Tucson, Arizona Friday, 2 August 2002
Smell your way to better sleep
By Steve Infanti
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
Q: Do odors help people fall asleep?
A: If the smell of a steak sizzling on the grill can awaken sleeping husbands, and if the aroma of chocolate cake brings children to the kitchen, then it just stands to reason that odors can lead to more restful sleep.
According to Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, assistant professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va., the scent of jasmine may allow individuals to receive a better night of sleep.
Raudenbush and WJU psychology students investigated whether the administration of an odorant during sleep affects sleep patterns during the night, wakefulness and cognitive functioning the following morning, and alertness throughout the day. The researchers monitored 20 people while they slept for three nights. During this time, they were exposed to one of three conditions, consisting of jasmine odor, lavender odor or no odor at all.
While participants were sleeping, measures of sleep quality and duration were recorded using a Mini Mitter Actiwatch Activity Monitor, a device that is worn on the wrist like a watch. Following sleep, participants completed questionnaires related to mood and tests of cognitive functioning.
The dispensing of jasmine led to greater sleep efficiency and reduced sleep movement. There were no differences in the total amount of sleep, thus the jasmine condition led to a greater quality rather than quantity of sleep. When the participants woke, those who breathed the jasmine rated their level of anxiety and vigor lower and performed cognitive tests more rapidly.
Said Raudenbush: "When people are more relaxed, the cognitive tests are less stressful for them; therefore, their performance increases. This was one of the main goals of the study, since we were trying to find a way to improve human performance without the use of drugs such as sleep-aids or mental stimulants."
In addition, level of alertness in the jasmine-odor condition was greater during the afternoon hours, thus helping maintain the students' focus on academic work throughout the day. |
