AROMATHERAPY AND THE THERAPEUTIC USE OF ESSENTIAL OILS AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can negatively affect individuals' quality of life and daily functioning, increasing interest in complementary care strategies, including aromatherapy with essential oils. This study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence regarding the use of aromatherapy and essential oils as a complementary strategy for the treatment of insomnia. An integrative literature review with a qualitative and descriptive approach was conducted in the PubMed, Virtual Health Library (BVS), and ScienceDirect databases. Study selection considered publications from the previous ten years that were available in full text and directly related to the research question, while duplicate, incomplete studies, publications without full-text access, technical guidelines, editorials, and other publications that did not provide sufficient data to address the study objectives were excluded. Nine studies were selected for analysis, and their data were organized into a table and examined through descriptive and comparative analysis. The results showed a predominance of lavender essential oil, mainly administered through inhalation, with favorable effects on sleep quality and possible benefits regarding fatigue, stress, and anxiety. However, some studies reported divergent findings, particularly concerning objective sleep parameters and overall sleep quality. It was concluded that aromatherapy showed potential as a complementary strategy for individuals with sleep disturbances; however, the heterogeneity of protocols and study populations indicated the need for clinical research with greater methodological rigor, larger samples, and standardized intervention protocols.