It's probably a synergy of factors that contribute to quality sleep. Here's a REUTERS article I recently read on the scientificaly demonstrated benefits of jasmine on sleep quality:Jasmine-Sniffing Snoozers Catch Higher Quality Z's
Mon Oct 14, 2:07 PM ET
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who sleep enveloped by the soothing smells of jasmine may get a more restful snooze than others, new research suggests.
Dr. Bryan Raudenbush and his colleagues at the Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, found that people who slept in rooms infused with jasmine appeared to sleep more peacefully and report higher afternoon alertness than when spending the night in a lavender-scented room, or one with no added smell.
"We found they were just laying there, as opposed to tossing and turning," Raudenbush told Reuters Health, speaking of the nights when people slept in a jasmine-infused space.
And scent really does matter, Raudenbush added: jasmine eased sleep better than not only no scent, but also lavender, an equally pleasing odor, he noted.
"Which shows that it's not just the application of the pleasant odor," Raudenbush noted. "It has to be something specific to each odor."
The researcher explained that the purpose of the study was to investigate some of the beliefs behind aromatherapy, a form of medicine in use since 3000 BC that is based on the practice of treating patients with essential oils extracted from plants. Previous investigators have suggested that jasmine and lavender can help people relax and feel less anxious, as well as improve their spirits.
During the study, Raudenbush and his team monitored the sleep of 20 people over 3 nights. Each night, the investigators infused the sleeping quarters with a faint odor of jasmine or lavender or, as a comparison, no scent. The amount of added aroma was so small, Raudenbush noted, that some sleepers said they couldn't smell anything different.
The authors presented their findings at the recent annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research in Washington, DC.
The researchers found that when people slept in a jasmine-infused space, they moved less during the night. Although people slept the same amount each night, jasmine-smellers reported feeling less anxiety when they woke up.
Raudenbush and his colleagues also gave study participants a test of mental function after they woke up, in which they had to match numbers to a symbol using a key that showed which number was linked to which symbol. Raudenbush and his team found that after sleeping in a jasmine-infused space, people could complete the test more quickly and accurately than in they did after other nights.
This finding suggests that people who sleep with jasmine scents experience a more productive sleep, enabling them to wake up more refreshed and alert than after sleeping the same amount on other nights, Raudenbush noted.
Jasmine smellers also reported feeling more alert during the afternoon hours of the next day than after other nights.
Lavender also appeared to help with sleep and later awareness, Raudenbush added, but its benefits were not as noticeable as those seen with jasmine.
Although the reasons for why certain smells produce physical changes remain unclear, Raudenbush suggested that jasmine may help improve a smeller's mood, which may then induce physical changes in the body.
While most people probably can't pump traces of jasmine into their sleeping quarters throughout the night, Raudenbush said there may be easier ways to obtain the scent's benefits. Many products contain jasmine, he said, and a shower using jasmine-scented soap before bed or the strategic placement of jasmine potpourri around the house could benefit sleep.