As a parent, you want your baby to be as healthy and happy as possible, and that means making sure they get enough sleep. Many babies have trouble sleeping through the night during the first two years of life, but there are things you can do to help your baby rest better. One of those things is to use lavender. Lavender is a genus of about 30 different types of plants in the mint family and it offers a wide range of benefits. Commonly, it’s used to help with sleep training a newborn.
What Are the Health Benefits of Lavender?
Lavender has many different health benefits. Some people use it to help treat blemishes on the skin. One small study on lavender determined it can sometimes act as a low-grade pain reliever for people who deal with acute or chronic pain. Another study indicated that it could help to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, while still another determined it may relieve asthma symptoms.
Perhaps the most popular way to use lavender is as a sleep aid, though. A 2017 study of 60 patients showed it helped those in intensive care units to sleep more soundly when using lavender essential oil. It’s a common sleep remedy for babies as well. Many parents use lavender oil for babies to help their little ones rest easier throughout the night.
How Does Lavender Help Sleep?
Lavender has been clinically proven to help people of all ages fall asleep at night. This is because it contains chemical components, namely camphor, linalyl acetate, and linalool, which relieve mild anxiety and act as natural sedatives. When the chemicals interact with the brain, they reduce feelings of agitation, aggression, and restlessness. Many new parents turn to lavender to help their babies sleep. It is especially helpful in teething babies since it can relieve pain as well and does so without the upset stomach or prolonged drowsy feeling that sometimes occurs with over-the-counter medications for babies. As an added bonus, when the lavender is grown 100% naturally, it does not contain any herbicides or pesticides.
How Do I Use Lavender To Help My Baby Sleep?
You have several options when deciding how to use lavender oil to help your baby sleep. Many parents choose to apply it directly to the baby’s skin as this is the most effective and quickest way for it to work. It is available as a roll-on that makes it easy to apply to your baby’s temples or the soles of their feet. Other parents prefer to use sleepy time spray for toddlers, which can be misted onto pillows or around the bedroom. If you want something soothing that still fits your baby’s nursery aesthetic, you can purchase a cute diffuser and use it to disperse the oil throughout the room when you put your baby to bed.
Keep in mind that babies need much less lavender oil than adults do for sleeping, so it is important you use products specifically made for newborns or toddlers. As with any home remedy, it is important to talk to your pediatrician to ensure the remedy is safe for your baby’s individual needs. With the right oil and the right application methods, you and your baby will be well-rested in no time.
