It's one of the trials of pregnancy that no matter how tired your over-sized body is, there are often times when you simply can't seem to get to sleep. It may be that you can't get comfy in bed, that you're kept awake with wind or heartburn, aching or twitching limbs, or your mind may be racing with pregnancy anxieties. You might think that your options for sleep remedies are limited during pregnancy, but there are a number of natural scents that have long been used to promote sleep safely in pregnancy and are well worth giving a try.
Off-the-shelf aromatherapy sleep treatments designed specifically for use in pregnancy are nowadays readily available (do look for products made with essential oils), such as those by Neal's Yard, Miriam Stoppard and Avent's Future Mother Sleep Easy Essence. The more adventurous can also buy the essential oils themselves and use them for baths, in burners, in creams and so on. It's a good idea to avoid all essential oils for the first twelve weeks of your pregnancy unless advised to use them by an aromatherapist or your midwife, but when the pregnancy discomforts of the second and third trimesters disturb your sleep there are several safe scents that can bring relief.
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Oils to avoid during pregnancy
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Clary sage
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Rosemary
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Majoram
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Sage
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Thyme
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Juniper
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Melissa
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Myrrh
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Comfrey
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Jasmine
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Basil
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Lavender - Top of the sleep props, lavender is a real wonder scent, probably most famous for its calming, sleep-inducing properties. In times gone by washerwomen would drape the bed linen on lavender bushes to dry so that they would be infused with the scent. It is advisable to steer clear of lavender oil in the first trimester, particularly if you have a history of miscarriage, but after that it's considered safe to use. If you have the plant in the garden you can burn the stalks to release the scent.
Chamomile- Calming and soothing, chamomile is a good treatment for insomnia. As with lavender, chamomile should be avoided for the first trimester if you have a history of miscarriage. Also very effective when drunk as a herb tea.
Neroli - Great for easing a troubled or anxious mind, neroli soothes, balances and calms. If your sleeping troubles are caused by mental stress, not just physical discomfort, then this is a good scent to try.
Petitgrain - Has many of the benefits of Neroli but is a less expensive oil.
Orange - Calming and uplifting to ease your mind ready for sleep, orange essential oil is also a tonic for heartburn, a common cause of disturbed sleep in pregnancy.
Tangerine - Soothing and uplifting, good for calming nerves and getting you off to sleep.
Sandalwood - Doesn't act against insomnia per se, but can help with heartburn, so useful if that's one of the pregnancy demons keeping you awake at night.
How to use essential oils
There are many ways to get the benefits of essential oils but do remember that the oils are potent and be sure that you have diluted them to a safe level - just a few drops are fine in the bath but used in carrier oils they should be diluted at about 1%. Check the instructions or ask an aromatherapist about safe dilutions if you're at all unsure.
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A few drops in the bath will relax and unwind you ready for the night's sleep (if you use a diluted bath oil in the later stages of pregnancy you'll have to be particularly careful to avoid slipping, preferably have someone around to help you in and out of the bath)
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You can burn oils in an aromatherapy burner, or put a few drops in a bowl of water on the radiator if you have the heating on
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Use a couple of drops of oil on a handkerchief or your pillow case to breathe in through the night
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Mix up to four oils together with a carrier oil for a relaxing pregnancy massage (after the first trimester), helps relieves your stresses and strains and is a good way of involving your partner
