Brain Sleep Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Atsushi Hirota, hereinafter referred to as "Brain Sleep") conducted a study (hereinafter referred to as "this study") on the effect of scents on sleep together with Fitz Corporation Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Yasuhiro Togashi). This study confirmed that by incorporating scents into sleep, sleep indicators such as the ease of falling asleep, waking up, and sleep efficiency tend to improve compared to when no scent is present. Background of this initiative In order to solve the sleep issues in Japan, where sleep time is the shortest among OECD member states, Brain Sleep develops products based on sleep medicine, disseminates accurate sleep information, and supports the acquisition of accurate evidence regarding sleep. Of the five senses, the sense of smell is the only one that directly affects the limbic system, which controls instincts, emotions and memory, and therefore scents can directly access the brain through the sense of smell. We believe that scents can relieve the mental and physical tension that many people suffer from and may also lead to improved sleep, and we were asked by Fitz Corporation, which has been working with scents for over 30 years and focusing on their potential to visualize their effects, to carry out this verification. Verification Overview and Results In this test, the effects of fragrances on sleep (falling asleep, waking up during the night, ease of waking up, sleep efficiency) were examined on 12 people in their 20s to 60s. Sleep state was evaluated using activity measurements as an objective indicator and a questionnaire using the VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) method as a subjective indicator. Three types of fragrances that have been confirmed to have a relaxing effect were used in the test. (Details of the test are attached in the reference materials below.) [Verification Overview] Subjects: 12 men and women in their 20s to 60s who were dissatisfied with their usual sleep Test method: Crossover test Measurement items: Activity level, questionnaire evaluation using the VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) method [Verification results] As a result of the overall analysis of 12 subjects, by smelling the preferred scent of one of the three fragrances while sleeping, the latency to get out of bed, an indicator of how well one wakes up, was significantly reduced*1 to 3.4±0.4 minutes when scented compared to 6.8±1.1 minutes when no scent was present. In addition, a tendency for sleep efficiency*2 to improve was confirmed. *1 Bed latency: The time from the last awakening to getting up. An index of how well you wake up. *2 Sleep efficiency: The percentage of time spent in bed actually asleep In addition, in a cross-analysis of the 12 subjects who were dissatisfied with waking up in the morning (nine subjects)*3, it was confirmed that in addition to bed latency, sleep latency*4, which indicates how easily one falls asleep, and sleep efficiency, which are sleep indicators, improved at a statistically significant level. As for the time spent awake during the night*5, although there was a tendency for this to decrease, no difference was observed that could show statistical significance. *3 Subjects: Those who answered in a questionnaire conducted in advance that they usually wake up feeling refreshed at less than 6 out of 10 points *4 Sleep latency: The time it takes to fall asleep after getting into bed. An indicator of how quickly you fall asleep. *5 Time spent awake during sleep: The time spent awake during sleep from the time you fall asleep until the time you finally wake up the next morning Verification and Consideration The overall results suggest that smelling a favorite scent may improve how well you wake up, based on the activity measurements. In addition, a trend toward improved sleep efficiency was also confirmed, suggesting that smelling the fragrances used in this study may contribute to improving the quality of sleep. Collaborative Research Partners Company name: Fitz Corporation Representative Director: Yasuhiro Togashi Address: Oak Omotesando Building 7F and 8F, 3-6-1 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0061 URL: https://www.fits-japan.com/ <Appendix> Pre-verification of scent selection A preliminary test was conducted to select fragrances to be used in the test of the effects of the above fragrances on sleep. When selecting fragrances, the relaxation effect of the fragrances was evaluated by conducting a questionnaire using electrocardiogram measurements as an objective indicator and VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) as a subjective indicator. Specifically, electrocardiograms were measured for six minutes with the subjects sitting and at rest with their eyes open, and then for six minutes while sniffing the sample. When sniffing the sample, subjects were asked to hold the scent paper with the test sample dropped on it in both hands so that they could inhale the scent while breathing. The order in which the samples were presented was random for each subject. After the electrocardiogram measurements, a questionnaire evaluation was conducted. [Verification Overview] Subjects: 15 men and women in their 20s to 60s Measurement items: Electrocardiogram measurement, questionnaire evaluation using the VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) method [Experimental sample] In this preliminary verification, six types of fragrances (①FG, ②WF, ③HG, ④WC, ⑤WL, ⑥HW) were used as samples. [Verification results] Electrocardiogram measurements confirmed that the LF/HF value*6 tended to decrease when smelling the two fragrances ①FG and ③HG. In addition, a subjective questionnaire evaluation using the VAS method showed that ⑥HW received a higher score in the question about the degree of relaxation. *6LF/HF value: A stress index calculated from electrocardiogram measurements. The value is smaller when you are in a relaxed state and higher when you are in a stressed state.
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