Sleep plays a major part in our children’s health. As parents, we’ve all been through the struggles of getting our kids to sleep, keeping them asleep and working through those tough sleep regression stages. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years and are making a comeback as we turn toward more natural ways to help promote wellness in our families.
Essential oils can help support many areas of our physical and emotional well-being with sleep being one of the most popular. There are various ways to use essential oils including diffusing and topical application.
Placing a diffuser in your child’s room with oils such as Lavender, Cedarwood, Frankincense or Valerian can help promote relaxation and a sound night’s sleep. Diffusers gently mist oils into the air with water and your body absorbs them as your sleep. I prefer diffusers that run up to 10-12 hours so you have that constant flow of oils all night long.
Topical application of essential oils is a great way to help support sleep as well. Based on the age of your child, proper dilution with a carrier oil like Coconut, Jojoba, Grapeseed or any other fatty oil is recommended. These carrier oils help to slow down absorption of the essential oil into the skin. Applying the diluted essential oils to the back of the neck, the bottom of the feet or the forehead can help promote a restful night’s sleep.
There are many different calming oils and it might take some trial and error to find what works best for your child. As stated above, Lavender, Cedarwood, Frankincense and Valerian are very popular oils to help promote sleep. I’ve had a lot of success using essential oils with my children and only wish I had had them when they were babies. We would have had a lot more restful nights!
