SynthesisMedicine2021
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the clinical effects of aroma inhalation therapy on sleep problems.
Synthesis in Medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 90 citations in OpenAlex.
- Non-pharmacological intervention for shift nurses' sleep: systematic review and meta-analysis.Occupational medicine (Oxford, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of inhaled aromatherapy on sleep quality and cognitive function in older adults: a randomised controlled trial.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026Trial
- The immediate effects of lavender-based essential oil inhalation on subsequent polysomnography in people with poor sleep quality.Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2023Trial
- Comparing the Effects of Lavender Aromatherapy With Virtual Reality on the Quality of Sleep in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Potential preventive effects of forest bathing/Shinrin-yoku on depressive symptoms: a narrative review of mechanistic evidence.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2026Review
- Heart Rate Variability Sensing Can Reveal Characteristic Autonomic Modulation via Aromatherapy in Relation to the Effects on Feeling: A Study on Citrus Aurantium Oil and Rose Water.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effects of programs on sleep improvement in shift-work nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Research on the Improvement Effects and Mechanisms ofJournal of microbiology and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Effects of lavender essential oil inhalation aromatherapy on postoperative sleep quality in patients with intracranial tumors: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Article
- Efficacy of Lavender Essential Oil in Reducing Stress, Insomnia, and Anxiety in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Scented Solutions: Examining the Efficacy of Scent Interventions in Mitigating Driving Fatigue.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Aromatherapy in anxiety, depression, and insomnia: A bibliometric study and visualization analysis.Heliyon · 2023Article
- Natural essential oils derived from herbal medicines: A promising therapy strategy for treating cognitive impairment.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2023Review
- Visualizing Research Trends and Identifying Hotspots of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Nursing Technology for Insomnia: A 18-Years Bibliometric Analysis of Web of Science Core Collection.Frontiers in neurology · 2022Article
- Effectiveness of Aromatherapy on Ameliorating Fatigue in Adults: A Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThis systematic review investigated the clinical effects of inhalation aromatherapy for the treatment of sleep problems such as insomnia.
methodsStudies on sleep problems and inhalation aromatherapy, published in Korean and international journals, were included in the meta-analysis. Five domestic and international databases, respectively each, were used for the literature search. Keywords included sleep disorder, sleep problems, insomnia, and aroma inhalation, and the related literature was further searched. After the screening, selected articles were assessed for their quality and conducted the risk of bias using RevMan 5.0, a systematic literature review was then conducted. A meta-analysis comparing the averages was conducted on studies that reported numerical values. Additionally, meta-analysis of variance and meta-regression analyses were performed.
resultsMeta-analysis of the 34 studies using the random-effects model revealed that the use of aromatherapy was highly effective in improving sleep problems such as insomnia, including quantitative and qualitative sleep effects (95% confidence interval [CI], effect sizes = 0.6491). Subgroup analysis revealed that the secondary outcomes including stress, depression, anxiety, and fatigue were significantly effective. The single aroma inhalation method was more effective than the mixed aroma inhalation method. Among the single inhalation methods, the lavender inhalation effect was the greatest.
conclusionInhalation aromatherapy is effective in improving sleep problems such as insomnia. Therefore, it is essential to develop specific guidelines for the efficient inhalation of aromatherapy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required because individual patient data are not included. The findings of this systematic review were disseminated through peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020142120.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.