to them the next morning.
Beneficial For: When it comes to sleep disorders, lavender can be effective for people
suffering from insomnia. Like in this study, midlife women with insomnia were exposed
to lavender scent before sleeping. The result was a significant change in their quality of
sleep thereafter. In a more clinical setting, this study investigated on the effect of laven-
der scent on the quality of sleep of ischemic heart disease patients. Again, the results
were significant, with sleep quality being positively affected by aromatherapy using
lavender.

7. Maintenance Level: In contrast to the other plants, lavender is a bit harder to maintain.
It needs plenty of sunlight and at the same time, some air. So make sure you position it
near the window where the sunlight is and open the vents from time to time. Do not
over-water your plant, make sure that the soil is dry before giving it another round of
H2O.
Sunlight Requirement: Direct sunlight of at least five hours each day
6. Gardenias
Effect/s: Gardenias are evergreen plants native to the region of Asia, especially in
countries like Vietnam and Japan. When in full bloom, the flowers of the plant are huge
and pure white in color. Gardenias have many compounds accounting for their numer-
ous health benefits. For example, the iridoids in the plants were found to have anti-in-
flammatory, anti-depressant and anti-thrombotic effects. When it comes to the sleep-in-
ducing effect of gardenia, the main compound isolated for that is called crocetin.
Beneficial For: Crocetin is one of the many compounds of gardenias. However, it is not
known exactly how it works to induce sleep. In the linked study, researchers gave cro-
cetin extract to the participants suffering from mild insomnia. The result was that cro-
cetin was able to improve the quality of sleep of the participants as compared to the
night that they didn’t take the medication. However, studies on the effectiveness of gar-
denias for inducing sleep via the olfactory senses are still sparse.
Maintenance Level: Gardenias are more tricky to maintain and care for. They need
bright and direct sunlight when indoors. They need water but make sure that the soil is
moist and not overly watered. They also need high humidity to thrive so you might need
to invest on a humidifier. With proper care, gardenias can also thrive indoors but you
need some patience and persistence for them to survive.
Sunlight Requirement: Bright sunlight, direct most of the time

9. Don’t forget that nature is the best healer
If you’re suffering from insomnia or other sleeping disorders, have you tried going the
natural route to treat them? After all, our ancestors coped well using herbal remedies.
Sometimes, chemical is not always the way to go, especially if you want to treat your
problems without much of the adverse side effects. What if a simple remedy such as
growing indoor plants can help treat your insomnia? It would be such a shame not to try
them at all.
Give this guide a try and let us know how well it worked for you! We’ll be waiting for your
comments and stories.