Circadian health expert and medical scientist Logan Pendergrast, Ph.D., explores the role scent can play in shaping sleep quality. While often overlooked, research shows that certain natural aromas, like lavender, may help lower heart rate and support deeper stages of rest. At the same time, irritating or synthetic odors can interfere with breathing and disrupt sleep.
In this segment, Dr. Pendergrast explains how consistent, calming scents can act as cues that prepare the body for rest. By becoming more mindful of the sleep environment’s smell, individuals can add another layer of support to their nightly routine and strengthen the body’s natural ability to settle into restorative sleep.
0:00
So, what are some examples of some
0:02
chemical imbalances that we can
0:03
experience when we're working shifts
0:06
that are outside of the typical 9 to5
0:09
working shift period? Well, one example
0:12
of this that we may face is a
0:14
suppression of melatonin due to exposure
0:17
to light. So if we are working when the
0:19
sun is down but we are exposed to
0:21
artificial light from our phone devices
0:23
or from overhead lighting that can
0:25
disrupt our release of melatonin which
0:28
can alter factors such as our body
0:30
temperature and our sleepiness which can
0:32
affect our ability to reach deep sleep
0:34
when it's time to sleep. Other examples
0:37
of this could be uh increased levels of
0:39
cortisol when we would typically be
0:42
approaching sleep time whe whatever time
0:44
that is. So cortisol is a typically
0:47
associated with stress. It's a hormone
0:49
that's typically associated with that.
0:51
But actually cortisol is also
0:53
responsible for maintaining alertness.
0:55
And if we are having elevated levels of
0:58
cortisol, maybe from stress, from social
1:01
interactions, or just something as
1:03
simple as moving too much prior to
1:06
sleep, we begin to feel this state of
1:09
maybe a bit more alertness when we
1:11
should be seeking the opposite as we're
1:13
approaching time to go to sleep.
1:15
Another example of this could be shifts
1:18
in our body's uh levels of various um
1:22
hormones and other neurotransmitters
1:24
such as dopamine, serotonin, and
1:25
erection. And issues with desynchry
1:28
between how these neurotransmitters and
1:30
hormones should be present in our body
1:32
at a given time can lead to issues that
1:34
affect our mood, our alertness, and
1:37
maybe even our motivation to do our work
1:39
or live our general life. And so
1:42
fortunately there are tips to help us
1:44
synchronize this. And one of the tips
1:46
that can help us synchronize this is
1:49
boosting our general physical activity
1:52
as we wake up. So regardless of what
1:54
time it is that we are waking up. The
1:57
initiation of physical activity. This
2:00
could be something as simple as just
2:02
walking for 10 to 15 minutes. This uh
2:05
activity can boost our levels of
2:08
cortisol in small ways so that we can
2:10
feel more alert as we're waking up. And
2:12
this can help us set our body's rhythm
2:14
so that the levels of cortisol reach a
2:17
low point as we're approaching time to
2:19
go to sleep.
