How Scent Can Improve Your Sleep?

When you smell something familiar, you might find it evokes feelings from long ago – activates a memory or gives you a sense of feeling good.  That’s one of the reasons why scent has so much important but not just for unearthing old memories and making you feel happy.  Scent does so much more too.  From relaxing your body to bringing on feelings of sleepiness, it can also be remarkably refreshing, depending on what the scent is.  Aromatherapy products have grown ten-fold over the past decade, with more and more people turning to natural essential oils to fill their homes with fragrance that smells both wonderful, welcoming and changes mood.

Why We Smell So Well!

Human beings have 200 million receptor cells in the nose so we’re pretty good at detecting scent, from bad smells to good smells – it’s amazing how that one sniff can awaken emotion!  Do you know why?  Well, those receptors in your nose link to the limbic system.  This is the area of the brain that oversees how you feel, so emotions and behaviour but it also initiates and recalls memories.

Fragrance affects almost every area of life, from feeling anxious to feeling calm, from feeling loved to conjuring up a romantic situation.  Fragrance is also associated with hospitals, discomfort (think antiseptic smells) and even the workplace – that list is certainly not exhaustive.  A sudden waft of cinnamon can instantly transport you to Christmas time, lavender is well known for its sedative effects and some scents can even lower blood pressure!  Fragrance even helps us enjoy peaceful sleep.

As a really good example, did you know that in the UK a third of people experience insomnia? Unfortunately, not sleeping well impacts on so many areas of life.  It affects concentration and especially mood but it also stops us looking our best and it can even affect overall health in the long run.  Fragrance can actually help.  Lavender is well-known for its relaxing properties.  Used in aromatherapy it brings about feelings of calmness, serenity and even induces sleep which is why it is used in so many natural sleep supplements.  Rather than reaching for a prescription drug or even a strong antihistamine, it is far better for your body to use something natural.  This report shows that lavender has a moderate benefit on improving sleep quality and it definitely helps to soothe stress, improving overall mood.

Eco Bath London’s Natural Lavender Products

Using lavender in a warm bath before bed is an excellent way of promoting better sleep.  At Eco Bath London, we recommend trying our all-natural lavender soap made with organic Shea butter.  The lavender content comes from Grasse in Provence, France.  The area is renowned for its potent lavender and is possibly the best quality lavender in the world.  You can buy our soap here: To really promote a great night sleep and to alleviate any muscular discomfort while relaxing your aching body, try our lavender infused Epsom Salts, another all-natural product from Eco Bath London.  In attractive packaging and full of incredible scent, they’re just what you need for a quality night sleep.  Shop them here: