Forest Bathing and Sleep: Why Nature Can Feel Calming
Short answer: Forest bathing — or shinrin-yoku — means spending slow, attentive time in a forest environment. Research suggests that forest exposure may support relaxation and psychological well-being, with studies reporting changes in measures such as stress, mood, heart rate and cortisol.
But forests are multisensory environments. The effect cannot be reduced to scent alone.
Smell is one part of the experience: damp earth, leaves, bark, cool air and wood all help make a forest feel distinct. A nature-inspired fragrance can evoke some of those associations, but it is not the same thing as being outside and should not be treated as a substitute for forest exposure or as a sleep treatment.
What Is Forest Bathing?
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese term for spending time immersed in a forest environment.
It does not necessarily mean hiking, exercising or covering a particular distance. The idea is closer to slow, attentive exposure to the surroundings — walking, sitting, noticing light, sound, temperature, scent and the physical environment around you.
The term became widely used in Japan in the 1980s and has since become the subject of a growing body of research.
Systematic reviews have reported associations between forest exposure and outcomes such as lower cortisol, lower heart rate and improvements in stress-related or mood measures.
At the same time, studies vary considerably in their design, duration, location and participant groups. Forest bathing is better understood as a potentially supportive well-being practice than as a medical treatment with one proven mechanism.
Why Can Being in a Forest Feel Calming?
There is probably no single reason.
A forest changes many things at once:
- what you see
- what you hear
- what you smell
- the temperature and movement of the air
- how quickly you are moving
- how much urban noise and visual stimulation is present
- what your attention is focused on
This is important because forest bathing is often simplified into one explanation — for example, that trees release a particular compound and that compound is the reason forests feel calming.
The evidence does not support such a simple conclusion.
Current research is more consistent with the idea that forest exposure is a multisensory experience, and that several environmental and psychological factors may contribute to how people respond to it.
What Are Phytoncides?
Phytoncides is a term often used for volatile compounds released by plants and trees.
Researchers have investigated whether exposure to these plant-derived volatile organic compounds may contribute to some of the physiological effects associated with forest environments.
Small human studies and reviews have explored possible relationships between forest-derived volatile compounds and measures such as natural killer cell activity and stress-related physiology.
These findings are interesting, but they should not be interpreted to mean that phytoncides explain the whole forest-bathing effect.
They also do not mean that a fragrance containing woody, green or botanical notes reproduces the biological effects of breathing real forest air.
A forest atmosphere, an essential oil and a commercial fragrance are chemically and experientially different things.
Does Forest Bathing Help Sleep?
There is some emerging research examining forest exposure and sleep-related outcomes, but the evidence is smaller and less established than the broader research on stress and mood.
Some studies have reported improvements in subjective sleep measures after forest-bathing or nature-exposure programmes.
However, these studies are often relatively small and vary in duration, population and methodology.
So it would be too strong to say:
“Forest bathing improves sleep.”
A more accurate interpretation is:
spending time in natural environments may support relaxation and well-being, and some early research suggests possible benefits for sleep-related outcomes.
That is different from treating forest exposure as a therapy for insomnia.
What Role Does Smell Play in a Forest?
Smell is one part of how we experience and remember places.
A forest does not smell like one ingredient. Depending on the environment, you might notice:
- damp soil
- wet leaves
- bark
- resin
- grass
- wood
- smoke
- cool air after rain
Those smells sit alongside the visual, acoustic and tactile parts of being outside.
This matters because scent is strongly connected with memory and emotional association. A smell can remind you of a place or experience very quickly.
But that does not mean a forest-inspired fragrance recreates forest bathing.
It is better understood as an evocative cue: something that can remind you of a place, mood or atmosphere you already associate with being outdoors.
Can a Forest-Scented Product Recreate Forest Bathing?
No.
A fragrance can evoke the idea of a forest, but it cannot reproduce the complete sensory and environmental experience of being in one.
You are not getting:
- natural daylight
- outdoor air movement
- the visual depth of trees and landscape
- ambient natural sound
- physical movement through an outdoor space
- the full mixture of naturally occurring airborne compounds
That distinction matters.
A nature-inspired scent can still be meaningful — just for a different reason.
It can remind you of a particular kind of place: early morning grass, shade beneath trees, warm wood or the last trace of a fire.
For someone who enjoys fragrance, that may be one way of bringing the feeling of a natural place into an indoor environment without claiming to reproduce its physiological effects.
What About Scent as a Bedtime Cue?
That is a related but different question.
Using the same scent repeatedly during the same part of an evening routine may allow that scent to become associated with a familiar context over time.
But the mechanism, evidence and limitations around repeated sensory cues deserve their own discussion.
See Can Your Brain Learn a Bedtime Cue? for that topic.
What About Aromatherapy and Sleep?
Forest bathing research and aromatherapy research are not the same body of evidence.
Aromatherapy studies typically examine particular essential oils or fragrance interventions, often with very different methods from forest-exposure studies.
Some systematic reviews have reported positive effects on self-reported sleep quality, but the evidence varies and cannot be generalised to every fragrance.
If you want the research specifically on scent, essential oils and sleep, read What Is Aromatherapy for Sleep?.
Where Nature-Inspired Scent Can Fit at Night
You do not need fragrance to have a good nighttime routine.
But if scent is something you enjoy, a nature-inspired fragrance can be one optional part of the transition into evening — alongside softer light, reading, music or another familiar low-effort activity.
The point is not to recreate a forest or force relaxation.
It is simply to create an environment that feels different from the active part of your day.
If you are looking for the practical side of building that transition, see How to Create a Bedtime Routine That Actually Works.
Why EMBUED Uses Nature-Inspired Scents
EMBUUED's pillow mists were not built around the idea that one botanical ingredient makes people sleep.
They were built around places.
Still Dawn takes its cues from cool early-morning air, dew, grass and fresh green space.
Open Shade is inspired by the feeling of stepping beneath trees — leafy, sheltered and softly woody.
Hearth moves in the opposite direction: warm timber, resin and the quiet atmosphere of a fire burning low.
These scents are intended to evoke a place or state rather than imitate a stereotypical “sleep fragrance.”
That is a creative choice, not a medical claim.
If nature-inspired fragrance is something you enjoy in the evening, explore The Resting States Collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is forest bathing?
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, means spending slow, attentive time immersed in a forest environment. It is not necessarily exercise or hiking; the emphasis is on experiencing the surroundings.
Does forest bathing reduce stress?
Research reviews have reported changes in stress-related and mood measures after forest exposure, including lower cortisol and improvements in anxiety or tension in some studies. Results vary, and forest bathing should not be treated as a medical treatment for stress or anxiety disorders.
Does forest bathing help you sleep?
Some early studies have reported improvements in subjective sleep-related outcomes after forest exposure, but the evidence is limited compared with the research on stress and well-being. More research is needed.
What are phytoncides?
Phytoncides are volatile compounds released by plants and trees. Researchers have explored whether exposure to these compounds contributes to some of the physiological effects associated with forests, but they are only one possible part of a much broader multisensory experience.
Can a forest-scented spray give you the same benefits as forest bathing?
No. A fragrance can evoke the smell or feeling of a natural environment, but it does not reproduce the visual, acoustic, atmospheric or chemical complexity of spending time in a real forest.
Are nature scents good for sleep?
There is not strong evidence that a fragrance works for sleep simply because it smells like nature. If you enjoy nature-inspired scent, it can be used as an optional part of your evening environment. Research on fragrance and sleep is better considered separately from research on forest bathing.
Can I use a nature-inspired scent in a bedtime routine?
Yes, if you enjoy it. A familiar scent can be included alongside other low-stimulation parts of a wind-down routine. It should not be treated as a treatment for insomnia or something that guarantees sleep.
References
- Wen Y, Yan Q, Pan Y, Gu X, Liu Y. Medical empirical research on forest bathing (shinrin-yoku): a systematic review . Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2019.
- Antonelli M, Barbieri G, Donelli D. Forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Biometeorology. 2019.
- Hansen MM, Jones R, Tocchini K. Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: a state-of-the-art review . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2017;14(8):851.
- Li Q. Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2010;15(1):9–17.
About EMBUED Studio
EMBUED Studio creates water-based, ethanol-free and lavender-free pillow mists inspired by natural places and designed to be used as an optional sensory part of a nighttime wind-down routine.
They are not sleep treatments or substitutes for spending time outdoors.
Author: Chloe, founder of EMBUED Studio · Melbourne
Last reviewed: September 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Forest bathing, fragrance and EMBUED pillow mists are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent insomnia, anxiety or any other health condition. If sleep or mental-health difficulties are persistent or affecting your daily functioning, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.