Beneficial effects of fragrance in essential oils on hippocampus and sleep

Abstract

Most modern people have complained chronic sleep loss and decreased sleep quality. Sleep problems lead to immunological dysfunction, cognitive impairment and increased risk of neuropsychiatric diseases including dementia and depression. Because it is difficult to get enough sleep time for modern people who work around-the-clock, sleep issues remain unsolved. Aromatherapy, a complementary and alternative medicine, has been proved to improve sleep quality. The present review introduces and summarizes current findings along with our research on the beneficial effects of aromatherapy using natural essential oils on sleep loss-induced hippocampal dysfunction and spontaneous sleep in animals.