- By Bornika Das
- Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:13 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bay Leaf Sleep Benefits: A recent trend that is making rounds on TikTok is slipping a single bay leaf under your pillow before going to bed. As weird as it may sound, this has been extensively considered as the great-grandmother trick that lies somewhere between folklore and holistic wellness. The bay leaf has an aromatic and soothing nature that allows one to relax and improve the quality of sleep. This makes the ritual sit right at the crossroads of old wisdom and modern sleep anxiety. Thus, keeping a bay leaf under the pillow at night before you go to sleep has numerous benefits that people know about.
It is believed that the subtle fragrance that the bay leaf casts helps create a soothing environment, especially when kept under the pillow at night before sleep. Moreover, the peaceful fragrance helps relieve stress and anxiety, which are the common factors that disrupt peaceful sleep. Here’s everything you need to know about the benefits of the viral TikTok trend of keeping a bay leaf under a pillow at night.
Origin Of Bay Leaf Bedtime Trend
Bay leaf is considered a kitchen staple widely used as a tempering agent to flavour stews, broths and slow Sunday sauces. In ancient times, laurel crowns symbolised victory and status. Now, the same plant, Laurus nobilis, is also known as a “sleep tool” on TikTok as well as wellness newsletters.
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The ritual is followed by placing a dried bay leaf near your head at night. The aroma of the leaf creates a calmer mood and nudges the brain toward rest. Videos showcasing the bay‑leaf sleep routine hack have garnered millions of views. Many people have revealed that they have fallen asleep a little quicker or wake up with a clearer head, even though the total sleep time remained the same.
Science Behind Bay Leaf For Sleep Quality
As per neuroscientists and doctors, the smell of the bay leaf penetrates into the limbic system, where the brain processes threat, memory and emotional tone. Compounds found in bay leaf, such as linalool and 1,8‑cineole, appear in research on relaxation and parasympathetic activation, which is the body’s “rest and digest” mode.
How The Bay-Leaf Sleep Hack Works
Several experiments carried out by sleep coaches have found that there is a change in the pattern of sleep when they keep a bay leaf under the pillow at night, adding a small, sensory ritual to their nights, with their relationship with sleep starts to shift.
Bay Leaf Bedtime Good Sleep TikTok Trend (Image Credits: Gemini AI)
Bay Leaf Offers Three Benefits At Once
- The distinct smell of bay leaf that the brain can connect with “time to wind down”
- A tiny physical action, that as taking the leaf, folding it, slipping it into the pillowcase, adds a sleep-time ritual to your sleep routine
- You feel the completeness of doing something, rather than just hoping sleep will arrive
When carried over a few nights, the brain begins to associate the scent and gesture with switching off. That conditional link can reduce pre‑sleep tension, which often matters more for rest than an extra 20 minutes of shut‑eye.
Step‑By‑Step Bay Leaf Nighttime Routine Guide
Step 1: Take one fully dried bay leaf, without visible mould or spots.
Step 2: Gently bend it between thumb and forefinger until you hear a soft crack; this releases more aroma.
Step 3: Slip the leaf inside your pillowcase, toward the edge, so it does not scratch your face or eyes.
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Step 4: Dim the lights, lower screens or move your phone away from the bed.
Step 5: Spend a few breaths noticing the scent while you settle in.
Thus, placing a bay leaf under your pillow can be a mild and natural night sleep inducer for those looking for relaxation and quality sleep. The calming aroma and its overall wellness benefits are the main reasons behind improving your sleep. Start the bay-leaf nighttime sleep ritual from today