Sleep. It’s the Holy Grail for any new parent.
“How’s she sleeping?” was probably the most frequently asked question we received when our daughter Sia was just born. And the answer wasn’t always pretty.
There’s nothing more exhausting – for everyone concerned – than a fussy baby (or child of any age for that matter) who won’t sleep. There are lots of tricks for getting your baby to sleep, from gentle rocking, to dim lighting, to soft lullabies, to regular bedtime routines, but that’s not the focus of this article. I want to share with you the top 5 things we do using essential oils.
Important point: It’s best not to use essential oils of any kind on infants under 6 months.
- Add 2-3 drops of Lavender or Calm essential oils into a warm bath before bedtime. My daughter and I bathe together every evening as part of our nightly ritual and I’ve found this helps both of us relax more than before we used the essential oils.
- Add a drop of Calm to a carrier oil such as coconut oil, jojoba, or even olive oil, and massage into your baby’s feet before putting him into his pajamas for the night. This is actually a great tip for the application of essential oils on children generally – it is the safest place to put it.
- Diffuse either Lavender or Calm in the baby’s room for 15-20 minutes before putting her to bed. I don’t like to diffuse it while she’s actually in the room.
- Put a drop of Calm on a stuffed toy he likes to sleep with.
- Put a drop of Calm under her pillow or on a cotton ball in the corner of her crib or bed. I actually do this for myself as well if I wake up in the night with a restless mind. It’s the one thing that will always help me settle and get back to sleep quickly.
Now, of course none of these tricks are exclusive to your baby. You can use them on a child of any age over 6 months, and on yourself! Because as we all know, sometimes it’s not just the baby that has trouble settling…
Great article, Margaret, thank you! I have both oils from Young Living so I will be trying this. Couple questions… putting oils under your pillow — does that stain your sheets? Or soak through to your mattress?
Also, how much carrier oil for the one drop of Peace & Calming to massage on their feet? And how does that help them? (I get with the others, they will smell it, but what happens by putting oils on their feet that has them sleep?)
Thanks again!!!
:)Ratika
I haven’t found the oils stain, but you could put them inside the pillow case on the actual pillow just to be safe. And you’re using just the tiniest amount – I put a drop (barely) on my finger and just touch the bottom of the pillow. With these oils, a little goes a LONG way.
As for carrier oil to essential oil for the foot rub… I confess i don’t use an exact science here. We keep a little jar of coconut oil in the bedroom in case of diaper rash and so I’ll stick my finger in that, get a little scoop of it in my palm and then add a drop of the essential oil. Just enough to have a nice food rub without getting all oily. Make sense?
The oils are effective far beyond just their smell. When they’re applied to the soles of the feet, they absorb through the skin and you receive their properties that way.
Essential oils do not stain but the carrier oils can.
Wow! I had no idea that oils could be so helpful in calming and soothing a baby to sleep! I will probably have to try that the next time I put my LO in his Zipadee-Zip.
I just accidentally put Peace and Calming on my 6 wk olds tummy. I thought I grabbedy TummyGize and after I had already applied the oil I realized by the smell it wasn’t TummyGize at all but P&C. Panic attack!!! What do I need to do?? Or will she be ok?
If you’re going to put another oil on your baby’s tummy by accident, this is the one to do. For future reference, if you ever need to remove an oil dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or olive oil.
Of the five suggestions, do you just pick one at a time to try?
yes – I’d do one at a time and see what works.
I’m just getting into essential oils. They’re fascinating.
Wondering if you could tell me why you recommend peace and calming instead of lavender for a baby foot massage? Thanks so much for your input!
You could do either, Kate. I just like the smell of peace and calming better than the pure lavendar, so it’s a personal preference. But either will do! I like the combo oils because I feel like you get multiple benefits from the different oils.
Excellent info, Enjoyed it a lot.
🙂
Wow! I had no idea that oils could be so helpful in calming and soothing a baby to sleep! I will probably have to try that the next time I put my LO in his Zipadee-Zip.
I don’t have diffuser at the moment can I put a drop of lavender on a cool mister?
Thank you!
I haven’t tried this but you can try? I just would be wary that the cool misters usually aren’t designed to tolerate oils.
Can I just say that I really commend you for the safe use of oils around and on baby. Not all oils are safe for babies and promoting safe use is really important. Thank you!
Thank you Kali. Yes, it’s very important to be careful with our little ones and oils. They are potent!
Oils are great and smell wonderful but be cautious! Remember to use very small amounts…we’re not doctors and were using them like medicine!