Can Jasmine – and the Ancient Practice of Aromatherapy – Help You Sleep Better?

The soothing scent of jasmine for better sleep

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries to help boost energy and to calm and relax the mind – scent has the power to heal in amazing ways. The use of jasmine in aromatherapy, herbal remedies, and cosmetics dates back centuries. Jasmine is a beautiful white flowering shrub, grown in most tropical regions throughout the world and is known for its many uses – both beauty and medicinal.

Jasmine is a favorite scent in the beauty world, used to fragrance many beauty products, such as perfume, shampoo, and conditioner. In fact, jasmine is used in more than 80% of all women’s fragrances and 30% of men’s. It’s also famed for its aphrodisiac properties. Legend has it Cleopatra used the powerful and seductive scent of jasmine to lure Mark Anthony.

The use of jasmine in aromatherapy has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and help with symptoms of depression – and most importantly – help you get a good night’s sleep.

It’s a sweet restful sleep aid

Jasmine in aromatherapy is often used as a natural sleep remedy. While many scents have been shown to help deliver a better night’s sleep in the practice of aromatherapy, researchers from Ruhr Universität in Bochum, Germany found jasmine to the most effective. They tested hundreds of fragrances to determine their effects in humans and mice on the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which helps control nervous system activity. The two jasmine fragrances that were strongest increased the GABA effect by more than five times, making the scents as powerful as some pharmaceutical drugs.

But it’s so much more than a sleep aid too!

Jasmine has been applied to many different medicinal purposes. It’s been used as a means to increase immunity, fight fever and treat conjunctivitis. In traditional Chinese medicine, jasmine flowers are brewed and consumed as an herbal and remedial tea. An infusion of jasmine tea is known to be beneficial in treating fevers, urinary inflammation, other infections and helping people who suffer from heat and sunstroke. In addition, jasmine tea can be helpful in relieving stress and anxiety. Jasmine tea can also be used to treat cuts and scrapes. A compress using jasmine flowers can be used to help with headaches.

Jasmine is clearly a powerful plant with many beneficial uses. Whether you use jasmine in a homemade sleep spa or sip on some tea, there is no doubt that you’ll be able to drift off to dreamland more quickly, ensuring a restful night’s sleep.

Rest well & wake up ready to go!

Better sleep gives rise to better mornings, bringing your goals into focus and dreams within reach. Hungry for more sleep info? Dig into these posts:

• Sniff your way to better sleep with natural, healthy aromatherapy
• How scent affects your ability to sleep
• Scentsational sleep, inspired by the gardens of Biltmore