While bergamot oil’s distinctive, delightful odor can (and should!) be enjoyed for its own sake, it is also used in aromatherapy.[1] Bergamot essential oil (BEO) aromatherapy has customarily been used for anxiety relief and to produce a calming effect.[2]
BEO aromatherapy has been studied for relaxation, medical anxiety, job-related stress, pain relief, depression, and sleep quality. There is limited evidence that it may promote relaxation in healthy adults who are not in stressful situations;[3][4][5] may reduce presurgical and postsurgical anxiety in adults[6][7] but not in children;[8][9] might reduce adults’ feelings of job-related stress or burnout, although more research is needed;[10][11] might improve sleep in adults when inhaled at night, although more research is needed;[12] and might have some beneficial effect on mood in postpartum women, although more research is needed.[13][14]