l0 Commentsl By by Diane Scott
What are the Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil?
For over 2,500 years, lavender has been an essential part of many medical treatments and has also played a central role in some religious practices. From the mummification of Pharaohs to curing lower back pain by Greek physicians, the healing and relaxing power of lavender have been recognized for millennia. It was, in fact, these very same Greek physicians who first prescribed lavender as a sleeping aid.
In ancient Rome, lavender was used to scent baths in order to aid relaxation which is probably how this fragrant plant was named - from the Latin word 'lavare' which literally means 'to wash.' There is also evidence to suggest that lavender was used for thousands of years to fill pillows to achieve a better night's sleep.
In fact, the characteristic purple flower is still being used today in many of the same ways as a natural relaxing, calming, and sleep remedy and is still highly valued as it was by our ancestors. So what exactly is lavender and how can we access these great curative properties?
There are a wide variety of different lavender plants, some that are better known for their fragrance while others are preferred for their hardiness and ability to flourish under most conditions. The most popular or well-known is probably English Lavender (Hidcote) and other varieties include Lavandin, French Lavender and Lavender dentate among others.
Different scents can act differently on the human brain. Aromatherapy harnesses different scents in order to achieve different results. Lavender works on the parts of the brain that cause relaxation and calmness which all result in the ability to achieve better sleep. In fact, recent brain wave studies have revealed that people who were exposed to lavender not only slept deeper but also felt more energized and alert the next morning. And goes for truth when it comes to kids and aiding them to sleep better. Lavender Infused Aroma Dough helps promote calmness and sleep if used as a regular bedtime routine 30 minutes prior to getting the kids off the bed and is made with 100% therapeutic essential oils with their "Squeeze it...Knead it....Breathe it™ technology which releases the essential oils into the air.
These properties have the additional benefit of experiencing good dreams as the effects of the fragrance begin to operate on the subconscious, once again providing relaxation, peace, and calm. Another study revealed that lavender resulted in both men and women experiencing better slow-wave sleep (SWS) or deep sleep. However, women seem to be more susceptible than men to scents and therefore experience greater benefit.
A study conducted by the Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut where a group of 31 people were exposed to lavender in conjunction with a control group found that the control group did not achieve as deep or restful a sleep as those who were exposed to lavender. All of these studies go to prove what medical practitioners, physicians, and healers have known for centuries – that lavender is a powerful relaxation and sleeping aid.
On a physical note, lavender has been found to decrease the heart rate, lower blood pressure and induce a relaxed or parasympathetic state, all necessary to sleep well. The study was conducted by Tiffany Field from the University of the Miami School of Medicine and the results were released in the Wall Street Journal.
Lavender is available in a variety of different sources from scented teas, to essential or aromatherapy oils and soaps, lotions and bath remedies. There are also a range of different scented pillows, sheets and bedtime accouterments for those who want to experience the full benefits at bedtime and throughout the night.
In ancient Rome, lavender was used to scent baths in order to aid relaxation which is probably how this fragrant plant was named - from the Latin word 'lavare' which literally means 'to wash.' There is also evidence to suggest that lavender was used for thousands of years to fill pillows to achieve a better night's sleep.
In fact, the characteristic purple flower is still being used today in many of the same ways as a natural relaxing, calming, and sleep remedy and is still highly valued as it was by our ancestors. So what exactly is lavender and how can we access these great curative properties?
There are a wide variety of different lavender plants, some that are better known for their fragrance while others are preferred for their hardiness and ability to flourish under most conditions. The most popular or well-known is probably English Lavender (Hidcote) and other varieties include Lavandin, French Lavender and Lavender dentate among others.
Different scents can act differently on the human brain. Aromatherapy harnesses different scents in order to achieve different results. Lavender works on the parts of the brain that cause relaxation and calmness which all result in the ability to achieve better sleep. In fact, recent brain wave studies have revealed that people who were exposed to lavender not only slept deeper but also felt more energized and alert the next morning. And goes for truth when it comes to kids and aiding them to sleep better. Lavender Infused Aroma Dough helps promote calmness and sleep if used as a regular bedtime routine 30 minutes prior to getting the kids off the bed and is made with 100% therapeutic essential oils with their "Squeeze it...Knead it....Breathe it™ technology which releases the essential oils into the air.
These properties have the additional benefit of experiencing good dreams as the effects of the fragrance begin to operate on the subconscious, once again providing relaxation, peace, and calm. Another study revealed that lavender resulted in both men and women experiencing better slow-wave sleep (SWS) or deep sleep. However, women seem to be more susceptible than men to scents and therefore experience greater benefit.
A study conducted by the Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut where a group of 31 people were exposed to lavender in conjunction with a control group found that the control group did not achieve as deep or restful a sleep as those who were exposed to lavender. All of these studies go to prove what medical practitioners, physicians, and healers have known for centuries – that lavender is a powerful relaxation and sleeping aid.
On a physical note, lavender has been found to decrease the heart rate, lower blood pressure and induce a relaxed or parasympathetic state, all necessary to sleep well. The study was conducted by Tiffany Field from the University of the Miami School of Medicine and the results were released in the Wall Street Journal.
Lavender is available in a variety of different sources from scented teas, to essential or aromatherapy oils and soaps, lotions and bath remedies. There are also a range of different scented pillows, sheets and bedtime accouterments for those who want to experience the full benefits at bedtime and throughout the night.