Stop and smell the roses – literally! 4 science-backed plant scents that reduce anxiety, improve sleep and increase alertness

When researching her book, Professor Kathy Willis discovered the impact that nature can have on our wellbeing. Here, she reveals which plant scents help reduce anxiety, improve sleep and even make you a calmer driver.

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Best plant scents for wellbeing

Lavender

Lavender makes you sleep better. Experiments in sleep chambers have shown that during the nights when participants had aromas of lavender puffed into their rooms while sleeping, their brain wave activity indicated that they slept for longer intervals of time and also had more slow-wave deep sleep – both are extremely important for our health.

Pine

Pine scent reduces anxiety. In experiments looking at the effects of smelling pine, even after as little as 90 seconds, participants showed clear evidence of physiological relaxation and reduced anxiety.

Rosemary

Rosemary makes you more awake. This finding, demonstrated in a number of studies, is thought to be due to the fact the scent compounds of rosemary influence the neurotransmitters in our brain that are responsible for wakefulness and alertness.

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Roses

Smelling roses makes you more relaxed and a calmer driver. Even smelling roses for as little as 90 seconds has been shown to trigger a reduction in participants’ physiological indicators of stress.

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And when driving behaviour in a simulated car was assessed while participants smelt either rose, peppermint or civet scent, it was the smell of roses that indicated the best performance: slower speeds, less crashes, and the participants feeling more relaxed and cautious when behind the wheel.

Good Nature: Improve your Health and Happiness with Nature – One Simple Step at a Time by Kathy Willis is published by Bloomsbury.

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Top image: a rose bush. Credit: Getty