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This $25 aromatherapy stick is helping Amazon shoppers fall asleep: 'Gets me over the finish line'
While most people are aware that you should get seven to nine hours of sleep at night, sometimes it can be hard to conk out. And, if you find that you're regularly struggling to fall asleep on time, it's understandable to hunt around to find a sleep aid that can help with the process. Sleep experts say there's no magic tool that can make you fall asleep on command, but there are some products that may help ease you into sleep — including the Scentered Sleep Well Aromatherapy Balm Stick, which uses the scents of lavender and ylang-ylang to help you doze off.
Let's back up a minute. Aromatherapy has been used for centuries to target a slew of different issues, but can it help with sleep? There's actually something to this, Chris Winter, M.D., a sleep specialist, neurologist, and host of the Sleep Unplugged podcast, tells Yahoo Life.
"There have been some sleep studies where researchers do a pretty good job of setting things up in a controlled way. Lavender in particular always seems to show superiority in helping people fall asleep," he says. "There is evidence to support lavender's benefit for sleep."
One study of college students, for example, found that those who started a sleep hygiene routine that incorporated the scent of lavender had better sleep quality afterward. They also reported feeling more refreshed when they woke up. Another study found that people reported better sleep quality and felt more "vigorous" after they were exposed to the scent of lavender when they slept. They also had increased delta wave in slow-wave sleep, which is linked with the deepest levels of relaxation and restorative sleep.
Using something scented with lavender like the Scentered balm stick "won't necessarily solve anything if someone is up for hours at night, but it might be better than nothing," Winter says. Using aromatherapy as part of your bedtime ritual can also help signal to your brain that it's time to sleep when you smell it, he says. "Your brain starts to associate that smell with sleep," he says. "You're creating a positive association."
Winter says he likes products that use aromatherapy for sleep, especially during travel. "I think having those types of things helps," he says. "You're in an unfamiliar hotel room, but you bring this scented stick with you ... it creates a sense that you're sleeping in your happy place."
The Scentered Sleep Well Aromatherapy Balm Stick is packed with a slew of scents designed to help you relax and sleep, including lavender, chamomile, palmarose, clove and ylang-ylang. However, the lavender properties have been studied the most and seem to have the most benefit for sleep.
The scents are packaged in a shea butter, moringa and beeswax-based balm that you can easily glide onto your pulse points. To use it, just apply the balm to places like your wrists, temples and neck before bed. (The brand specifically recommends you do this 30 minutes before you slip between the sheets.) Then, go about your bedtime routine.
Some 1,200 Amazon shoppers swear by this scent stick for a better night's sleep. "It works. It really works," said a five-star fan. "I apply to my wrists and neck (not a fan of the temples; didn’t notice any effect) and as I lay down I breathe deeply and take in the scent. It really gets me over the finish line to fall asleep."
A fellow happy customer shared this testimonial: "It put me straight to sleep."
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
If you're looking for something to add to your nighttime ritual, it's worth considering this balm.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
