Lavender scent to treat insomnia - adapted from the Lancet, September 9, 1995

Healthfacts, Oct, 1995

The smell of lavender oil is known to have a light sedative effect. Drugs typically prescribed to insomniacs can have serious adverse reactions. These two observations formed the basis of an interesting experiment reported recently in The Lancet (9 September 1995). Mark Hardy of the Millaton House Nursing Home and colleagues at other British institutions measured the hours of sleep for four nursing home residents who were suffering from insomnia.

For the first two weeks, the people continued their regular use of medications (three of them had been taking tranquilizers for two to three years). The drugs were withdrawn for the next four weeks, while sleep patterns continued to be measured. For the final two-week phase of the experiment, essence of lavender oil was introduced into the air of the ward with an odor.diffuser.

The amount of time spent asleep was significantly reduced after the medications were withdrawn, but returned to the same level during the last two weeks when the lavender oil was injected into the air. Furthermore, the investigators found that the people were less restless during sleep than they were while on tranquilizers. These results, wrote the investigators, merit further research.