Scent of jasmine leads to more restful sleep, decreased anxiety & greater mental performance

Individuals needing a more restful night of sleep may want to consider placing the scent of jasmine somewhere in their bedroom.

According to Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, assistant professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU), the scent of jasmine may allow individuals to receive a better night of sleep.

"Research shows that odors have significant effects on the human nervous system, even in the absence of attention and awareness to these odors" said Raudenbush. "Therefore, it was reasonable to expect that the human body may respond to odors presented during sleep."

Raudenbush and WJU psychology students investigated whether the administration of an odorant during sleep would affect sleep patterns during the night, wakefulness and cognitive functioning the following morning, as well as 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.

Read the full story here: http://www.wju.edu/about/adm_news_story.asp?iNewsID=539