There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night, before being awoken by the sound of your alarm clock just minutes after you finally manage to nod off! These sleepless nights can take their toll on our energy, productivity, mood and overall quality of life.

One way to ensure a better quality of sleep is to fill your home with beautiful flowers and plants. Not only do they look great and bring vitality and life to your living spaces, but they can have fantastic relaxing and purifying benefits – which in turn can promote a healthy sleeping pattern.

With stress and anxiety causing half of all insomnia issues, it’s a good idea to fill your home and bedroom with a variety of plants that have a calming effect. After all, studies clearly show that spending time in nature reduces stress levels, so why not simply bring nature indoors? In addition, poor air quality from pollution, odours and moulds can impact our breathing, thus making a good night’s sleep seem next to impossible. The good news is there are a variety of plants that can purify the air while you sleep – in fact NASA did a whole study on it!

We’ve compiled this list of great plants to help you sleep better, based on their calming and cleansing effects:

Snake Plant (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue)

One of the most commonly recommended plants for improving indoor air quality, the Snake Plant, is a hardy and easy to care-for plant… always a plus! What’s great about this plant is that it emits oxygen at night, whilst simultaneously taking in carbon dioxide – something we naturally produce when breathing.  All this leads to purer air and a better night’s sleep.

The Snake Plant also filters some nasty common household toxins (namely formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene) from the air.

 

Peace Lily

Not just pleasing to the eye, the Peace Lily is another of NASA’s superstar plants, helping to filter out harmful benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde toxins. The moisture given off by these striking flowers can boost a room’s humidity by up to 5%. This suppresses airborne microbes which can lead to allergies, and also helps relieve those irritating dry noses and throats that keep you awake all night.

A nice shady position (out of the reach of pets and children) and weekly watering is all the Peace Lily needs – that’s not too much to ask in return for a great night’s sleep.

 

Bamboo Palm

Also known as a Reed Palm, this small plant is a fantastic air purifier. Ditch your chemical-laden air fresheners in favor of a few of these pretty palms and say goodbye to airborne smells and toxins. Not only will you be able to enjoy your home’s pure, fresh air during the day, but you’ll enjoy a fantastic night’s sleep too.

Given its exotic origins, the Bamboo Palm will bring a tropical, warm feel to your bedroom. It’s fairly easy to care for – just keep the soil moist (but not wet) and place the plant in indirect sunlight.

 

Gerbera Daisies

These bright and cheerful flowers can’t help but put you in a good mood! With pink, orange, yellow and white, they’re a welcome addition to any room – and not just because they look good. They also release oxygen at night, which helps you breathe easy while you snooze. If you suffer from apnea or allergies, then these daisies are definitely recommended.

A word of warning to the novice gardener – as they are prone to fungal diseases, Gerbera Daisies need extra-special attention, particularly when it comes to watering and light levels.