In today's hectic 24/7 world, a restful night's sleep seems elusive if not impossible for many people. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 60% of Americans are getting less than eight hours sleep and more than 40% report being too drowsy to perform efficiently at work or at home a few days or more a month. More tragically, fatigue caused by poor sleep contributes to more than 100,000 police reported highway crashes each year.
The scents of lavender and jasmine have long been reported to enhance sleep, but this was based on anecdotal reports. Early studies investigating the effects of aroma on sleep actually found a tendency for the scents tested (heliotropin and androstenone) to disrupt sleep. However, two recent research studies using different scents indicate that the solution to our sleeplessness may indeed be as close as the nose on our faces.
In a study sponsored by the Sense of Smell Institute at Wesleyen University, Dr. Namni Goel rigorously tested the effect of lavender on nighttime sleep and found that it improved sleep in men and women. She discovered that lavender increased the amount of time subjects spent in slow wave or deep sleep, which is the restful restorative phase of sleep. This resulted in higher vigor scores on the Profile of Mood States test. Dr. Goel also found that although lavender improved sleep for both genders, it worked better for women.
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Dr. Bryan Raudenbush and his colleagues at Wheeling Jesuit University discovered that the pleasant scent of jasmine held the key to a good night's sleep. They monitored 20 people, over three nights while they slept in rooms infused with the scent of jasmine, lavender or no added scent. The researchers found that those who slept in a room infused with a faint jasmine scent seemed to sleep more peacefully and reported being more alert in the afternoon than people who slept in a lavender-scented room, or one with no added aroma.
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Helpful Hints
So what are some practical ways to use these scents to enhance your sleep?
- Try tucking a lavender sachet under your pillow
- Spray your bedroom with a light fragrance containing jasmine or lavender a few minutes before bedtime
- Add a few drops of lavender or jasmine scent to the rinse water when you're washing your bed linens, or use detergents and fabric treatments containing these scents.
- After your evening shower or bath apply a soothing body lotion containing a sleep enhancing scent.
There are many new and innovative fragrance products on the market that have been formulated to help you fall asleep and enhance your sleep. Next time you visit your favorite fragrance shop or spa check them out and test them for yourself.
Additional References:
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Carskadon MA, Herz RS. Olfactory arousal threshold in stage 2, stage 4, and REM sleep in comparison to an auditory signal. Sleep Res 2003; 26:A445.
Hudson R. The value of lavender for rest and activity in the elderly patient. Complement Ther Med 1996; 4:5-57.
Hardy M. Sweet scented dreams. Int J Aromatherapy 1991; 3:12-13
Connell FEA, Tan G, Gupta I, Gompertz P. Bennett GCJ, Herzberg JL. Can aromatherapy promote sleep in elderly hospitalized patients? Geriatr Today: J Can Geriatr Soc 2001; 4:191-195.
Miyake Y, Nakagawa M, Asakura Y. Effects of odors on humans (I). Effects on sleep latency. Chem Senses 1991: 16:183.
Motomura N, Sakurai A, Yotsuya Y. Reduction of mental stress with lavender odorant. Percept Mot Skills 2001; 93:713-718.
Yagyu T. Neurophysiological findings on the effects of fragrance: lavender and jasmine. Integrative Psychiatry 1994; 10:62-67.
Cannard G. On the scent of a good night's sleep. Nursing Standard 1995; 9:21. |
