Hinoki root oil may reduce nighttime wakefulness

Women exposed to Japanese cypress root volatiles for 13 days reported less morning sleepiness and better fatigue recovery in a small crossover study.

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A single-blind crossover study tested nighttime Hinoki root essential oil exposure in 12 Japanese women aged 35 to 60 years.
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After 13 days, participants exposed to Hinoki root oil spent less time awake at night than during the unscented control condition.
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After 13 days, participants reported greater sleepiness improvement upon awakening and fatigue recovery with Hinoki root oil than with control.
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The study found no significant between-condition differences in total sleep duration, sleep efficiency, estimated deep sleep, or overall smartwatch sleep scores.
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The findings are limited by the small sample, incomplete physiologic recordings, wearable monitoring rather than polysomnography, and a study population of middle-aged Japanese women.

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