EFFECT OF LAVENDER OIL ON SLEEP APNOEA

Abstract

Poor quality sleep affects a large proportion of the Indian population. Surveys of healthseeking behaviour suggest a preference for self-care remedies while essential oil aroma inhalation may be a popular aromatherapy application. Lavender oil has sedative or sleep enhancing properties and is believed to cause few side effects. The main aim of this study is to determine the effect of lavender oil among sleep apnea populations. Patients who suffer from sleeplessness/ Sleep Apnoea were randomly selected and kept under self-observation. They were instructed to note down their sleeping time and the time of their intermittent disturbances in sleep during night before and after using lavender oil. They were also asked the number of times their sleep was disturbed in a complete night’s sleep. They were then asked to go for lavender oil inhalation (Aroma therapy) for 30 days and then data was collected and analysed. From this study, 75% of the population had a good effect on sleeping patterns. Remaining 25% of the population suggested that, maybe continuous usage of lavender oil for another 1 more month could be effective. Sleeping hours have been increased and there was a reduction in sleeping disturbance after the usage of lavender oil. From this study, it is revealed that the use of lavender oil has shown a positive effect on the majority of the population. Inhalation of lavender oil reduces the stress level and helps to maintain a regular sleep cycle.