Essential oils, lavender and sleep sprays: are they safe for babies?

About the scope of this page: Dr. Sam holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and is a licensed pharmacist; she is not a physician. Here we explain, in general terms, how a medicine, supplement or remedy relates to sleep, and this is no substitute for your child’s pediatrician. Talk to your child’s pediatrician before giving your child any medicine, supplement or remedy, and always follow the product label.

In brief

For an adult, a soothing scent can be a nice part of winding down. For a baby, though, the possible harms are real and the sleep benefit hasn’t been shown.

Reaching for a scent usually reflects a hope that something simple will make bedtime calmer. What actually calms bedtime is a routine and a way of falling asleep that suit your baby. That is what Actually Sleeping works on, with a plan written by Dr. Sam, who is a pharmacist.

What regulators and the evidence tell us

• Little evidence for sleep. According to NIH, a 2021 review suggested aromatherapy might improve sleep quality, though the researchers called for larger, more rigorous studies. None of those studies involved babies.
• Skin. The AAP points out that applying pure, undiluted oils directly to the skin irritates some people’s skin.
• Effects that mimic hormones. The New England Journal of Medicine published a report on three young boys who developed breast growth after repeatedly using products that contained lavender or tea tree oil. Once the products were stopped, the growth went away, and lab testing found the oils had weak estrogen-like and anti-androgen effects. The authors judged that the oils probably caused it, while NIH notes it isn’t clear the oil was responsible. In either case, it argues for caution with everyday use on young children.
• Poisoning. Because wintergreen oil contains methyl salicylate, the CPSC requires child-resistant packaging for it and warns that young children who swallow it can suffer serious injury or death. The CPSC also requires child-resistant packaging for thin, oily products, including some baby, bath and massage oils, since children under 5 who swallow and inhale them can develop chemical pneumonia.
• Chest rubs. The AAP lists mentholated chest rubs as suitable only for children 2 years and older.

Diffusers and pillow sprays

Good evidence that diffusing oils or spraying bedding helps a baby sleep doesn’t exist. Spraying leaves product on the sleep surface, and a diffuser places a hot or wet device, plus a bottle of concentrated oil, within reach just as babies start getting mobile. Keep to the AAP’s safe sleep rule in its simplest form: only the baby goes in the crib, on their back, on a firm, flat surface, with no soft bedding or other objects.

If you keep oils at home

• Lock every bottle away out of sight. Child-resistant doesn’t mean child-proof.
• Unless the pediatrician has told you to, don’t put essential oils on a baby’s skin, diluted or undiluted, and keep them away from the face and hands.
• Check the labels of “sleep” and “calming” products for melatonin or other active ingredients.
• If a child swallows any oil, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.

Questions for your pediatrician

• “With my baby’s eczema or sensitive skin, is any scented product safe to use?”
• “My child wheezes or has asthma. Should we avoid diffusers and scents at home?”
• “For congestion at my baby’s age, what is safe?”

A sleep problem isn’t solved by a product

Predictability calms babies; a smell doesn’t. The night is decided by the routine, the timing and the way a baby falls asleep, and all three have to suit the particular baby you have. General advice on each is easy to find; tailoring it to one baby is the hard part.

Actually Sleeping writes a plan around your baby’s age, feeds, temperament and schedule, coaches you bootcamp-style before the first night, checks in 1:1 daily and coaches naps until they are solid. Our written guarantee: We guarantee that your baby will sleep 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days of consistent, correct implementation of your sleep plan. Otherwise, you get a full refund. Parents talk about it in the client video reviews.

Book the free consultation and work out the routine together with our team.