Recently a German study was published concerning how two chemical compounds in jasmine oil may prove as effective as many drugs for combating insomnia. In a lay-level article posted on the website ScienceDaily it was noted that these substances "have the same molecular mechanism of action and are as strong as the commonly prescribed barbiturates or propofol. They soothe, relieve anxiety and promote sleep." You can access this article by clicking this link.
In line with this, animal studies have shown that even sniffing the jasmine fragrance was sufficient to induce relaxation.
Since that study appeared I have asked a number of people who wrestle with insomnia, as well as many who do not, to try inhaling jasmine oil fumes prior to going to bed each night. The vast majority have reported experiencing easier, more restful sleep. While this is strictly anecdotal and hardly rules out the placebo effect it is nonetheless encouraging on many levels.
As many people with chronic diseases like ALS and MS have trouble sleeping, the use of jasmine oil as a form of self-administered aromatherapy could be just the ticket to a restful night's sleep.
Not being content to be left out of my own informal experiment I tried sniffing jasmine oil myself each night prior to retiring. Now, mind you, I am one of those people who falls asleep literally within a minute of my head hitting the pillow each night. However, for as long as I can remember -- all the way back to childhood actually -- I could never recall my dreams. After using jasmine oil I not only began recalling my slumberland dreams, but began experiencing dreams in vivid Technicolor to boot!
If you or someone you know is wrestling with insomnia or would like to see what jasmine might do in terms of dream content enhancement, laying hold of a small bottle of essential oil of jasmine should be a "no brainer." That is, the oil can be readily found in most health food stores in 1 ounce quantities for $6.00 USD or so. And if someone reading this does have insomnia and gets blessed relief using the oil, well that's a "cheap fix for the books" now isn't it?! Readers who do so are invited to write and tell me all about it: biotheoretician@gmail.com
Comments