Struggling To Sleep? Just Smell Your Partner's Clothes

The scent of a romantic partner can improve sleep, suggests new psychology research from the University of British Columbia. The researchers found that study participants who were exposed to their partner's scent overnight experienced better sleep quality, even though their partner was not physically present. "Our findings provide new evidence that merely sleeping with a partner's scent improves sleep efficiency. Our participants had an average sleep efficiency improvement of more than two per cent," said Marlise Hofer, the study's lead author and a graduate student in the UBC department of psychology. "We saw an effect similar in size to what has been reported from taking oral melatonin supplements - often used as a sleep aid." For the study, the researchers analyzed sleep data from 155 participants who were given two identical-looking t-shirts to use as pillowcases - one had been previously worn by their romantic partner, and the other had either been previously worn by a stranger or was clean. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/struggling-to-sleep-just-smell-your-partners-clothes-330801?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=83368325&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_8_L2ARg2XdrblBfQm-k1lEVVKFlEo3WGFtNa6MnUf5IlpYi__GYv3e4gCTmS3-qbpuaIZwBtPPORGLicP9Iah_FH2Fw&_hsmi=83368325