Terpenes For Sleepy Time

Due in large part to the prevalence of electronic media, millions of people are struggling to get a good night’s sleep. No wonder statistics show more people than ever before are being diagnosed with disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea. While lifestyle changes are always critical when combatting a sleep-related disorder, terpenes can help patients on their quest for a healthier Circadian rhythm.

Primary Terpenes For Insomnia

Even if you know nothing about terpenes, you probably already heard of drinking lavender tea to help you get to bed. Scientists now believe it’s the primary terpene linalool that’s most responsible for lavender’s sedative effects. A recent German review of lavender’s interaction with the nervous system found that linalool consistently helps patients suffering from disorders like insomnia. Not only does linalool help people get to sleep faster, researchers believe it can increase sleep duration.

Secondary Terpenes For Insomnia

But linalool isn’t all there is to lavender. Indeed, terpene researchers are now getting interested in the secondary terpene nerolidol, which is present in lavender as well as tea tree oil, ginger, and jasmine. A fascinating study out of Teresina showed nerolidol has a profound effect inducing sleep in a group of rats. Specifically, study authors found nerolidol worked directly on the hippocampus region of the brain. This research points to the potential of using nerolidol in conjunction with linalool to create a potent sedating effect.

Other terpenes that show promise as sleep aids include the primary terpene myrcene and the secondary terpene citral. A study out of Brazil analyzed the effects of both these fruity terpenes on a group of mice. They found that a combination of citral and myrcene increased sleep duration and even induced muscle relaxation.