Lavender’s Blue, Dilly Dilly…
Struggling to sleep? Lavender could help you relax and unwind enough to get a peaceful night’s sleep.
A heady, purple flower that blooms at its best in sunny and open environments and valued for its gentle and enchanting aroma, there are 47 known species of lavender (or lavandula) which have been used in healing and relaxation treatments for centuries across the world.
Lavender has a long and diverse history in the healing arts. The Ancient Egyptians, for example used the flowering plant in many of their cosmetics (especially in massage oils), the Greek philosopher Diognes recommended covering the feet with lavender oil to allow its soothing aroma to slowly rise up the body throughout the day creating a cloud of floral serenity, whilst the Ancient Romans used Lavender for healing wounds, headaches and even in their laundry.
Researchers have now shown how potent lavender is when used as a natural remedy to help aid sleep and today, this is one of the more common uses with lavender turning up in night-time beauty products, pillow mists and home fragrances.
Rather than directly affecting the quality of sleep itself, research has shown the key effects of herbal fragrances like lavender to help reduce stress levels – lavender has proven clinically meaningful anxiolytic effects and alleviates anxiety related disturbed sleep – thereby relaxing people enough for them to sleep much better.
How this works exactly, remains unclear though.
One suggestion is that one of the major components of lavender oil, linalool, produces a sedative effect by acting on GABA pathways. GABA is one of the major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the nervous system so is responsible for reduced nerve cell excitation...GABA also has a major role to play in brain circuits involved in sleep.
Native to Africa, Asia and Europe, lavender is now primarily grown in Provence, France where it has become a major tourist attraction.
Lavender has long been recognised for its therapeutic properties. Identifying it as a central nervous system stimulator and mental relaxer, the Greeks and Roman’s were quick to establish steam baths infused with lavender oil, following Egyptian practices. Fast forward to today and, though our methods to employ the benefits of lavender may have modernised - Jo Malone London’s new Lavender & Musk Pillow Mist, £25, anyone? - this shrub’s relaxing and sleep-inducing reputation remains unfaltered. It smells nice, but just how effective is it really at whisking us away?
“Lavender is the strongest naturally occurring neuro-modulator, meaning it calms people when they are anxious and can energise people when they are melancholy via its actions on the central and peripheral nervous systems,” says Dr Tara Swart, Aromatherapy Associates Spokeswoman and Neuroscientist. “Lavender helps us to sleep better by modulating the peripheral nervous system, moving it from ‘sympathetic’ or switched on and alert, to ‘parasympathetic’ or relaxed and soporific.”
As practices such as Aromacology (the study of aromatherapy, psychology and the effect of aromas on our brains and bodies) indicate, scents have a lasting impact on sleep quality.
Dr Swart notes, “The extent that modern scanning studies have shown us about the brain-body connection means that if a smell has an effect on you psychologically e.g. disgust or calmness, then the response is also physical e.g. to move away from the smell or to relax your shoulders. And these are accompanied by changes in the nervous system and our glands' production of hormones, such as cortisol for a stress response or melatonin for sleep.”
Smell is the most emotive of all the senses and by harnessing its power “we can use certain aromas to help us fall asleep or get us back to sleep if we wake up during the night,” Dr Swart says. “Anchoring a particular smell to the sensation of falling asleep creates a neural pathway which adds the sense of smell to the nightly ritual. It is simply another sense that our brain begins to associate with sleep.”
From diffusers to mists and body oils, there are a host of olfactory options that promise to help enhance your slumber. The first thing to note is that lavender is not the only sleep aid out there. As with all things related to scent, it’s very much down to personal choice and Dr Swart has previously recommended frankincense, ylang ylang, rose and patchouli to her clients. All of these are available as single oils from Neal's Yard Remedies from £6, which you can use in the bath, as a steam inhalation or mixed with existing body creams and lotions.
Although inhalation and application to the body remain the most effective methods for absorption, it is important that the correct strengths are used for each method. Bathing products and pillow mists contain the ideal percentages for use before and during sleep. With that in mind, these are our favourite sleep remedies.
What the research says about lavender and sleep
“There are probably as many uses for aromatherapy as there are essential oils, but research shows particular promise in their ability to relieve stress, stabilize your mood and improve sleep,” says Rupinder Mangat, cofounder and CEO, MEVEI, a New York-based company that produces natural essential oils. “Lavender essential oil is one of the most studied in terms of its relaxation effects.”
Rupinder cites a Thai study that looked at lavender’s impact on overall health. In terms of mood, those who inhaled lavender oil said they had more energy and were more relaxed. It also found a reduction in blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. Finally, the research showed that lavender may be actually be able to alter brain waves and reduce stress.
Of special interest to women is a small study done in an Indianapolis hospital that lavender aromatherapy has also been found to help reduce anxiety and depression in women with postpartum depression. That’s a positive precursor to sleeping better for new moms – who need sleep more than anyone else on the planet.
Targeted studies looking at sleep specifically also confirmed lavender’s active properties for combatting insomnia. Researchers at University of Southampton in Britain tracked the sleep patterns of 10 adults. For a week, half of the participants slept in a room where lavender essential oil was diffused in the air throughout the night. The rest snoozed in a similar room where a placebo (sweet almond oil) was released. Then the groups switched rooms. At the end of the study, volunteers ranked the quality of their sleep with 20% stating it was better in a lavender-scented room.
Psychologists at Wesleyan University in Connecticut had 31 men and women sniff lavender essential oil one night – and then distilled water the next. Researchers monitored their sleep cycles with brain scans and found that lavender increased slow-wave sleep, instrumental for slowing heartbeat and relaxing muscles. Subjects slept more soundly on the lavender night. The group also reported feeling more energetic the next morning.
Holistic pharmacist Sherry Torkos counts herself among lavender oil’s fans. The natural health specialist who works with companies like A.Vogel, a Swiss company that makes natural remedies and supplements. “It offers calming and soothing properties that can help reduce stress,” she says. “It also serves as a great sleep aid for the whole family by helping you to fall asleep faster and enhance your quality of sleep during the night.” She recommends using a high quality essential oil that’s 100% pure, natural and undiluted.
Though most of the studies to date have been small (large-scale trials are needed), there’s enough consistency across the results to see that better sleep might be achievable by using lavender.