This systematic review examined the sleep-enhancing effect of lavender essential oil in adults. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the sleep-enhancing effect of lavender essential oil in adults were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Web of Science. The retrieval period spanned from January 1, 2014 to September 4, 2024. Literature screening and data extraction were conducted by 2 researchers, and the risk of bias in the included studies was assessed. The data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. Eleven RCTs, encompassing a total of 628 adult participants, were incorporated into this analysis. The outcomes of the meta-analysis indicated that the sleep-enhancing effect of lavender essential oil intervention in adults was significant (standardized mean difference = -0.56, 95% CI [-0.96, -0.17], P = .005). Current findings indicate that the use of lavender essential oil can enhance the sleep quality of adults. However, constrained by the quantity and quality of the incorporated studies, this conclusion requires verification in more high-quality studies.
Keywords: RCT; lavender essential oil; meta-analysis; sleep-enhancing effect; systematic review.
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