Inhalation of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil as an Effective Aid to Sleep—A Holistic Nurses’ Evaluation

As nurses we are mindful of how the quantity and quality of sleep is vitally essential to optimal wellness on physio-psycho-emotional and energetic levels. Without adequate restorative sleep, regeneration is not possible from the day’s activity. The body needs deep rest to heal itself, and to create homeostasis through neuroendocrine balance. Furthermore, when one is deprived of good sound sleep it is incredibly challenging to recover from–while quality sleep is a welcomed state and treasured as a renewable source of health. New research in the past few years suggests that chronic sleep disturbances and deprivation over time not only interferes with mood and causes fatigue, but can also lead to more serious health conditions such as depression, increased pain, weight gain, hypertension, accelerated aging, hormone imbalances, increased rates of infections, chronic inflammations, and a higher risk for Type-2 diabetes.1 There are more than 50 million Americans who suffer from over 80 different sleep disorders and another 20 to 30 million who experience intermittent sleep problems each year according to the American Sleep Apnea Association (www.sleephealth.org) and billions of dollars in related healthcare costs, it is among the most significant health issues we can address as holistic nurses.2

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