Lavender Essential Oil Improves Sleep for New Mothers

After giving birth, many new mothers struggle with poor sleep quality. That struggle to sleep is not only frustrating in itself, it can also contribute to depression and lack of concentration that can effect their ability to perform the tasks of daily life at a time when they can least afford to be struggling. Lavender has a long history of use as a relaxing and calming herb that can help with anxiety and insomnia. So, researchers set out to see if lavender aromatherapy can help new mothers to have a good night sleep. . . .

The study included 158 women who had recently given birth and who had a sleeping disorder. Four drops of either a 10% lavender essential oil in a sesame seed oil carrier or the seasame seed oil alone were placed on a cotton ball. The cotton ball was placed beside their pillow, and the women inhaled the aroma in ten deep breaths before bedtime for four consecutive nights a week for eight weeks.

Half way through the study there was a nonsignificant improvement in sleep quality in the lavender group compared to the placebo group. By the end of the eight weeks, the improvement in sleep quality was significantly better in the lavender group than in the placebo group. From the start of the study to the end of the study, sleep improved significantly in the lavender group but not in the placebo group.

It would be interesting to see if the lavender aromatherapy might work even better if the women inhaled it every night.

Because the smell of the lavender is what was being tested, the smell couldn’t be masked, so the study couldn’t be blinded. That means a placebo effect can’t be totally ruled out even though there was a placebo group. But the study does provide promising evidence that lavender essential oil can help new mothers get a good night sleep.

Iran Red Crescent Med J 2015;e25880