Description
The Lavender plant is a woody evergreen shrub with pale green, narrow linear leaves and violet blue flowers. The entire plant is covered with oil glands, which are in the star shaped hairs that cover the plant. Essential oil is extracted from the fresh flowers of the lavender plant. Lavender has been used since ancient times, and the Romans added lavender to their bath water, hence the name from the Latin lavare, ‘to wash’.
Lavender is native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean where it grows in sunny, stony habitats. Today, it flourishes throughout southern Europe, Australia, and the United States.
Lavender encourages restful sleep: Recent study results suggest that dropping off to sleep surrounded by the scent of Lavender appears to encourage restful sleep. Dr Bryan Raudenbush and colleagues at the Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia monitored participants’ sleep for three nights. Each night, the rooms were filled with the scent of Lavender or jasmine or no scent at all. However, the smell of the scents was so faint that some participants said they could smell nothing at all. Results showed that people who slept in rooms scented with lavender or jasmine seemed to sleep more peacefully, and reported feeling less anxiety when they awoke.
Caution: Some people may develop an allergic reaction to lavender. Lavender applied to skin may cause irritation in some people. Oral use of Lavender may cause constipation, headache and increased appetite. Lavender oil is toxic if taken orally. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using lavender
