Sweet, sweet children. I love you with all my heart but we need to talk about your sleep or lack thereof! Anyone else have children who wake constantly overnight? I remember the nights I woke hourly to one child or another. A breast feeding mama with a working hubby. Hello sleepless nights! I don’t miss you with any part of my heart. You will only understand this exhaustion when you’ve been there. So I want to tell you a little secret mama, on how I got my nights back. There’s no more hoping, wishing, dreaming and begging prays said because my little super power is so easily available. Have you heard of essential oils yet? Once I knew what each child was needing, I probably started sleeping less in utter shock and excitement that these little bottles might actually be working!
Using essential oils as a sleep weapon
My secret weapon came down to using essential oils to help my children sleep. I went from hourly wake ups, yes you read that right, hourly! To a full 8 hours of sleep. I had to check the clock 3 times to believe it. Then test it again and again before I could not put it down to being a coincidence any longer. It simply became a blissful way of life that I am so grateful for and will never take for granted. Once you’ve been that sleep deprived, you would never wish it upon anyone. If you’re there right now, I am not sharing this from an unexperienced place. I’ve been there and I’ve done it and I only wish someone had shared this with me sooner. Now, you just need to be willing to try it if you really want some sleep back.
The first thing I will tell you though is you can’t expect to try one oil and give up if it doesn't work. If your serious and really want to try them then you need to commit to experimenting and finding the oil or blend that will work for you and your child. As much as I like to think the essential oils are these magical potions that help my children sleep, the first oil I used hyped my children up so much that they slept even less that night. For a mum that’s already getting up every hour, I could have easily thrown in the towel then and there. Instead, I called my friend who gave them to me, cried a little and asked her to please help me find something that will work.
What works for one person may not always work for another
A lot of people find Lavender calming and relaxing. That was the oil we started with that set my children off on a hyperactivity rampage. It was not the oil for us. The second oil however, we had much better success. It was that oil that gave us our first whole night sleep in a very long time. Lavender Peace! I still get excited at just the thought of this oil and the power it had on changing my life.
This blend is a combination of some of the most beautiful and powerful sleep oils. It includes Lavender Flower, Cedarwood, Ho Wood Leaf, Ylang Ylang Flower, Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Vetiver Root, Vanilla Bean Absolute, Hawaiian Sandalwood Wood. Lavender Peace has a beautiful sweet scent that together combine to help create a deep restful sleep. It helped my children get into and stay in a deep sleep. Instead of cycling in and out of a light sleep and continually needing comfort to get back to sleep.
Over the years I have continued to use this blend. However, we can often now change between using some of the single oils as we feel we need. The kids recognise the scents and which ones they feel like using each night. I trust their instincts and help them to dilute the oil and rub it on their feet, chest or back. Massaging this into their body is another way to prepare their body to relax and unwind ready for their sleep. We sometimes add it to an Epson salt bath as well if we need a really supportive wind down too. The children will often choose if they would like the massage or the diffuser on. They feel empowered being able to drop the oils into the diffuser with some water and then turning it on. It’s a little ritual to help them know it’s bedtime.
Some tips to help the kids sleep:
- Spray the sheets with a spray bottle of water and lavender peace as they are drying on the line. That way the sheets are already lined with essential oils they can smell and relax to.
- Rub vetiver on the big toe for extra deep relaxation. A little goes a long way.
- Add a drop of essential oil next to the pillow or diluted on the wrists. That way when your hands are near your face you will be able to smell the aroma all night. Try lavender or lavender peace
- Roman chamomile added to some epsom salts then added to a warm bath creates the ultimate pre bedtime relaxation
Please note: I use and recommend dōTERRA essential oils for their purity and quality. To get started with essential oils, please send me a message. If you already know what you want please use this link. Please go back to that person who introduced you to the oils if you were sent this link.
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