The Health Benefits Of Lavender Go Far Beyond The Physical

Lavender is one of the prettiest flowers around, but there’s so much more to it than meets the eye. It can benefit us in ways that go far beyond the physical and into the realm of mental and emotional wellness. Read on to find out how this fragrant purple plant can improve your health, and learn just how easy it is to add to your daily routine so that you, too, can reap its benefits.

A sleep aid

Do you have trouble sleeping? Well, if so, you could try enlisting the help of our good friend lavender! You see, people used to put the herb in their pillows; the flower was even prescribed to insomniacs. A 2012 study cited on the website of the National Library of Medicine reported, “Lavender improved the mean scores of sleep quality in 15 healthy students.” The site also noted other surveys indicating improvements for 34 midlife women with insomnia, not to mention health benefits for 64 heart-disease sufferers too.

A lavender-oil spritz

How can you incorporate lavender into your sleep routine, though? A mist is a great idea —simply put some lavender oil drops into a water spray bottle, and spritz your pillow, duvet, and sheets with the concoction before you hit the hay. It should work a treat! Alternatively, if you don’t want such a strong scent, then try spraying a tissue and placing it under your mattress.

An aphrodisiac

Did you know that lavender’s benefits can even stretch to the bedroom? Some studies claim it can increase blood flow to the male extremities and even promote arousal. Here’s where it gets weird, though. A 2014 study by the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons found the scent which generated the biggest blood flow boost was lavender… mixed with pumpkin pie!

Incorporating lavender into the bedroom

If you don’t have any pies lying around to seduce your partner with, though, have no fear. It’s all about getting that gorgeous lavender scent involved in your night of passion any way you can. Run a hot bath with lavender salts, rub lavender lotion over your face and body, or light a bunch of lavender-scented candles and place them around the bedroom, and voila! Sexy aromatherapy!