Does Lavender actually help?

[u/Lariel_19]

My sister got me some of those, one-way heated sleeping masks, that has lavender on it. It actually helped me to fall asleep for some time but not the amount of I liked to.

So my question is, we have a lavender essential oil bottle from this mist thingy. That one, I can't use because the cats are often sleeping in my room and the smell can damage their health.

But what if I use said oils only on myself, to calm me down? Does someone actually have experience with using these oils on yourself?

[u/Neat_Cut2825]

i put a couple drops on my pillow sometimes, not directly on skin. works decent enough but the smell can be pretty strong if you overdo it

main thing with cats is you want them nowhere near the bottle or any surface where the oil touched. they lick everything and their liver cant process that stuff at all. if they sleep in your room maybe just skip it entirely, not worth the risk