Well-Being and Self-Assessment of Change: Secondary Analysis of an RCT That Demonstrated Benefit of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene in College Students with Sleep Problems.

CONTEXT: Sleep issues are prevalent and affect health and well-being. The aspects of well-being that are impacted by sleep interventions have not been well studied. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of lavender and sleep hygiene (LSH) compared to sleep hygiene (SH) alone on well-being as measured by the Self-assessment of Change questionnaire (SAC) at post-intervention and two-week follow-up, and secondarily to compare the SAC sleep item to results from standardized sleep surveys. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where one group received a lavender inhalation patch and practiced sleep hygiene (LSH) and the other group received a placebo inhalation patch and practiced sleep hygiene (SH) for five consecutive nights. SETTING: Usual sleep setting. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-nine college students with self-reported sleep issues. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The SAC was completed at post-intervention and follow-up. RESULTS: Exploratory analysis showed significantly improved well-being for the LSH group at post-intervention for well-being domains of sleep, energy, and vibrancy (P = .01, .03, and .05, respectively) and an overall trend of improved well-being in comparison to the SH group at post-intervention and follow-up. The SAC sleep item showed a similar pattern of change to the standardized sleep surveys with a statistically significant improvement in sleep for the LSH group at follow-up (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate the positive impact of the lavender intervention on three domains of self-assessed well-being are energy, vibrancy, and sleep. SAC results extend and complement prior findings of improved sleep quality.

Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and sleep hygiene versus sleep hygiene alone on sleep quantity and sleep quality and to determine sustained effect at two-week follow-up. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial with investigator blinding and steps taken to blind the participants. SETTING: Participants' usual sleep setting. SUBJECTS: Seventy-nine college students with self-reported sleep issues. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention took place over five nights with baseline, postintervention, and two-week follow-up assessments. Both groups practiced good sleep hygiene and wore an inhalation patch on their chest at night. One group wore a patch with 55 µl of lavender essential oil and the other group wore a blank patch. OUTCOME MEASURES: Sleep quantity was measured using a Fitbit(®) tracker and a sleep diary, and sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the NIH Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) sleep disturbance short form. RESULTS: The lavender and sleep hygiene group demonstrated better sleep quality at postintervention and two-week follow-up (PSQI p=0 .01, <0.001 and PROMIS p=0.04, 0.007, respectively). The sleep-hygiene-only group also demonstrated better sleep quality but to a lesser extent (PSQI p=0.02, 0.06 and PROMIS p=0.03, 0.03, respectively). Additionally, a clinical effect was found for the lavender group at postintervention, along with a significant finding for waking feeling refreshed (p=0.01). Sleep quantity did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Lavender and sleep hygiene together, and sleep hygiene alone to a lesser degree, improved sleep quality for college students with self-reported sleep issues, with an effect remaining at follow-up.