{"id":1307,"date":"2021-07-15T11:03:49","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T11:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebeddingplanet.com\/?p=1307"},"modified":"2021-07-15T18:34:53","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T18:34:53","slug":"can-aromatherapy-help-you-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebeddingplanet.com\/can-aromatherapy-help-you-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Aromatherapy Help You Sleep? What the research says!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aromatherapy. You have heard about it, you have probably used it, and it’s not anything new. However, the use of aromatherapy to solve almost every physical problem is a recent phenomenon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you know a friend who uses peppermint oil for nausea, another swears that lavender calms them down, and the mental health community claims that lemon oil reduces agitation in dementia patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One area where aromatherapy has gained cult popularity is with sleep, but can it really help you sleep better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to scientific researc<\/strong>h scidding a drop or two of essential oils like lavender on your nightstand diffuser can help you fall asleep much faster and sleep more deeply throughout the night as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering that 33% of adults have short-term insomnia<\/a>, it’s no wonder the essential oils business has grown to a billion-dollar industry in such a short time. <\/strong>But, before you take our word for it, let\u2019s find out what the research says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Aromatherapy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Aromatherapy is basically inhaling essential oils for therapeutic purposes. If you haven’t heard about them, essential oils are plant extracts derived from various parts of the plant, including roots, leaves, bark, and flowers.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word \u2018essential\u2019 comes from the fact that these oils contain the pure essence of the plant: the fragrance or the natural chemical used in therapy. Examples of essential oils include lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, bergamot, cedar leaf, clary sage, and chamomile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aromatherapy is an old age practice and is only gaining momentum now because people are going back to their roots. When inhaled, the scent from essential oils stimulates the olfactory system, the part of the brain connected to smell. Once the smell reaches the brain, it affects the limbic system, which is linked to the heart rate, emotions, memory, stress, hormone balance, and breathing. This is how essential oils are able to affect the body in various ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin and reach the brain in the same way. A massage therapist can add a few drops to the massage oil, or you can include essential oils to your lotion or bathwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Aromatherapy Really Help You Sleep?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there is limited research on other benefits of essential oils therapy, the connection between aromatherapy and sleep has been well established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One 2015 study<\/a> at Wesleyan University had 31 men and women inhale lavender oil one night and distilled water the next. Researchers looked at their sleep cycles through brain scans and found that lavender oil increased slow and deep wave sleep. Subjects also reported feeling more energized following lavender night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another study at the University of Southampton tracked ten adults for a week. Five of them slept in a room with lavender oil diffused in the air and the other 5 had sweet almond oil. The groups switched places after a few days. At the end of the study, subjects reported that sleep was better in a lavender-scented room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2017 study<\/a> was conducted to assess the effect of aromatherapy massage on the sleep quality of night shift nurses. Evidently, people who work on the night shift suffer from sleep disorders due to the disruption of the circadian biological clock of humans. As a result of not sleeping enough, these people suffer from fatigue, poor concentration, and other health issues. In this study, the nurses who got the aromatherapy massage and slept in the same aromatherapy room reported improved sleep quality<\/a> and more energy the following day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, a study was conducted on the effect of aromatherapy on sleep quality in menopausal women with sleeping issues<\/a>. Of the 57 menopausal women, 27 were subjected to aromatherapy, and the other 30 to a placebo. At the end of the study, it was found that aromatherapy increased sleep quality in women with sleep problems during menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Essential Oils for Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are at least a hundred essential oils in the market today, all with different therapeutic benefits. However, not all of them can contribute to your quality of sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the 7 essential oils listed below have been tried and tested by many and are sure to help you sleep faster and more deeply. Note that different people react differently to the same essential oil, so it\u2019s important to find the one that works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Lavender<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Lavender essential oil is the most studied where sleep is concerned. It is a wonderfully fragrant oil that comes from a purple flowering shrub. Lavender is so effective for improving sleep quality because it calms the nervous system thanks to its chemical compounds linalool and linalyl acetate. Many studies show lavenders positive effect on sleep in various people;<\/p>\n\n\n\n