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Exposure to aromas while sleeping gives dramatic boost in cognitive ability
Who would have thought it — well, who apart from aromatherapists that is.
I have reported multiple times on the benefits of exercise on cognitive performance but also on diet, sleep, and cognitive activity. Many of these are well know and tie in to general health advice. However there is little research and thought given to smells, aromas.
Smell may also be an underrated sense — offices, for example, and homes, often give careful consideration to lighting but little thought to smell — though some smart marketeers and retail establishments have given some considerable thought to this e.g. the appealing smell of a new car, the smell of fresh bread in a supermarket all support the brand experience and encourage customers to buy more.
We could and would also assume that smell would have some, mostly emotional effect on us in certain circumstances — if a room is particularly bad smelling it would have a negative impact on work performance. However this piece of research showed that mere exposure, while asleep nonetheless, had dramatic impacts on cognitive performance (a 226% increase no less!) and also helping “grow” the brain in those with olfactory impairment.
