Lavender for Relaxation and Sleep: Research and Vaporization

Lavender for relaxation has official recognition in the European Union for both the oil and the flower. The herbal committee of the European Medicines Agency has recognized that both can be used for mild stress symptoms and as an aid for falling asleep. The basis is tradition, meaning at least 30 years of safe use, including 15 years in the Union. The committee assessed the studies on the oil as too small to determine efficacy (EMA, summary for lavender oil). The most data is available for Silexan, which is the oil in capsules, and its trials were mainly conducted or funded by the manufacturer. From this text, you will learn what was measured for the capsules, scent, and infusion, as well as what doses EMA provides. We also check who should be cautious and what is known about smoking and vaporizing lavender.

KEY INFORMATION
• Silexan 80 mg reduced the Hamilton anxiety scale score by 12.8 points compared to 9.5 with placebo (Kasper et al., 2014).
• Each of the five trials in the meta-analysis from 2019 was funded by the manufacturer.
• The human studies described here do not prove faster sleep onset.
• We did not find measurements of smoke or vapor from dried lavender in PubMed.

Does lavender really work for relaxation?

Possibly, but this has not been established. The European Medicines Agency has recognized lavender oil only as a traditional herbal medicine for 12 years. In the assessment report, it stated that the quality of studies has improved over time, but the number of patients treated with the oil in randomized trials is too small (EMA/HMPC/143183/2010 report).

The report is from 2012, before trials from 2014-2016. The agency points out that the inhaled dose of oil is difficult to determine. According to the review by Koulivand et al., studies on animals and humans suggest anxiolytic, sedative, and analgesic effects. However, the same authors state that the most popular forms, such as aromatherapy or massage, were not supported by good evidence of efficacy at that time (Koulivand et al., 2013).

How would the oil work? In experiments on nerve cells, it inhibited voltage-dependent calcium channels. It resembled the anxiolytic drug pregabalin, although it did not bind to its binding site (Schuwald et al., 2013). In a PET study of 17 healthy men after at least 8 weeks of taking 160 mg of Silexan daily, the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A had a lower binding potential than after placebo (Baldinger et al., 2014).

The co-author of the first paper worked for the manufacturer of Silexan. This is a possible mechanism, not proof of efficacy.

Does inhaling lavender improve sleep?

Small studies suggest so. In a sleep laboratory, 31 healthy individuals aged 18-30 spent a night with intermittent lavender oil scent and a night with distilled water, in a balanced order. After lavender, the proportion of deep sleep increased in both women and men, and in the morning, participants reported more energy (Goel et al., Chronobiology International, 2005).

The scent was administered only for half an hour before sleep, and the remaining changes went in opposite directions for women and men.

In a trial of 79 students with sleep problems, both groups followed sleep hygiene rules for 5 nights. One wore a patch with 55 μl of lavender oil on their chest, the other a patch without oil. Sleep quality improved in both groups, more clearly with lavender. The amount of sleep, measured by a band and diary, did not differ between groups (Lillehei et al., 2015).

The review by Koulivand et al. collects smaller trials. The scent of lavender improved sleep quality ratings in 15 healthy students, 64 patients with coronary artery disease, and 34 women with insomnia. The same review describes an opposing result: massage with lavender oil did not improve sleep in children with autism in a boarding school. In a pilot study of 10 individuals with insomnia, the PSQI questionnaire score improved by 2.5 points, but the difference was not statistically significant, p = 0.07 (Lewith et al., 2005). We write more broadly about insomnia in the text about ways to sleep without sleeping pills.

The compilation of these sources does not confirm that lavender shortens sleep onset. Faster sleep onset is described in the review by Koulivand et al., but in mice. The abstract of Goel et al.’s work does not provide a result for sleep onset time, and in Lillehei et al.’s study, the amount of sleep did not differ between groups. In the Silexan trial, which analyzed 212 patients, 98.4% of the capsules’ effect on sleep was explained by reduced anxiety, and 1.6% by direct action (Seifritz et al., 2019). If lavender helps at night, according to this data, it is more likely through deeper sleep or less anxiety than through faster sleep onset.

What is Silexan and what have clinical trials shown?

Silexan is lavender oil in capsules of 80 mg for swallowing. In a trial of 221 adults with unspecified anxiety disorder, after 10 weeks, the Hamilton anxiety scale score dropped by 16.0 points with Silexan and by 9.5 with placebo. The PSQI sleep questionnaire score dropped by 5.5 compared to 3.8 points (Kasper et al., 2010).

The largest trial involved 539 adults with generalized anxiety disorder in four groups: Silexan 160 mg, Silexan 80 mg, paroxetine 20 mg, or placebo. After 10 weeks, the Hamilton scale score dropped by 12.8 points with 80 mg and by 9.5 with placebo. In the 80 mg group, at least half of the score was reduced in 70 out of 135 analyzed individuals, or 51.9%, compared to 37.8% with placebo. Both doses of Silexan performed better than placebo. Paroxetine was better than placebo only in the analysis of observed cases (Kasper et al., 2014).

A meta-analysis of five trials included 1213 individuals who took 80 mg of Silexan or placebo for 10 weeks. The percentage of individuals with a treatment response was 1.34 times higher with Silexan. The advantage of Silexan in the Hamilton scale varied between trials in size but not direction (I² 72.7%). The study and publication were funded by the manufacturer (Dold et al., 2023).

In the meta-analysis by Yap et al., each of the five trials was conducted in Germany and funded by the manufacturer. For this reason, the authors considered the risk of bias in these trials to be high (Yap et al., Scientific Reports, 2019). Most of the studies described here on Silexan were funded by the manufacturer, the German company Dr. Willmar Schwabe, or their employee is a co-author.

Does Silexan work like lorazepam?

One trial suggests so, but it is too weak to draw such a conclusion. For 6 weeks, adults with generalized anxiety disorder took Silexan or lorazepam. The Hamilton scale score dropped by 11.3 points with Silexan and by 11.6 with lorazepam, from 25 points in both groups. The authors did not find sedation after lavender (Woelk and Schläfke, Phytomedicine, 2010).

The EMA report pointed out the small number of patients in this study, lack of power calculation, and absence of a placebo group. Therefore, the agency did not recognize the oral oil as a well-established medicine. Yap et al. add that lorazepam was given at a dose of 0.5 mg per day, the lowest recommended. It is unknown how Silexan would perform against higher doses. In a comparison of three trials, lorazepam was given to 37 individuals, and Silexan 80 mg to 280 individuals (Kasper et al., Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift, 2010).

Adverse effects differed in type. In the trial with lorazepam, fatigue was reported by 16.2% of those on lorazepam and none on Silexan, while nausea was reported by 10.0% on Silexan compared to 2.7% on lorazepam (Yap et al., 2019). After sudden discontinuation of Silexan after 10 weeks, withdrawal symptoms were not observed (Gastpar et al., 2017).

A review of seven trials states that at 80 and 160 mg per day, Silexan did not cause sedation or withdrawal symptoms. The review was co-authored by employees of the manufacturer’s research department (Kasper et al., 2018).

Does lavender tea work the same as the oil?

This is unknown, as the infusion has been studied much less. The EMA recognizes the lavender flower only based on tradition. The monograph states 1-2 g of dried flowers per 150 ml of boiling water, 3 times a day, from 12 years old (EMA/HMPC/734125/2010 monograph). The periodic review from 2020 did not change this.

In Taiwan, lavender tea was tested on 80 postpartum women with poor sleep quality. Half drank a cup of tea daily for 2 weeks after smelling the infusion, while the other half received regular care. Women with tea reported less fatigue and depressive symptoms and a stronger bond with their child (Chen and Chen, 2015).

The study also aimed to check sleep quality, but the abstract does not mention any improvement. After 4 weeks, the results of all four scales were similar in both groups. Women were not randomly assigned, and the control group did not receive any beverage in return. A systematic review did not find any study comparing Silexan with inhaling the oil (Greenberg and Slyer, 2018).

We compare lavender against lemon balm and hops in the text about sleep teas, and hop cones separately in the text about hops for sleep and anxiety. Herbs from the store’s offer can be found in the herbs category. When checking dried lavender, verify the Latin name on the label. EMA monographs concern narrow-leaved lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and the agency’s report warns that it can be confused with lavandin and broad-leaved lavender.

How to use lavender according to EMA?

According to the doses from the monograph, not the number of drops. For oral oil preparations, EMA states 20-80 mg per day. For baths, it states 1-3 g of oil for a full bath once a day, in water at 35-38 degrees for 10-20 minutes (EMA/HMPC/143181/2010 monograph).

The conversion to drops should be determined by the manufacturer, as it depends on the dropper and the oil itself. And what about a diffuser or massage? For them, EMA does not provide doses. The oral dose applies to the herbal medicine, not the regular aromatherapy oil.

The doses from two EMA monographs and the Swedish characteristics of Lasea capsules are summarized in a table.

What side effects does lavender have and who should be cautious?

With capsules, primarily burping. In a trial of 318 individuals with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, this was the only adverse effect clearly more frequent than with placebo (Kasper et al., 2016). According to the compilation by Yap et al., burping or bad breath was reported by 20.0% of individuals on Silexan and none on placebo, and in a 2015 trial, 7.0% versus zero.

EMA describes the adverse effects of the oil as few and mild, with very rare cases of allergies. Linalool and linalyl acetate oxidize in the air to strongly allergenic peroxides, and lavender oil has no natural protection against this (Hagvall et al., 2008). In patch tests on oxidized oil, 2.8% of patients suspected of contact allergy reacted (Hagvall and Christensson, 2016).

Due to lack of data, EMA does not recommend lavender preparations during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and for children under 12 years old. According to the Swedish characteristics of Lasea capsules, they are also not recommended in liver dysfunction, as the components of the oil are mainly metabolized in the liver.

Interaction studies we found concern capsules. The EMA report on capsules with 80 mg of oil mentions a possible effect on drugs acting through GABA receptors, such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates, without clinical data. In 16 healthy individuals, 160 mg of Silexan daily for 11 days had no clinically significant effect on five cytochrome P450 enzymes that metabolize many drugs (Doroshyenko et al., 2013). In 24 women, it did not weaken the effect of the contraceptive pill (Heger-Mahn et al., 2014).

Regarding driving, sources diverge. EMA monographs warn of impaired ability, although no studies have been conducted. In a simulator test, doses up to 320 mg of Silexan did not worsen driving in healthy volunteers (Möller et al., 2021).

Does lavender cause gynecomastia in boys?

This has not been proven. In 2007, three prepubescent boys were described, whose breast enlargement coincided with the use of cosmetics containing lavender and tea tree oil, and it subsided after discontinuation. Both oils acted estrogenically and anti-androgenically in human cell lines, and the authors concluded that they likely caused the changes (Henley et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2007).

Later works challenge this conclusion. By 2023, a total of 8 boys with prepubertal gynecomastia and 4 girls with precocious breast development were described. It is unknown how much oil the cosmetics used contained. Some components penetrate the skin poorly, and such changes in children often resolve on their own. The authors of the review state that oils cannot be considered the cause (Braunstein and Braunstein, 2023). A systematic review of 11 cases assessed the evidence for a link with lavender oil as minimal or none (Hawkins et al., 2020).

In a survey among parents of 556 children, no cases of prepubertal gynecomastia were found. According to the authors, the risk of hormonal disorders in children regularly exposed to oils did not differ from the risk in others, but the estimation was very uncertain (Hawkins et al., 2022). In guideline-compliant tests, concerns about the hormonal activity of linalool and linalyl acetate were also not confirmed. The tests were conducted by employees of the chemical company that produces both compounds (Hareng et al., 2024).

Both sides of this dispute have weak points. The association is supported by 12 case descriptions without known amounts of oil, and against it, a review, a survey, and tests by employees of the ingredient manufacturer. Case descriptions do not prove causation, and a survey with zero cases does not exclude a rare effect.

Can lavender be smoked?

Lavender is included in herbal cigarettes, but we did not find measurements of its smoke. A review of herbal cigarettes lists it among six plants that are the main components of such products. However, in the section on lavender, it only describes inhaling the oil, not smoke (Abdel Rahman et al., ACS Omega, 2022).

Our search in PubMed on September 16, 2026, for lavender and smoking returned 11 papers. None measured smoke from lavender flowers or the effects of smoking it.

Does lavender reduce harm instead of tobacco in a joint? It removes nicotine from it, but not smoke. In a laboratory test, a herbal cigarette made from mugwort, without tobacco, produced 12.3 mg of carbon monoxide per piece. A tobacco cigarette with the same declared tar content produced 6.1 mg, and a reference cigarette with higher tar content produced 12.5 mg (Bak et al., Toxicological Research, 2015).

Lavender itself is not listed among narcotic and psychotropic substances (Journal of Laws 2024 item 1139 as amended). However, removing tobacco does not change the status of cannabis: cannabis with delta-9-THC and THCA above 0.3% is a narcotic in Poland (art. 4 point 37 Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction, Journal of Laws 2023 item 1939 as amended). We write about the smoke from cannabis and which plants not to put in a joint in the text about what to smoke instead of tobacco in a joint.

Can lavender be vaporized?

We did not find studies on vaporizing lavender in humans. However, it is known that linalool, one of the main components of lavender oil, is not heat-resistant. Cinnamon leaf oil, composed of 93.30% linalool, contained 64.01% after 30 minutes at 100 degrees, and at 150 degrees, 27.54% (Chang et al., Molecules, 2021).

Myrcene appeared, and limonene increased. However, this is a different plant and half an hour of heating oil, not dried in a vaporizer. A search in PubMed for lavender and vaporizers returned 2 papers, none on vaporizing dried lavender in humans. Our guide to herb vaporization states 130-150 degrees for lavender. These values are from device instructions, not measurements.

The comparison of both sources gives a caveat. The range from the instructions falls between the temperatures at which linalool decreased in that experiment. This does not mean that the same happens in the vaporizer chamber, as we did not find such measurements.

Comparisons of vaporization with smoking that we found concern cannabis. In a survey of 6,883 individuals, those who vaporized had an odds ratio of respiratory symptoms of 0.40 compared to smokers, although mainly only 152 individuals vaporized (Earleywine and Barnwell, 2007). Devices for herbs with temperature control can be found in the vaporizers category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does lavender help you fall asleep faster?

This has not been demonstrated in human studies described in this text. Faster sleep onset was reported in mice, in a review by Koulivand et al. from 2013. In a trial of 79 students, sleep quality improved more with a lavender patch, but the amount of sleep measured by a band did not differ between groups (Lillehei et al., 2015).

Is Silexan available in Poland and how much does it cost?

In the Register of Medicinal Products on September 16, 2026, we did not find the product Lasea or the substance Silexan. The lavender flower for brewing is registered. According to the Swedish product characteristics, Lasea 80 mg capsules have been a traditional herbal medicine for 12 years, one daily. We do not provide prices as we do not have it from a reliable source.

Can lavender oil be ingested?

Only preparations intended for oral use. The EMA monograph states 20-80 mg of oil per day, from 12 years old. This dosage does not apply to regular aromatherapy oil. EMA does not recommend use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and after capsules, mainly burping was reported, in one trial in 20.0% of individuals (Yap et al., 2019).

Does lavender cause gynecomastia in boys?

This has not been proven. By 2023, 8 boys with prepubertal gynecomastia and 4 girls with precocious breast development after using cosmetics with lavender or tea tree oil were described, but it is unknown how much oil they contained (Braunstein and Braunstein, 2023). In a survey of 556 children, no cases were found, and tests of the main components of the oil according to guidelines did not confirm hormonal activity.

Can lavender be smoked or vaporized?

We did not find measurements of smoke or vapor from dried lavender: a search in PubMed returned 11 and 2 papers, none on this topic. In cinnamon leaf oil, linalool, one of the main components of lavender oil, decreased after 30 minutes at 100 degrees (Chang et al., 2021). Burning any plant produces carbon monoxide (Abdel Rahman et al., 2022).

This article is for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Before starting supplementation, consult a doctor, especially if you are taking medications regularly, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have chronic illnesses.

Author: Michał Waluk · Published: 2026-05-29 · Updated: 2026-09-17