“A Systematic Review of the Effect of Inhaled Essential Oils on Sleep”, 2014-06-10 ():
Objective: Sleep disturbances are recognized as an important health and public health problem that affects physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Inhalation of essential oils may be a safe alternative to pharmaceutical interventions for mild to moderate sleep disturbances. Quantitative human studies on the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep that were published 1990–22201212ya were reviewed.
Method: Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Science Direct, and PubMed databases were searched to extract articles that evaluated the effect of inhaled essential oils on sleep in humans.
Results: The search yielded 15 quantitative studies, including 11 randomized controlled trials that examined hypnotic effects of inhalation of essential oils. A majority of the study findings suggested a positive effect of essential oils on sleep. Lavender oil was the most frequently studied essential oil. No adverse events were reported.
Conclusions: Inhalation of essential oils may be considered for people with mild sleep disturbances. Further studies with larger samples and stronger methods and endpoints are needed to build on the findings.