Life
You'll Try Anything To Get Your Baby To Sleep — Even These Calming Crystals
When your baby isn't sleeping well at night, sometimes doctors will suggest making changes or additions to your little one's bedroom: A white noise machine, a softly-glowing nightlight, a cool-mist humidifier. But when those don't work, you might find yourself turning to more unconventional tactics... like crystals, for example. This is nothing new, of course — people have been turning to metaphysical methods to heal maladies of every kind for centuries — but millennials have picked up the ancient practice anew. So which crystals should you put in your baby's room? Because you'll literally try anything.
First, here's a little bit of info on how crystals work. Different crystals are thought to possess different properties, and the way you work with them can put those energies to good use. Knowing which crystal to pick for your purpose (in this case, sending your infant off to dreamland) is key, but that's just the first step, as Heather Askinosie, cofounder of Energy Muse and author of Crystal Muse told Refinery29. Connecting with your crystal and charging it with your good intentions is also key. “You can program your stones for calming in the same way that you program any crystal — with an intention," Askinosie told Well + Good. Try cleansing the crystal in moonlight, salt water, or the smoke of your favorite purifying incense, "state your intention while holding the crystal or stone in your hands."
Your intention, of course, will go something like: My baby will sleep through the night. Every night. For real. Like actually sleep. Please.
1Amber
"Amber is the best stone for your baby for many reasons," Paula Pavlova, co-founder of lunar cycle-based beauty subscription kit Moonbox, tells Romper.
"It’s soothing, calming, relaxing, and made from the natural nectar of Mother Earth... sap that falls into the seas to be tumbled and smoothed out."
Amber is so revered for its calming properties, in fact, that it's often used in teething necklaces for babies. That said, the FDA has issued a warning against the necklaces; not because they're made of amber, but because they pose a choking hazard. Luckily, your baby doesn't have to wear amber to get the sleepy time benefits; you can simply position any crystals around or below the vicinity of your baby's crib (but not inside!).
2Blue lace agate
A stone that looks 'like a physical incarnation of the ocean," according to Well + Good, blue lace agate is "visually soothing" with a "strong ability to calm the mind." Askinoise recommends holding this stone in your hands, closing your eyes, and taking three deep breaths (imagining your peacefully slumbering baby all the while).
3Amethyst
Amethyst is another stone that will "support positive energy in your baby’s space," according to Pavlova, and it also happens to be a visual stunner.
"Amethyst healing properties are as plentiful as the stone itself," explained Energy Muse.
"It is thought of mostly as a protective stone. As it is linked to the crown chakra, it is helpful in purifying the mind and clearing it of negative thoughts. This includes the negativity of stress and anxiety."
4Lepidolite
"Lepidolite is a stone best used right before you go to sleep," according to Well + Good, as it helps to "calm an overactive mind" and help to create a sense of peace "even in moments of stress."
5Black tourmaline
Also recommended by Pavlova as a powerful soothing stone for babies, black tourmaline is generally thought of as a "protective stone," as Askinosie told Well + Good, "but that’s actually what makes black tourmaline an effective crystal for calming.” That's because it helps to act as a boundary to bad thoughts and energy (as in, nightmares?).
