Jasmine for your sleep

[Nick]

Andrew,

Thanks for posting the article. There really does seem to be something about aromatherapy that works. Also, it explains why I rest nicely when I burn jasmine incense.

Very best,

[goingslow]

I really couold use some of that right about now.  I'll have to buy some though and try it out.

[AndrewTheSinger]

Sleep Well - With Jasmine


Sleeping with the soothing smell of jasmine may help get a more peaceful night's sleep, according to new research.

Dr Bryan Raudenbush and colleagues at the Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, US, found that people who slept in rooms smelling of jasmine seemed to sleep more peacefully and report being more alert in the afternoon than people who slept in a lavender-scented room, or one with no added smell.

No tossing and turning

The researchers monitored the sleep of 20 people over three nights.
Each night, the investigators infused the rooms with a faint scent of jasmine or lavender or left the room without a specific scent. The amount of scent added was so small that some sleepers reported not being able to smell anything different.

Presenting his findings at the recent annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research in Washington, DC, Raudenbush said the people sleeping in the jasmine-scented room slept peacefully, without tossing and turning.

Although people slept the same amount each night, jasmine-smellers reported feeling less anxiety when they woke up.

And the choice of scent is important, Raudenbush says. The mere presence of a pleasant odour, like lavender, did not have the same effect.

Investigating aromatherapy
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the ideas behind aromatherapy, a form of medicine in use since 3000 BC, based on the practice of treating patients with essential oils extracted from plants.

Previous investigators have suggested that jasmine and lavender aid relaxation and reduce anxiety.

The researchers found that after sleeping in a jasmine-infused room, people could complete the test more quickly and accurately than they did after other nights.

Lavender also appeared to help with sleep and later awareness, Raudenbush added, but its benefits were not as noticeable as those seen with jasmine.

Sleep better at home
Although the reasons why certain smells produce physical changes remain unclear, Raudenbush suggested jasmine may help improve mood and induce physical changes in the body.

To get the same effect, Raudenbush recommends using products containing jasmine. Washing with jasmine-scented soap before bed or placing jasmine potpourri around the house could benefit sleep.

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article can be found at: http://xtramsn.co.nz/health/0,,8004-1952997,00.html