This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.
Today’s topic:
Volatile Oils to Support Healthy Sleep
In a placebo-controlled experiment published recently in Chronobiology International, exposure of adult men and women to the scent of lavender volatile oils at bedtime significantly increased sleep duration, the percentage of sleep spent in deep sleep and subjects’ self-reported morning vigor.8 In contrast, the results of another placebo-controlled experiment published recently in Biological Psychology indicate that exposure to the scent of peppermint volatile oils increases alertness and inhibits sleep.9 Together, these research findings suggest that the scent of some relaxing volatile oils can help normalize sleep patterns while simultaneously pleasing the senses.
Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Sleep for Vitality and Vigor
References:
8. Goel N, Kim H, Lao RP. An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women. Chronobiol Int 2005;22:889-904.
9. Goel N, Lao RP. Sleep changes vary by odor perception in young adults. Biol Psychol 2006;71:341-349.
