There are three scents that can wake you up: jasmine, which increases beta waves (the brain waves associated with alertness), and citrus and peppermint scents, which stimulate the same nerve that's activated when you're revived with smelling salts.
If you find yourself reaching for a cup of coffee, sugary soda, or energy drink to beat your fatigue, you might try boosting your energy with an essential oil instead. Choose from rosemary, peppermint, or lemon oil.
Even though smells don't usually cause a person to wake up, the sense of smell and sleep have a multifaceted relationship. Aromatherapy with distinct scents may promote better sleep, help you wake up in the morning, or even influence dreams and memory formation during sleep.
Peppermint and rosemary both contribute to alertness. Add a little spice with cinnamon and ginger, both of which can also positively impact emotional well-being and productivity, helping make the daily grind more of a breeze.
Use energizing scents to wake you up
Keep scented candles or an essential oil diffuser at your desk. Look for scents that are strong and energizing, such as jasmine, citrus, or peppermint.
Helps Keep You Awake
Eucalyptus oil is also an effective agent against sluggishness and exhaustion. It's considered a vasodilator, which means it directly affects the walls of your arteries, keeping them from narrowing or tightening.
Scents Will Not Rouse Us From Slumber, Says New Brown University Study. Summary: While sound can disrupt sleep, scents cannot. People cannot rely on their sense of smell to awaken them to the danger of fire, according to a new Brown University study.
This Japanese study found that diffusing lemon and rosemary essential oils in the morning and lavender and orange essential oils in the evening improved cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients. Lemon was shown to increase typing accuracy in another Japanese study.
And it's actually the scent of peppermint that's key. The scent stimulates the hippocampus area of the brain, the area that controls mental clarity and memory, particularly long-term memory. Basically, the aroma of peppermint - primarily the menthol component - triggers you to wake up and pay attention.
Citrus scents are often cited as some of the most pleasant smells and have been shown to boost energy and reduce stress. This is excellent news for perfume lovers, as citrus scents are frequently used in the top notes of your favourite fragrances.
One study found that bergamot, lavender, and lemon essential oils are particularly therapeutic. Using your sense of smell, they prompt your brain to release serotonin and dopamine.
Scents like jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, and peppermint decrease certain alpha and beta activities, which results in an awakening effect that improves productivity when doing monotonous work.
Lavender is one of the most popular aromatherapy oils. It has a sweet floral scent with a woody or herbal undertone. Lavender oil can be used to calm anxiety. It also has a sedative effect and may help with sleep troubles, including if feelings of stress or anxiety are keeping you up at night.
Peppermint
A known energy booster, peppermint invigorates the mind, promotes concentration and stimulates clear thinking. It is one of the best scents for focus. Find uplifting peppermint in our Onsen collection, along with eucalyptus and mandarin.
Lavender
This oil helps to calm your mind, which helps provide mental clarity. Also, studies show that lavender can affect the nervous system to help with neurological disorders, as well as increase alertness.
Scents and dreaming
Olfactory stimuli can influence our dreams, says Professor Thomas Hummel of the University of Dresden's Smell and Taste Clinic.
“Our data suggest a positive influence of olfactory sensitivity on the sex life of young and healthy participants,” the researchers write. “The perception of body odors such as vaginal fluids, sperm and sweat seems to enrich the sexual experience” by increasing sexual arousal, they add.
Scents bypass the thalamus and go straight to the brain's smell center, known as the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, which might explain why the smell of something can so immediately trigger a detailed memory or even intense emotion.
Basically, lavender works by calming the central nervous system and promoting slow-wave sleep, so helping you sleep longer and better. So while lavender oil might seem like something that just smells nice, it can pack a pretty powerful (and well researched) punch when it comes to helping you sleep better.
The invigorating scent of eucalyptus oil stimulates the senses. This not only helps refresh and re-energize the body, but also has a calming, soothing effect on the mind. It can also be used to reduce stress and mood disorders.
Eucalyptus oil can be inhaled through your nose and may provide some cold symptom relief. It's also found in many topical decongestants. However, because even small doses of the oil can be toxic, you should avoid consuming it ( 9 ).