Comparison of the Effects of Lavender Essential Oil and Sesame Oil on Sleep Quality of Nurses

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sleep disorders in nurses due to rotational shiftwork and diversity of the working time are highly prevalent, which can be improved by aromatherapy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil on sleep quality of nurses covered by social security. METHODS: This clinical trial study was conducted in 78 nurses randomly divided into two groups of lavender and sesame oil (placebo). The participants used lavender essential oil and sesame oil for two hours in early hours of their shift for four weeks. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was employed to evaluate sleep quality of both groups pre-intervention and at the end of the second and fourth weeks of the intervention (IRCT: 201407176342N4). FINDINGS: According to the results, mean ages of the lavender and placebo groups were 34.87±4.85 and 36.49±5.38 years, respectively. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding anthropometric variables (i.e., the mean height, weight, and overtime working hours). In addition, the groups were homogenous in terms of gender, marital status, work shift, department, and educational level. The results indicated no significant difference between the lavender and sesame groups regarding the mean scores of sleep quality (7.79±3.78 vs. 7.44±4.24); this mean was not significantly different between the groups at the end of the second and fourth weeks, as well. CONCLUSION: In this study, lavender essential oil had no significant impact on sleep quality of the nurses Keywords: Sleep, Lavender, Nurses