Aromatherapy, Perimenopause, and Sleep
How aromatherapy can relief perimenopause symptoms and promote sleep
The most sensitive sense is the sense of smell. Luckily, you can use this sensitivity to your advantage to help relieve perimenopause symptoms and promote sleep. Add in some essential oils, some time to inhale the comforting scents, and possibly some massages, and you are well on your way with aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is a holistic approach that involves utilizing plant extracts to stimulate the body’s nervous system. Aromatherapy can be referred to as a therapy or a treatment, depending on the purpose for its use. Plant extracts are used in the form of aromatic, essential oils that can be inhaled or applied directly to the skin. Aromatherapy can reduce anxiety, depression, nausea, and heal respiratory illnesses.
When inhaled, essential oils start a chain reaction of chemical responses throughout your body. One of these responses is that the brain releases hormones that can help regulate digestion, mood, pain, and sleep. Aromatherapy massage is adding a use of essential to a regular massage, such as diffusing essential oil or applying the essential oil directly to the skin while massaging.
Aromatherapy for Perimenopause Symptoms
A systematic review and meta analysis in 2021 concluded that inhalation of lavender essential oil or low doses of neroli oil can help reduce discomfort of menopausal symptoms overall. Some individuals experienced positive results specifically for mood, sexual desire, and sleep. Regarding aromatherapy massage, peppermint and lemon essential oils have been identified to be the most effective for the relief of various symptoms. Both peppermint and lemon essential oils were effective for physical symptoms, while peppermint essential oil was more effective for urogenital symptoms and lemon essential oil was more effective for psychological symptoms. On the other hand, peppermint essential oil led to overall symptom relief in a shorter period of time compared to lemon essential oil. Essential oils can also be added to baths, facial steamers, and inhalers to help the mind and body become more relaxed.
Aromatherapy for Sleep
The most common use of aromatherapy for sleep is placing essential oil in a diffuser or spritzer to be inhaled before bed or during sleep. Some people would also apply some essential oil to their pressure points or pillow before bed so that the scent is more prominent. Essential oils come in a variety of scents—and although there are specific scents that have been recognized as promoting sleep more than others, choosing the scent that is most comforting and soothing to you is an important consideration when using aromatherapy for sleep. This is because scent is connected to areas of the brain that contribute to memory and emotions responses. As a result, a comforting and soothing scent can help create a positive emotional impact to promote sleep.
Aromatherapy and its effects on relieving perimenopause symptoms and promoting sleep still requires further research. However, research thus far has been in favor of positive effects as essential oils have gradually been gaining popularity among individuals who have heard of its benefits. If you are interested in a more natural and holistic approach to perimenopause symptom relief and sleep promotion, aromatherapy could be worth a try.
References:
Doner, S. I., TUzmen, H. D., Duran, B., & Sunar, F. (2023). The effect of aromatherapy massage with lemon and peppermint essential oil on menopausal symptoms: A double-blinded, randomized placebo controlled clinical trial. Explore. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2023.09.001
Lamothe, C. (2021). How aromatherapy can help you sleep. Sleep. https://www.sleep.com/sleep-health/aromatherapy-for-sleep
Lee, H. W., Ang, L., Choi, J., & Lee, M. S. (2021). Aromatherapy for managing menopausal symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 27(10), 813-823. http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2020.0315
MacDowell, R. (2023). Natural sleep with aromatherapy. Sleepopolis. https://sleepopolis.com/education/natural-sleep-with-aromatherapy/
Disclaimer: At It’sFetch.co we strive to provide valuable and reliable health information through our blog. We believe in empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. However, it is important to understand that the content on our blog is not intended to replace the advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified medical professional.
Aromatherapy is a very interesting concept. I have a diffuser but never put any essential oils in.