Top Essential Oils for Back to School - Don't Mess with Mama

Going back to school can be daunting, especially difficult for parents to re-establishing their children’s bedtime routine. Children are growing rapidly physically and mentally and need plenty of sleep to fuel their brains and bodies. Quality sleep is essential to children’s memory, concentration and motivation. Healthy sleep habits can improve children’s ability to focus and retain memories at school.

However, maintaining regular sleep routine for children is a common struggle for parents. How can parents help their children set back on a healthy sleeping schedule as they transition from summer holidays into a new school year? Keep reading this guide to help improve your children’s sleep quality ready for a successful school year.

Take a relaxing bath before Sleep

Getting everything all laid out the night before such as supplies, clothes and send your children off to bed with a relaxing bath. It can help them calm down and prepare their minds ready to hit the pillow. Taking a warm bath can make the heart beat faster and give it a healthy workout. Not only does bathing support healthy blood circulation, but it also makes it more oxygenated by allowing the breathing deeper and slower. Submerge in water can calm the nervous system, reducing the levels of stress and anxiety, and can prepare your children’s mood to sleep.

Add a few drops of calming oils such as lavender essential oil to your children’s bathwater to create a relaxing therapeutic experience. Smell has the power to transform people’s mental states. With the correct oil, this powerful scent can calm nervousness and help children to relax. It is incredibly soothing and calming to your children’s minds and bodies and provides a sense of reassurance and contentment.

Another tip is trying to add bath bombs into your children’s bathing water. The boundless bubble with various essential oils and colors can significantly boost relaxation for children. After a few minutes of soaking in warm water, your kids may feel calm and nod off. As the cool air hits the skin when your children step out of the bath, their brain also releases melatonin that helps them fall asleep more easily. Discover our range of organic, natural bath bombs with 100% pure essential oils.

Apply essential oils to your children’s foot balms

Who doesn’t enjoy a relaxing foot massage? Falling asleep can be challenging and using essential oils to sleep can calm the brain and signal the body that it is time for rest. Apply the essential oil such as eucalyptus, cedarwood, lavender, mixed with carrier oils such as sweet almond oil to the bottom of your children’s feet before bed. A nice rub is especially relaxing before bed. Essential oils and pleasant fragrances massaged into the bottom of feet at bedtime help promote sleep and fight infections. 

Did you know our bodies are able to absorb essential oils through the skin on the bottom of our feet? In fact, an old cough cure is to rub the bottom of the feet with olive oils. Then putting chopped garlic on the oil and cover the beet with a sock. In a short time, this person’s breath can smell like garlic. Garlic can help people clear sinuses and combine the other symptoms of congestion.

The theory behind this is linked to the practice of reflexology. Your feet have about 72,000 nerve endings each. Reflexology believes in applying pressure to different areas of your hands and feet to treat problems with a certain corresponding part of your body. Applying essential oils to your feet allows the benefits of the soothing effects, and the fragrance of essential oils can make your children feel relaxing and easier to fall asleep.

Diffuse essential oils before bedtime

Keep your kid’s room cool, dark, and quiet. You can also diffuse the essential oils in your children’s bedroom for about 30 minutes before a restful night's sleep. As sleeping with a diffuser on can inhibit sleep because of sensory stimulation. Essential oils can be a critical part of a child’s bedtime routine, giving a grounding effect on their emotions.

The unique chemical properties make them useful for promoting an environment conducive to sleep. The chemical linalool is especially helpful for supporting restful sleep. It can be found in certain essential oils such as lavender, petitgrain. Esters are another helpful for calming and relaxing chemical constituents found in chamomile, cedarwood, sweet orange and lavender. When diffusing oils in your kids’ room, make sure the room is well ventilated. Starting with 3 drops and check the smell is not overpowering, add more if needed.

Going back to school after the holiday break is always a time of excitement. Share your own stories and hacks and your back-to-school experiences with us!