Of your five senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch –it’s your sense of smell that comes out on top for its ability to improve your overall health.
It’s long been known certain aromas can bring on a flood of memories – evoking everything from joy to nostalgia – and this is because aromas are processed in the limbic system, a part of the brain that deals with emotions.
Pleasurable fragrances may help you have a better night’s sleep by improving your dreams. When researchers exposed sleeping participants to a rose scent, they reported having pleasant dreams. On the other hand, when the women were exposed to a negative scent, in this case rotten eggs, it provoked unpleasant dreams. Sleep soundly, and wake up on the right side of the bed, by keeping a sachet of rose-scented potpourri on your bedside table.