<![CDATA[Background: Sleep disturbances in the elderly are a health problem that becomes increasingly common with age and can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and a decreased quality of life. Physiological changes associated with aging result in lighter sleep and frequent nighttime awakenings, thus reducing sleep quality. Sleep disturbances can be addressed through pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. Pharmacological therapies include the use of benzodiazepines, antihistamines, and antidepressants, while non-pharmacological therapies include sleep hygiene practices, massage techniques, relaxation, and aromatherapy as ways to improve sleep quality in the elderly. Purpose: To analyze the effectiveness of lavender aromatherapy on sleep quality in the elderly. Method: This quantitative study used a quasi-experimental approach with a two-group pretest-posttest design and was conducted in January 2026 at the Kandang Community Health Center in Lhokseumawe. The sampling technique used random sampling with a sample size of 50 participants divided into the lavender therapy intervention group and the placebo control group (mineral water). The independent variable in this study was lavender aromatherapy, while the dependent variable was sleep quality. Data analysis included univariate analysis in the form of frequency distributions and bivariate analysis using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Most participants stated that before lavender aromatherapy, the average sleep quality for elderly women was 13.00, and after lavender aromatherapy, the average sleep quality for elderly women was 38.00. The statistical test results showed a significance value of 0.000, indicating a change in sleep quality for elderly women before and after lavender aromatherapy. Conclusion: Lavender aromatherapy has been shown to improve sleep quality in the elderly. This intervention was effective compared to the group that did not receive aromatherapy. These findings suggest that lavender aromatherapy can be a safe and easy-to-implement alternative non-pharmacological intervention to improve sleep quality in the elderly. Keywords: Aromatherapy; Elderly; Lavender; Placebo; Sleep Quality.]]>
