massage baby to sleep

Baby Massage Wind Down Routine for Sleep

Is your baby struggling with sleep?

Would you like to try incorporating a massage into a ‘Wind Down’ routine to see if it helps?

You can follow along to Baby Massage and Baby Reflexology Routines for Sleep with my Online Baby Massage Course

For immediate access to all videos follow this link: https://lucysangels.thinkific.com

Research from the Touch Institute in Miami on Sleep:

Sleep problems in infants decrease following massage therapy. 

Infants and toddlers with sleep onset problems were given daily massages by their parents for 15 minutes prior to bedtime for one month. Based on parent diaries the massaged versus the control children (who were read bedtime stories) showed fewer sleep delay behaviors and had a shorter latency to sleep onset by the end of the study. Forty-five minute behavior observations by an independent observer also revealed more time awake, alert and active and more positive affect in the massaged children by the end of the study.

Field, T., & Hernandez-Reif, M., (2001). Early Child Development and Care, 168, 95-104.

How does Baby Massage help?

When babies are being massaged, they release oxytocin, the feel good ‘love’ hormone which calms, soothes and promotes sleep. Melatonin and serotonin, the sleep regulating hormones are increased, and cortisol the stress hormone is decreased. Massage also stimulates the vagus nerve which is responsible for all the resting and relaxation responses in the body.

Before you start

♡  Please make sure you have waited around 45 minutes after your babies last feed.

♡ Find a comfortable space on the floor, turn off the TV, your phone and feel free from any distractions.

♡  Feel confident that your baby is happy, well enough and ready to participate.

Practicing the strokes

♡  Make sure that you also feel happy and not stressed! Take a few deep breaths before you start. Shake out your arms and hands. Ask your baby if they would like a massage to soothe and relax them.

♡  Bring them close to you so they can see you and feel safe.

♡ Use a sing-song voice with lots of encouragement and praise.

♡ The slower and deeper* your massage stroke, the more calming and sleep inducing. A light and fast stroke will be stimulating.

*We never use deep strokes on babies. Start softly, gently and gradually sink your hands in a little deeper if you feel baby is allowing.

Essential oil use

If you feel you would like to and feel confident using Essential Oils, they can be very relieving for coldy symptoms and wonderfully supportive emotionally as well as physically. Essential oils must be used with caution, sparingly and never ingested.. Safe oils for babies are Lavender Lavandula angustifolia, Roman Chamomile Anthemis nobilis and Mandarin Citrus reticulata. Lavender in particular is amazing for encouraging and promoting sleep. Roman Chamomile for relieving pain and Mandarin for ‘fractious babies’. Oils must always be very high quality and organic if possible. Here in the UK, I recommend Neals Yard to ensure safety and quality. Electric steam diffusers are also a fantastic way to diffuse the oils into a room safely. If you would like advice on essential oil use please consult a qualified aromatherapist.

Research from the Touch Institute Miami into Lavender Oil for Babies:

Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants.

Very young infants were given a bath with or without lavender-scented bath oil. The mothers in the lavender bath oil group were more relaxed, smiled and touched their infants more during the bath. Their infants looked at them a greater percentage of the bath time and cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after the bath. The cortisol levels of this group of mothers and infants significantly decreased, confirming the behavioral data showing increased relaxation of the mothers and their infants. These findings support a body of research showing the relaxing and sleep-inducing properties of lavender aroma*

Field, T., Cullen, C., Largie, S., Diego, M., Schanberg, S. & Kuhn, C. (2008).  Early Human Development, 84, 399-401.

*I have included this research out of interest but please be aware that Lavender Essential Oil in the bath could be ingested by your baby and must be monitored with caution. If you would like to try a bath with lavender oil - One or two drops maximum of Lavender EO must be mixed into a tablespoon of milk before adding into the bath. The fat in the milk disperses the oil so that the Lavender oil doesn’t ‘sit’ on the top of the bath water.

I really hope this helps. Please leave a comment if this video has helped or if you have had any success. Thank your so much and good luck!

Love Lucy ♡

Baby and Children's Reflexology for Sleep

Reflexology is a non invasive gentle therapy suitable for babies from birth. Tiny babies, children and adults can all benefit from this ancient therapy that has been used for centuries to bring about healing, balance and a sense of well-being.

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👣 Here’s a video showing a lovely sequence to promote calm, rest, relaxation and sleep for your baby or child. I would love to know how you get on!

👣 What is Reflexology

Reflexology is based on the principle that all our body parts and bodily systems are reflected on the feet and the hands. Applying gentle massage and therapeutic touch to specific areas will have an effect in the corresponding body part or to the whole child.

👣 How will it help my baby sleep?

  • Your touch will stimulate pain relieving hormones and feel good endorphins

  • Massaging specific points will bring about relief in the corresponding body area

  • Promotes calm, is soothing and relaxing

  • Assists the Immune system

  • Aids deeper and more restful sleep

  • Will help your baby to feel safe, secure, understood and comforted

👣 Specific points on the feet to help with sleep

  1. Solar plexus point is found underneath the ball of the foot in the centre. This point helps with inducing calm and relaxation.

  2. Pituitary Gland. Balancing, relaxing

  3. Points for the brain and the head. Calming, comforting, soothing, sleep inducing

  4. Points for the spine are all the way along the side of the foot from the heel up to the big toe. Good for calming a frazzled central nervous system.

  5. Points for the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) are found either side of the joint on the big toe. This area can get tight from crying- the hollow in your cheeks where you find your jaw hinge

👣 How do I give my baby reflexology?

Qualified Reflexologists are trained in very specific techniques and spend years studying, practising and seeing clients in order to qualify. Adult reflexology is completely different from treating a baby or child. The main and very important difference is that you barely use any pressure at all and are aiming just to give some therapeutic touch to your childs feet in the form of gentle massage. Let your hands and fingers make small circles, slides and and strokes with super gentle and soft hands.

👣 When is the best time to give my teething baby reflexology?

  • Teething can start anywhere from 3 months and if your baby is hard to settle, fussy and has no other obvious signs of illness then it may well be the start of teething. The sequence in the video will help to calm and soothe baby and if their gums are sore then the relevant points we cover will help to make a difference.

  • It may be super obvious that your baby is teething and in this case go for it! If they are in pain and inconsolable, try some of the techniques whilst you hold, cuddle or feed them - some of the points you’ll be able to access, you’ll be able to give them a ‘partial’ treatment.

  • Before going down for sleep may help for a more restful night.

👣 Are there times when I should not give my baby refelxology?

  • If your baby is sick, they may not want to be touched, but just held and comforted. Babies who cry and pull their feet away may be telling you that your touch is unwanted and to try again another time.

  • Premature babies or unwell newborns may have had blood drawn from their heels regularly and may develop an association of pain to anyone touching their feet. It would be lovely to help them overcome this association by persevering with therapeutic touch to their feet but great care and mindfulness must be taken on your part. You may want to start with gentle massage over socks or clothing at first and gradually graduate to skin to skin. If your touch is unwelcome, try again another time.

👣 Where can I give my baby a treatment?

It is lovely to find a space that is warm and comfortable for both of you but having said that, the wonderful thing about Reflexology is that it is so accessible, versatile and flexible. A treatment can be given anywhere, inside, outside, on the bus, in the park, at home. Your baby does not need to be undressed, you only need their little feet. Treatments can even be given over socks and clothing if necessary.

👣 What do I need?

Very little! If you are at home, it might be nice to use some oil, balm or lotion to allow your fingers and thumbs to glide more easily over their skin. Please read my short blog about suitable oils for baby here: http://lucysangels.co.uk/baby-massage-baby-yoga-videos/preparing-to-massage-baby-with-massage-oil

👣Last word before you try!

Reflexology must not be given in place of medical treatment. These videos are wonderful to try for babies and children with mild conditions that you feel comfortable to try and help with at home. They can also be fantastic to try in the time between being able to see a GP, Health Practitioner or a Qualified Reflexologist or Qualified Alternative Practitioner.

I really hope this helps. Please leave me a comment if this video has helped and if you have had any success. Thank you so much and good luck!

Love Lucy ♡

Baby Massage for colds, congestion and mucus

Baby Massage for colds, congestion and mucus

It’s common for babies to have around 7/8 colds a year which is miserable for everyone! Massaging your baby will bring comfort and relief and will help you to feel like you are doing something to lessen their symptoms.

Apply Sunscreen to your baby with this fun rhyme!

If you have ever tried to apply suncream to a writhing and complaining baby or toddler you’ll need no explanation to why this will be helpful!

Check out Non Toxic Sunscreen here: https://amzn.to/2zHmIsk

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Try the rhyme and actions for yourself with this video and let me know how you get on ♡ 

How does this rhyme help?

The actions and rhyme in the video are simply a great distraction! It’s fun and silly and your baby or toddler will get caught up in the ‘fun’ of it and forget that you’re actually trying to put sun cream on them!

Speech and Language development

Talking, singing, playing, touching, making eye contact with your baby is all helping to develop their speech and language.

I really hope this helps. Please let me know if you have had any success. Good luck!

Love Lucy ♡


Baby Massage for calming, soothing and sleep

Sleep is so different for everyone. What works for one baby won’t for another, but massage universally has a very calming, soothing effect and promotes a deeper, more quality sleep.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Try this short wind down routine in the video and I would love to know how you get on ♡ 


Research from the Touch Institute in Miami on Sleep:

Sleep problems in infants decrease following massage therapy. 

Infants and toddlers with sleep onset problems were given daily massages by their parents for 15 minutes prior to bedtime for one month. Based on parent diaries the massaged versus the control children (who were read bedtime stories) showed fewer sleep delay behaviors and had a shorter latency to sleep onset by the end of the study. Forty-five minute behavior observations by an independent observer also revealed more time awake, alert and active and more positive affect in the massaged children by the end of the study.

Field, T., & Hernandez-Reif, M., (2001). Early Child Development and Care, 168, 95-104.


How does Baby Massage help?

When babies are being massaged, they release oxytocin, the feel good ‘love’ hormone which calms, soothes and promotes sleep. Melatonin and serotonin, the sleep regulating hormones are increased, and cortisol the stress hormone is decreased. Massage also stimulates the vagus nerve which is responsible for all the resting and relaxation responses in the body.

Before you start

♡  Please make sure you have waited around 45 minutes after your babies last feed.

♡ Find a comfortable space on the floor, turn off the TV, your phone and feel free from any distractions.

♡  Feel confident that your baby is happy, well enough and ready to participate.

Practicing the strokes

♡  Make sure that you also feel happy and not stressed! Take a few deep breaths before you start. Shake out your arms and hands. Ask your baby if they would like a massage to soothe and relax them.

♡  Bring them close to you so they can see you and feel safe.

♡ Use a sing-song voice with lots of encouragement and praise.

♡ The slower and deeper* your massage stroke, the more calming and sleep inducing. A light and fast stroke will be stimulating.

*We never use deep strokes on babies. Start softly, gently and gradually sink your hands in a little deeper if you feel baby is allowing.

Essential oil use

If you feel you would like to and feel confident using Essential Oils, they can be very relieving for coldy symptoms and wonderfully supportive emotionally as well as physically. Essential oils must be used with caution, sparingly and never ingested.. Safe oils for babies are Lavender Lavandula angustifolia, Roman Chamomile Anthemis nobilis and Mandarin Citrus reticulata. Lavender in particular is amazing for encouraging and promoting sleep. Roman Chamomile for relieving pain and Mandarin for ‘fractious babies’. Oils must always be very high quality and organic if possible. Here in the UK, I recommend Neals Yard to ensure safety and quality. Electric steam diffusers are also a fantastic way to diffuse the oils into a room safely. If you would like advice on essential oil use please consult a qualified aromatherapist.

Research from the Touch Institute Miami into Lavender Oil for Babies:

Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants.

Very young infants were given a bath with or without lavender-scented bath oil. The mothers in the lavender bath oil group were more relaxed, smiled and touched their infants more during the bath. Their infants looked at them a greater percentage of the bath time and cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after the bath. The cortisol levels of this group of mothers and infants significantly decreased, confirming the behavioral data showing increased relaxation of the mothers and their infants. These findings support a body of research showing the relaxing and sleep-inducing properties of lavender aroma*

Field, T., Cullen, C., Largie, S., Diego, M., Schanberg, S. & Kuhn, C. (2008).  Early Human Development, 84, 399-401.

*I have included this research out of interest but please be aware that Lavender Essential Oil in the bath could be ingested by your baby and must be monitored with caution. If you would like to try a bath with lavender oil - One or two drops maximum of Lavender EO must be mixed into a tablespoon of milk before adding into the bath. The fat in the milk disperses the oil so that the Lavender oil doesn’t ‘sit’ on the top of the bath water.

I really hope this helps. Please leave a comment if this video has helped or if you have had any success. Thank your so much and good luck!

Love Lucy ♡





Baby Massage for relieving teething pain

Teething can start anywhere between 3 months and last up until 3 years with those big molars coming through. There are plenty of teething aids you can try and buy, but remember you have your wonderful healing hands that will bring a lot of support and relief to your baby.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Have a go with this lovely rhyme and massage stroke, I would love to know how you get on ♡ 

How does Massage help?

The actions and rhyme in the video aren’t just cute but do provide relief! As you massage with your fingers from the cheek down to the chin you are helping to bring endorphins to the area which is really going to help if they have hot, itchy and painful gums. The one to one attention you are giving will bring great comfort and understanding that you love and care for them and are trying to help. The little rhyme is great fun and provides a great distraction even if just for a couple of minutes. One mum after attending a ‘teething’ class told me recently that she remembered to massage and gently massage her babies cheeks when he was in pain and actually managed to stroke him to sleep.

Before you start

♡  Please make sure you have clean hands and short trimmed fingernails.

♡ Find a comfortable space on the floor, turn off the TV, your phone and feel free from any distractions.

♡  Feel confident that your baby is happy, well enough and ready to participate.

Practicing the massage stroke

♡  Make sure that you also feel happy and not stressed! Take a few deep breaths before you start. Shake out your arms and hands. Ask your baby if they would like to receive a massage.

♡  Bring them close to you so they can see you and feel safe.

♡ Avoid covering babies ears at any time during the massage and introduce your hands gently, they can be intimidating if suddenly they appear over babies face!

♡  Use a sing-song voice with lots of encouragement and praise.

Essential oil use

If you feel you would like to and feel confident using Essential Oils, they can be very relieving for teething symptoms and wonderfully supportive emotionally as well as physically. Essential oils must be used with caution, sparingly and never ingested.. Safe oils for babies are Lavender, Roman Chamomile and Mandarin. Lavender in particular is amazing for relieving sinus congestion and pain and promoting sleep. Roman Chamomile for relieving pain, soothing and Mandarin for ‘fractious babies’. Oils must always be very high quality and organic if possible. Here in the UK, I recommend Neals Yard to ensure safety and quality. One or two drops max in your babies bath* will help so much. Electric steam diffusers are also a fantastic way to diffuse the oils into a room safely. If you would like advice on essential oil use please consult a qualified aromatherapist.

Research from the Touch Institute Miami into Lavender Oil for Babies:

Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants.

Very young infants were given a bath with or without lavender-scented bath oil. The mothers in the lavender bath oil group were more relaxed, smiled and touched their infants more during the bath. Their infants looked at them a greater percentage of the bath time and cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after the bath. The cortisol levels of this group of mothers and infants significantly decreased, confirming the behavioral data showing increased relaxation of the mothers and their infants. These findings support a body of research showing the relaxing and sleep-inducing properties of lavender aroma.

Field, T., Cullen, C., Largie, S., Diego, M., Schanberg, S. & Kuhn, C. (2008).  Early Human Development, 84, 399-401.

*Drop one or two drops of Lavender EO into a tablespoon of Milk before putting into the bath. The fat in the milk disperses the oil so that the Lavender oil doesn’t ‘sit’ on the top of the bath water.

I really hope this helps. Please leave a comment if this video has helped and you have had any success. Thank you so much and good luck!

Love Lucy ♡