撰文:Ada Tseng | 插圖:Getty Images
香港人生活節奏快、壓力大。最近幾年,芳香療法開始在本地掀起一股熱潮,不少人開始在睡前使用香薰蠟燭、室內噴霧、乳液等。他們相信這些聞起來舒暢的氣味,能有效減壓並幫助入眠。
芳香療法(aromatherapy)使用方法簡易,只要用植物萃取的精油(essential oil),以吸入(inhalation),沐浴(bathing)或按摩(massage)吸收即可(Park et al., 2012)。芳香療法中的精油能舒緩壓力、穩定情緒、促進體內平衡(homeostasis)、肌肉放鬆,從而幫助入眠(Lin et al., 2019)。研究指出芳香療法能減少壓力,有助舒緩疲勞及痛症(Geng, 2017; Kim, 2009)。同時,吸入法亦是上述中能最快達至效果的方式(Gendey et al., 2006)。
市面上有眾多精油都標榜能幫助入眠。其中,薰衣草(lavender)的功效就最熟為人知。Cooksley (2001) 亦在其研究中指出薰衣草,絲柏(cypress)和洋甘菊(chamomile)能有效舒緩睡眠困難。除此之外,Lin et al. (2019) 和 Hsi et al. (2014) 亦指出同時使用數種精油會比僅僅使用一種更能夠增進睡眠質素。
雖然目前大部分研究都指出芳香療法有助睡眠,但研究中所使用的精油和市面上的產品成分未必一致。就以年輕一族愛用的香薰蠟燭為例,亦有以純天然精油(essential oil)和人工化學物-香精(fragrance oil)製成之分。若想選購適用的產品,必先多了解箇中成分的功效和差異。
- Cooksley, V,G. (2001). Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing With Essential Oil. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Press.
- Gendney, J, J., Glover, L, T., Fillingim, B, R. (2006). Sensory and Affective Pain Discrimination after Inhalation of Essential Oils. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 599- 606.
- Hsi, M, L., Huang, M, Y., & Hsiao, Y, S. (2014). Effectiveness of Aromatherapy for Improving the Sleep Quality of Nurses J. Health Archive (1), 85 – 92
- J.Y. Geng (2017). Effects of Aromatherapy Combined with Music Therapy on Pain Degree, Mental Status and Sleep Quality of Patients with Chemotherapy after Colorectal Surgery. Nursing Integral Traditional Chinese Western Medicine(3), 19- 21
- Kim, S, M. (2009). The Effects of Aromatherapy and Hand Massage on Anxiety, Sleep, and Depression in the Female aged at Residential Facilities. Journal of Korean Academic Community Health Nursing (20), 493–502.
- Lin, Pi-Chu, Lee, Pi-Hsia, Tseng, Shu-Ju, Lin, Yen-Miao, Chen, Su-Ru, and Hou, Wen-Hsuan. Effects of Aromatherapy on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 45 (2019): 156-66.
Park, S., Park, K., & Ko Y. (2012). The Effects of Aroma Inhalation Therapy on Fatigue and Sleep in Nurse Shift Workers. Journal East-West Nursing Res, 18:66–73.