A combined olfactory intervention using an essential-oil preparation and a traditional Chinese herbal sachet was associated with improved self-reported sleep quality and anxiety in maintenance hemodialysis patients, with the intervention group showing lower PSQI scores (7.8 ± 2.6 vs. 13.8 ± 2.5) and lower HADS-A scores (9.2 ± 2.1 vs. 11.8 ± 2.4) at month 3 compared to usual care.
The intervention group had significantly lower PSQI global scores than the control group at the primary endpoint of month 3.
The intervention group had significantly lower HADS-A (anxiety) scores than the control group at month 3.
Sleep response rates were substantially higher in the intervention group compared to the control group.
Anxiety response rates were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group.
Adherence to the intervention was high across both application contexts.
Adverse events were more frequent in the intervention group, but no serious intervention-related adverse events occurred.
The combined intervention consisted of an essential-oil preparation and a traditional Chinese herbal sachet used alongside usual care.
This research suggests that people receiving regular kidney dialysis (called maintenance hemodialysis) who used a combination of aromatherapy oils and a traditional Chinese herbal sachet experienced better sleep and less anxiety compared to those receiving standard care alone. The aromatherapy mixture—containing lavender oil, bergamot oil, and coconut oil—was inhaled during dialysis sessions and before bedtime, while the herbal sachet was kept near their pillow overnight. After three months, about 77% of patients in the intervention group showed meaningful sleep improvement, compared to about 32% in the standard care group, and similar differences were seen for anxiety levels. The study enrolled 88 patients from a single hospital in China who already had poor sleep at the start of the study. Participants stuck with the intervention fairly well, with adherence rates above 83% for both uses. Side effects were more common in the intervention group (about 16% versus 7%), though none were considered serious. The study had important limitations: it was conducted at only one center, participants and care providers could not be blinded to the treatment because the intervention involves smell, and the trial was not registered in advance, which can affect how the results are interpreted. This research suggests that aromatherapy combined with herbal sachets may be a practical, low-risk addition to the care of dialysis patients struggling with sleep problems and anxiety. However, the authors themselves emphasize that these are preliminary findings and that larger, multi-center trials are needed before drawing firm conclusions. Dialysis patients and their care teams should be aware that while the results are promising, this approach has not yet been validated in rigorous large-scale studies.
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Upload Your LabsLin Y, Zhu Y. (2026). Essential Oil-herbal Sachet Intervention for Sleep Quality and Anxiety in Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Single-center Randomized Trial.. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. https://doi.org/10.3791/71294