Aromatherapy Patients

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Effects of Aromatherapy on Patients in the Intermediate Care Unit Sleep deprivation is a significantly common issue affecting today’s society. This problem is due to the constant stressors of everyday life (work, school, relationships, etc.) and many factors (such as technology) that can build on stress and worsen it. By the time the average individual lies down to go to sleep at night, their mind is racing in a myriad of directions, making it nearly impossible to get the amount of rest recommended for sufficient functioning upon arousal. Sleep is an essential aspect of proper development, health (physical, psychological, etc.), and recovery. Hospitals are classified as one of many high-stress environments where improper quantity and quality …show more content…
The researchers theorized that the experimental group (receiving aromatherapy) would have lower vital signs (be in a greater state of relaxation) and report that they slept better than those not experiencing the treatments (Lytle et al., 2014). Potential participants were recommended by the staff of nurses at the hospital and were chosen based on factors such as age and state of health. A computer system randomized 50 patients into the experimental group and the control group (25 each). Baseline vital signs were taken at bedside prior to the experiment. The patients in the control group received standard hospital care, while the intervention group received typical care in addition to “3 mL of 100% pure therapeutic-grade essential oil of lavender in a small glass jar at the bedside placed within 1 meter of the patient from 10 PM until 6 AM” (Lytle et al., 2014, p. 26). Vitals were taken in intervals throughout the night (10-12 am, 12-4 am, and 4-6 am). At six in the morning, each patient received a sleep questionnaire that evaluated their quality of sleep. This survey, the Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, gave insight on the depth of sleep, frequency of awakening/how easy it was to fall back asleep upon awakening, and the overall quality of sleep experienced by the individual (Lytle et al., …show more content…
The recorded baseline vital signs were fairly consistent throughout both the treatment group and the control group. No significant change was seen until after the second interval. When vitals were taken at four in the morning, blood pressure was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The control group experienced an increase in blood pressure during this time frame. For the next interval (4 am to 6 am), both groups experienced a decrease in blood pressure, but the different was not radical. There were similar patterns when measuring the other vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, and O2 saturation), but the lavender aromatherapy primarily affected blood pressure. As for quality of sleep, the treatment group produced minimally higher results than the control group. Considering the limitations (i.e. small sample size) and possible bias of the experiment, it was concluded that lavender aromatherapy could be used as a potential sleep-enhancer in patients, at least from a psychological standpoint. A larger and more diverse sample size would be required to test its actual effects on sleep and would produce more accurate
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