Unlocking the Sleep-Promoting Secrets of Aromatic Plants with AI

Imagine being able to fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly, all thanks to the power of natural scents.

TL;DR
• AI maps sleep-promoting effects of nearly 1,000 aromatic plants.
• Top candidates identified for sleep-promoting effects.
• Potential health benefits of using natural scents for sleep.

Summary
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to analyze the sleep-promoting effects of nearly 1,000 aromatic plants and identify top candidates. The study, published in Digital Discovery, collected data from over 970 scientific publications, building a dataset of 2,391 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from 991 different aromatic plant species.

Key findings include:
• The AI model predicted that several plant families, including the mint family (Lamiaceae), the daisy family (Asteraceae), and the laurel family (Lauraceae), contain multiple VOCs with high predicted sleep-related activity.
• At the species level, plants like lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), perilla (Perilla frutescens), basil (Ocimum basilicum), and Vitex (Vitex negundo) are rich in potentially sleep-promoting aroma compounds.
• Laboratory experiments confirmed that four candidate molecules - carvacrol, safranal, vanillin, and methyl eugenol - helped reduce time spent awake and increased total sleep duration in mice.

The study demonstrates how AI can be used to explore the hidden health potential of natural scents and opens new possibilities for understanding how aromas influence sleep and guiding future research into natural-based health solutions. The researchers have made all data and AI models used in the study freely available through the Zenodo platform.

Future studies will investigate how multiple aroma compounds may work together through synergistic or interactive effects, as natural plant extracts typically contain complex mixtures rather than single molecules. This research has the potential to lead to the development of new, natural-based health solutions for sleep problems, which affect millions of people worldwide.

As we continue to explore the hidden health potential of natural scents, we may uncover new ways to improve our sleep and overall well-being.