Q. A self-confessed mail order addict, I recently ordered a pillow. It is supposedly “used by people all over Europe to prevent nasal discomfort at night.” When the package arrived, it included a small envelope of a pleasant smelling herbal concoction. To our surprise, we discovered it was very effective. Of course, I had already discarded the pertinent information.
I would like to get more of the herbs (without the pillow) to replace the fast-fading scent. The health food stores don’t know what it is. Do you have any idea?
A. Check with your nearest health food store. Many carry essential oils such as oil of lavender. Some mail-order catalogs offer a small pillow stuffed with lavender.
Lavender has a long history of use in folk medicine, and a study (American Journal of Critical Care, Jan. 2014) suggested the aroma may help people sleep:
“METHODS: A randomized controlled pilot study was conducted in 50 patients. Control patients received usual care. The treatment group had 3 mL of 100% pure lavender oil in a glass jar in place at the bedside from 10 pm until 6 am. Vital signs were recorded at intervals throughout the night. At 6 am all patients completed the Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire to assess quality of sleep.
“CONCLUSIONS: Lavender aromatherapy may be an effective way to improve sleep in an intermediate care unit.”
A review of the medical literature (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, June, 2014) noted:
“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 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.”
In other research (Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, online, Feb. 17, 2013) investigators picked a challenging environment to test “aromatherapy.” They enlisted 56 patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). In other words, angioplasty of a coronary artery. These patients were in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Half were given conventional nursing care while the other half received essential oils before and after the cardiac intervention. The oils included lavender, chamomile and neroli. Their results:
“In conclusion, the aromatherapy effectively reduced the anxiety levels and increased the sleep quality of PCI patients admitted to the ICU. Aromatherapy may be used as an independent nursing intervention for reducing the anxiety levels and improving the sleep quality of PCI patients.”
Remember, though, essential oils should be kept out of reach of children.
We developed Bed Soap to help prevent leg cramps and included lavender scent in the hopes that it would also aid in falling asleep. Should you wish to give it a go in addition to your lovely pillow, here is a link.
