It's great when a plant not only makes your home look better, but also contributes to your health. Many plants are known to soothe and calm. In a recent study, however, the smell from the flowers of this delicate vine (above) got very high marks in improving the quality of sleep.
According to a study by the Wheeling Jesuit University, Jasmine has a positive effect on the quality of sleep one gets, decreasing anxiety and improving the attitude one has after waking up. The smell of Jasmine doesn't make you sleep more, instead it makes your sleep time count for more. I guess you could consider it 'high quality' sleep with less moving and disturbance. In addition, studying while smelling Jasmine increased alertness and performance on cognitive tests.
The great thing about Jasmine is that it is also a beautiful accent plant in the home. The variety above is Jasminum polyanthum and grows as a vine with sprays of tiny, trumpet-like flowers. Even when it has no blossoms the tendrils and leaves are nice on their own. In some areas of the world it is considered invasive, and outside in the ground it can grow quite large. But inside it is an easy to care for houseplant.
Another great Jasmine is Jasminum sambac, which is more shrub-like, and varieties like 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' have double blossoms that are incredibly fragrant and rose-like in appearance.
Three top choices for plants to aid in getting a good night's sleep:
I love the smell of all three, but was impressed with the results of the tests on Jasmine. It was specifically tested against Lavender and was shown to be far more effective. It makes me want to have it near the bed and near the desk. I know I get nowhere near eight hours of sleep per night, so I'll try anything to improve the quality of the sleep I do manage to get!
(Image: Matthew Noiseux)
(Re-edited from a post originally published on 7.30.2010 - CM)
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I love this - more than just beauty, it can make my day better!? Its a rare thing and I think my slice of heaven needs it.
Is Jasmine cat safe? I have am reluctant to have house plants since i know alot of them can be poisonous to cats if ingested.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/
some are toxic some aren't
I love the smell of my Jasmine Sambac, so it's good to know it's helping me sleep!
One quick note about Jasmine and Gardenia and being safe for cats:
Although Jasmine is on the 'safe list' for pets it should be noted that it means anything in the 'Jasminum' family.
Gardenia jasminoides is often called 'Cape Jasmine' even though it is a Gardenia - and therefore not safe for cats. So don't let the common plant names fool you!
Lavender definitely helps - I have a quilted rice packet with lavender in it and sleep like a rock when I heat it up and use it!
I like lavender. The "Santolina" variety has this lovely citrus-ie, vanilla-like aroma. Very soothing.
Great to know, thank you so much for the info!
jasmine makes such a mess when the flowers die. It's probably best to have them planted outside your bedroom window.
I ran out and got a Jasmine plant today! I'm excited to see if it helps!
Jasmine is such a strong, heavy scent, I'd suffocate with it in my bedroom. No, thanks!
The scent of jasmine is part of one of the peak experiences of my lifetime. We were hiking hotel-to-hotel, in Italy in extremely hot weather. We stumbled into the hotel after dark, completely exhausted. The courtyard of the hotel, which had been a 12th century abbey, had huge pots of jasmine that scented the air delicately. It was magical. To be so tired and hot and to come to this place of comfort, with the wonderful scent, was heavenly.
In memory of that night, I've tried to grow it at home and have never succeeded. Maybe it's time to try again.
Great post. Anyone knows where I can get a jasmine plant to try?
I had no idea jasmine was pot-friendly! I have fond memories of enormous climbing jasmine and honeysuckle from years of living in the South.
I've been dithering on a third plant to accompany a variegated hosta and a fern in the white-green-and-charcoal bathroom I'm in the middle of renovating. Jasmine seems like just the thing - right around the corner from the bedhroom, so in full bloom it'd be present but not cloying, but during a late-night candlelit bath? LOVELY.
Jasmine is toxic to dogs though. Jasmine drops lots of flowers, and those are toxic. So even if you put the plant on a table, then you're still not safe. Reading this article, I immediately wanted one, but I have a dog! Maybe if I move to a house that has a window in the bathroom, because my dog doesn't ever go into the bathroom.
I don't keep plants inside and my cold hardiness zone isn't friendly to outdoor plantings of these.
I buy pure essence extracts and create some aroma- and visual-therapy with a cottonball (or other absorbent material) in a small, pretty dish. Part of my prepare for sleep ritual.
BTW, does anyone else not particularly are for the scent of lavender?
oops--'are' s/b 'care'
@Molliepaws: if you don't have a local independent garden centre, there are a number of mail-order nurseries that sell jasmines. If you do have a local IGC, check there first -- they should have staff who can help you find the plant you need. If you prefer to go mail order, I've had good experiences with Logee's (http://www.logees.com/).
I have also heard a lot of things about Jasmine's benefits. But provided all information here is awesome for us. We have come to know something new from here. Great !!!
Prime mango
These plants - jasmine, lavender, gardenia - require high light to grow successfully indoors. If you want them in your bedroom, bathroom, or anywhere else in the house, please research what you will have to do to provide them what they will need to grow inside. Otherwise they will simply die.