The Effect of Aromatherapy Interventions on Sleep Problems and Sleep Quality in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review

Altunbaş N., GOLBASI Z.

International journal of traditional and complementary medicine research (Online), cilt.7, sa.1, ss.52-58, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

This systematic review evaluated the effects of aromatherapy interventions on sleep problems and sleep quality in postmenopausal women. A search conducted in September 2025 of Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus followed PRISMA 2020 GUIDELINES. Eligible studies were English-language randomized controlled or clinical trials enrolled postmenopausal women without diagnosed disease and reporting sleep outcomes. Seven studies published between 2018 and 2025 were included: five randomized controlled trials (three double-blind, two single-blind), one quasi-experimental placebo-controlled study, and one single-group pretest-posttest study. Studies were conducted in Iran (n=3), Brazil (n=2), Türkiye (n=1), and South Korea (n=1). Sample sizes ranged from 26 to 132; participants were 45-65 years old. All interventions used inhalation aromatherapy. Essential oils included Lavandula angustifolia (n=5), Citrus aurantium (n=1), Citrus bergamia (n=1), Abies holophylla (n=1), and Citrus lemon (n=1). Sleep outcomes were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (n=4), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (n=1), General Sleep Disturbance Scale (n=1), the insomnia subscale of the Kupperman Menopause Index (n=1), and sleep diaries (n=1). According to studies, aromatherapy significantly improved sleep quality and/or reduced sleep problems (p<0.05) compared with baseline and/or control. Aromatherapy appears to be a safe, low-cost, non-pharmacological complementary approach for improving sleep in postmenopausal women. However, heterogeneity of protocols, short follow-up, and small samples limit generalizability. Larger, longer, rigorously blinded randomized trials with standardized dosing and objective sleep metrics are needed.