You have to get a lot of sleep. Right? How do you choose the right essential oil for sleep?
There are so many people talking about how you have to get at least 8hrs of sleep. That seems to be the majority of opinions nowadays. I totally agree with those opinions but also think that we hold on to this idea that we have to get these 8 hrs of sleep in order to function well. Some people (myself included) function really well on less than 8 hrs of sleep.
For moms, 8 hrs of sleep is a very unrealistic goal. Kids seem to always wake up and need something in the middle of the night. Plus when they are sleeping, yes it is that adult time that every mama needs to feel human. So can we just let that mama guilt go right now of how we have to get these magical 8 hrs of sleep every night?
Sleep Issues
However, if you are starting to feel tired all day, or are not mentally alert then you really might have sleep issues, but most of the time people do wake up for a few minutes during the night. Kids included.
Not sleeping during the night then there might be other causes to look at, such as:
- diet
- stimulants
- stress
- pain
- fatigue
- anxiety
- medications
Looking at those issues first and removing the cause is what I found to be most important. We all have some habits right? Habits hours before bed might solve the riddle for you.
There are also emotional problems that happen, but those are much harder to control. Bedtime seems to be the time where all our anxieties come out but most popular pieces of advice for overthinking is to “sleep on it”.
Essential oils can be used several ways such as:
- bath
- foot bath
- body oil
- diffuser
Everyone react differently to essential oils so the oils suggested here you will have to experiment with. Also are you pregnant? Looking more for your baby to sleep? Chronically fatigued? Is your child over 5 yrs old struggling with sleep? Different oils help in different ways and what stage you are in is important to consider.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrom
With CFS, then you are tired but yet cannot go to sleep. Some oils can stimulate the system instead of relax it when given in high doses, and depending on your personal response to them, that is something to consider when experimenting with oils. For CFS some oils that can support the body are:
- vetiver
- valerian
- orange
- bergamot
- roman chamomile
- sandalwood
General Sleep Issues
There are general blends for mama insomnia that you can experiment with using a diffuser before bedtime. Please note this is not for breastfeeding mamas as some are contraindicated. Some oils to consider are:
- clary sage
- vetiver
- valerian
- lavender
- marjoram
- roman chamomile
- mandarin
- neroli
Pregnancy
During pregnancy it is really hard to get some sleep sometimes, I guess this is where we blame hormones. A comfortable sleep position, using body pillows and experimenting with sleeping positions are essential to mamas. Pregnancy insomnia has many causes such as heartburn, stress, frequent urination at night but herbs and aromatherapy can offer a variety of solutions.
Many times moms just want a good night rest and using the essential oils such as lavender, sandalwood and bergamot are popular in a massage oil to rub on the back back and the bottoms of the feet to promote good sleep. Doing a pillow spray using lavender hydrosol and roman chamomile essential oil to spray on the sheets before bedtime is a fun recipe to try as well.
Baby Sleep
The question of the century right? How to get a baby to sleep. Well babies really do not need oils and are not recommended to have any oils before 3 months. It is important to always dilute the oils and if you want to read more about children uses of essential oils CLICK HERE.
For babies over 3 months, lavender and orange mixed together in a diffuser that runs intermittently can help them sleep. Also it is recommended that you alternate days with using oils since they are still trying to build up their immunity. Less is more for babies, one drop of each will be enough for them.
Children Over Five
Children develop insomnia for many reasons like school stress, tummy aches, fears, phobias, separation anxiety, screen time. One of the best ways, that I must say is up my own mama tricks for sleep, is to give your child a warm bath at night and make that a daily winding down routine.
Also, at times, I’ve used massages to calm my kids down and found them very effective such as a back massage or a foot massage after the bath. Recently one of my kids had such a hard time with sleep that after digging deep I found a linen spray with lavender hydrosol to be the winning strategy. The aim is always to calm and soothe the nerves.
Some oils that can help are:
- geranium
- clary sage
- mandarin
- roman chamomile
- lavender
- frankincense
Remember always underdose, instead of overdose, when it comes to using oils with kids. Some oils can become stimulats rather than relaxants if you use too much, less really is more.
I do offer 1:1 consultations for moms, helping them make informed decisions with essential oils. While you are here grab the the ultimate essential oil guide so you can feel freedom from physical and emotional stress as you confidently know which oils to use in your life.
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE GUIDE
Contact me at any time.
Much love,
Krystina
