Essential Oils to Help Baby Sleep: Are They Safe and Do They Work?

Those who utilize them claim that essential oils can significantly enhance general health. Essential oils, they say, offer a wide range of health benefits, including the ability to relieve headaches, hasten healing, and encourage relaxation.

What about sleep, though? Specifically baby sleep? There are several essential oils that are said to be calming, relaxing, and help with improved sleep. But can you put your child to sleep with the aid of these oils? More importantly, is it safe to use these oils around babies? If so, are there essential oils to help baby sleep that work better than others? These, and other questions, are what we are going to take a closer look at next.

Will Essential Oils To Help Baby Sleep Actually Work?

In a nutshell, probably! There isn’t any concrete proof that using essential oils would help your child sleep better, but studies show that lavender may be able to. Baby sleep appears to be improved, deeper, and longer when lavender is used to calm and comfort them.

That is hardly surprising considering that lavender is the oil most commonly used to treat sleep issues in adults and has been used to do so for centuries. It has excellent sedative qualities and is quite soothing, as well as offering a light, floral scent that isn’t too strong and cloying.

Another excellent essential oil with calming, soothing, and relaxing qualities is Roman Chamomile. It is excellent for fostering calm because of its delicate flower aroma.

Are Essential Oils To Help Baby Sleep Safe?

Medical experts agree that essential oils should not be used on – or even around – babies who are under three months of age. For babies older than that, who are otherwise healthy, the proper and careful use of essential oils isn’t considered harmful. That last part is important though, as the improper use of essential oils to help baby sleep can cause more harm than good.

Here are some pointers for making use of essential oils for babies safely:

• First and foremost, it is crucial to make sure that the essential oils you use for aromatherapy are pure therapeutic grade. Some essential oils from stores may contain fillers, pesticides, chemicals, perfume, and other artificial components that are not desirable. The therapeutic properties of these additives are inferior to those of pure oil.
• Keep in mind that less is more! Usually, 1 or 2 drops of any essential oil used at one time is more than sufficient.
• Always remember to use a carrier oil when applying essential oils to infants and kids. Several factors necessitate the usage of carrier oils. They assist in spreading the oils uniformly and in dilution of the highly concentrated essential oil. They also slow down the rate of evaporation of the essential oils.
• Olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, and jojoba oil are all suitable carrier oils. For a baby, dilution ratios are roughly 1-2 drops per 2 tablespoons of carrier oil.
• Make use of essential oils for babies topically only. While some essential oils are considered safe for adults to consume, they should never be given to children to ingest, as they can cause unwanted allergic reactions, especially if they are not therapeutic grade.