Lavender

I am working on my second "task" in Contemporary Nursing Issues. A case study about an elderly proud gentleman. In the assigned reading I came upon an interesting fact about lavender. "Lavender oil has a calming effect and decreases insomnia. In a study of elderly individuals with sleep disturbance, lavender was as effective as tranquilizers (Oliff, 2004). True lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) produces a sedative effect that is similar to benzodiazepines. It is considered the safest of all essential oils with no irritation or sensitivity reported at dilutions as high as 16%, and no toxicity ever reported (Buckle, 2001). When lavender is inhaled (one to five drops on a tissue inhaled for 10 minutes), the molecules travel to the olfactory bulb and then to the limbic system, where GABA is increased in a response similar to that of diazepam ingestion (Buckle, 2001)."
Reference
Mauk, Kristen L. (03/2009). Gerontological Nursing: Competencies for Care [2] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781449679361/id/pg500