Aromatic rubs and sleep
Aromatic rubs and sleep
Many symptoms associated with the common cold, such as nasal congestion and cough, affect the ability to sleep well. Relief of these symptoms can improve the duration and quality of sleep.
- Sleep is a vital process for maintaining homeostasis (the body’s tendency to maintain its internal states, such as temperature and blood sugar, at constant and stable levels).
- The circadian rhythm is the biological clock that creates daily variations in body processes and behaviour. It dominates metabolic processes as well as the immune response.
- Disruption to one affects the other, so immunity and sleep are directly related.
In a study with 22,726 participants, lack of sleep (i.e. <5 hours per day) or diagnosed sleep disorders increased the susceptibility to infectious diseases by 1.8-fold.1
Similarly, infections can alter sleep patterns or disrupt sleep,2 contributing to a vicious circle in people with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).
Given the importance of sleep for individual wellbeing, treatment of sleep disorders and increased quality of sleep are essential to improve immunity.3
In summary
Relief of nasal congestion and cough is key to breathing properly, which is considered important for sleep quality.
The symptoms of a common cold, in particular nasal congestion, can adversely affect the quality of sleep, which is likely to delay the recovery time from infection.
Aromatic rubs containing menthol, eucalyptus and/or camphor can be effective treatments for the symptoms of the common cold, thereby enabling more refreshing sleep, which can speed up recovery.4