DREAMS AND SCENTS
Our Sense of Smell
is vital to us and affects us in many ways. Some smells can be good for our
health and many can be bad. Some aromas we've seen can change our mood or
emotions. To relieve stress, lavender, vanilla or rose scents are sometimes
recommended. For concentration, many tout peppermint, strawberry or lavender.
Personally, lavender gives me a headache. No one ever believes that, but it's
true. The jasmine fragrance is said to be associated with alertness. I can smell
that one, as it's one of my favorites. But, we are all unique with different
chemistry. Now the study of fragrance and how it can affect our dreams is a bit
more curious to me.
An aside for a
moment, it has been suggested that smell might facilitate learning. In a study
where participants studied the locations of cards while inhaling the smell of a
rose, it was found that when the subjects went to sleep; and some were again
exposed to the rose fragrance and others were given an odorless stimulus, those
who smelled the rose remembered 97%, compared to 86 % for the others. This study
seems to suggest that odors can accelerate learning as memories are integrated
in sleep.
New research 'says'
that flower scents sprayed around the bedroom before sleeping result in more
positive dreams than unpleasant smells or no particular aromas at all. Not only
have studies shown that smelling flowers before sleep can lead to more positive
dreams, but researchers are looking into the possibility that pleasant smells
could reduce the occurrence of nightmares.
So you know,
clinical trials have shown that lavender can help with insomnia, anxiety,
stress, and post-operative pain. I guess if I choose to go with lavender for all
its benefits, I'll just have to keep a bottle of headache medicine
around.
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