Can essential oils help with bedwetting?
Essential oils have been used for eons by people in methods such as aromatherapy and massage.
These people believe they have a beneficial effect on certain health conditions, or just for general health maintenance. But not without controversy. While some people swear by them, others say that essential oils have no scientifically proven health benefits.
People who sing the praises of essential oils recognize that everyone will respond and react differently to them. Some will have a positive experience, while others find that it makes no different to the ailment that they are trying to relieve or eliminate.
Natural remedies should only ever be considered once any medical causes of bedwetting have been ruled out by a medical professional. Essential oils or herbal remedies are never a replacement for medical treatment nor will we ever advocate as such.
Science is far from coming to a consensus on essential oils, and it’s not so straightforward in studying and testing their benefits due to the multiple types and multiple ways they are used – amongst other factors..
When it comes to bedwetting, can these oils really make a difference as a natural method for reducing or treating nocturnal enuresis?
I wanted to look into this a lot more. And I wanted to look past the claims of the companies that sell essential oils.
I’m not saying they’re untruthful, at all. But it’s always prudent to keep in mind that you’re going to get the most detailed first hand real experiences from people who’ve actually tried it.
The companies of course want their products to work, and when it comes to natural remedies, the claims don’t have to stand up to as much scrutiny. So it’s up to us to scrutinize and to find out as much as we can about the use of essential oils for bedwetting.
Just as importantly, I wanted to find out if there’s any science at all behind this. This isn’t an area that we’re going to find much – or even any – true scientific studies undertaken. But my goal is to dig deep any locate any scientific expertise and opinions that I can find.
Most of the literature out there about using essential oils for bedwetting comes from, unsurprisingly, the essential oil sellers themselves.
But there are also some anecdotes on forums and blogs from people who’ve given the oils a try. I’m diving into all these to find some real legitimate stories and experiences about any successes and failures people have had.
Which essential oils are people using in their attempt to treat bedwetting?
The main one that you’ll see people talking about is Cypress oil (link goes to Amazon).
How do you use Cypress oil to help with bedwetting?
Most people who have tried this essential oil do so very simply: either directly or by using a roller ball on the bottle and applying it to the abdomen, ideally using a quality carrier oil that contains ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax and/or vitamin E oil.
The essential oil can then be massaged over the abdominal area before your child goes to sleep for the night. Carrier oil reduces the high concentration of the Cypress essential oil (around a 50% dilution is considered ideal for young children), and allows it to more easily and gently glide and spread over the skin.
Does Cypress Oil Work For Bedwetting?
What potential benefits does Cypress oil have, and particularly as it relates to bedwetting? I decided to undertake several hours research about this partiuclar essential oil. A lot of essential oils are claimed to have different benefits for different areas of health – depending on who you ask. So my goal was to gather infromation from a range of reputable sources so we can all draw our own conclusions about the potential uses and benefits for cypress oil. Here’s what I found:
A scientific study found no less than 70 chemical compounds in Algerian Cypress Essential Oil (from the plant Cupressus sempervirens) – this is the most common type of cypress oil you’ll find available for sale.
Cypress oil is known to help reduce anxiety, as well as fatigue. It’s also known to have a diuretic effect. The use of diuretic drugs in the treamtnet of nocturnal enuresis is still under study, but has shown promising signs of some success in children.
A study found that aromatherapy massage can be “a valuable relaxation technique for reducing anxiety and stress, and beneficial to the immune system”, as well as showing a significant decrease in anxiety.
Mercola Health notes that some people might experience a skin reaction or sensitivity to Cypress oil, when using it topically. They recommend doing a small sample test, by using the oil on a small area of skin and monitoring for any reaction before you start using it more regularly. They also recommend as carrier oils: organic jojoba, sunflower oil or argan oil. Importantly, Mercola advises against using Cypress oil with young children, although does not state a specific age.
There are no specific scientific studies undertaken on Cypress essential oil and bedwetting, therefore there is no conclusive evidence on whether it works or not. It certainly shows benefits in other related areas of health, such as anxiety. Increrased anxiety from continual bedwetting can make the condition worse and harder to treat, so there’s little doubt that reducing anxiety can only have positive benefits, and Cypress oil could be considered as one of a number of anti-anxiety methods.