Provided by Chiropractic Newsletter Well-Being, published by ICPA Inc., written by Nicole Lopez DC and Kate Baltrotsky, Pathways Issue #58
On April 12, a 1-month-old baby, Leniel, presented to our office with severe discomfort and inability to nurse properly or sleep. He had a hyperextended neck, with his head rotated and fixated to the left, and he was crying a lot. This was making him uncomfortable almost every minute of the day. Even simple things like being bathed or carried were upsetting for him. His parents were very anxious, looking desperately for answers and relief for their newborn.
After a long evaluation, and a specific gentle adjustment to his left atlas, Leniel went home feeling much better. I have never in my practice seen such a rapid response after an initial adjustment. The baby stopped crying instantly and slept the whole two-hour journey home.
On the follow-up call, Leniel’s mom, Danyelly, told us how he was sleeping much better, and that he was able to rotate his head to nurse on both sides with little discomfort. Simple things like bathing happened without any crying after that first adjustment.
Today, after his third visit, Leniel looks like a happy 2-month-old. He is making eye contact and moving his neck left and right without pain. Danyelly explains: “We are so happy and relieved to see our son happy and healthy. Our baby is able to sleep for six hours straight, which is letting us sleep soundly as well. We had no idea how powerful an adjustment could be, nor did we expect the great benefits it would have on our lives. We will continue bringing our son in to be checked by Dr. Lopez as recommended, and we are happy to include chiropractic to our lifestyle.”
Overlooked reasons why a child resists sleep.
1. Kids need to be tired.
This sounds stupid, but it’s important— and this is where sleep schedules don’t always work. If you’re trying to put a kid to sleep who isn’t even tired, you can just about forget about it. Can you go to sleep if you’re not tired?
2. Kids need to feel safe.
If your child is scared of the dark or being alone in a room, it can prevent her from falling asleep. If she knows that you’re going to leave the room, it’s going to make it harder for her to fall asleep. There are lots of things to try to give kids a safe space to sleep in, but some things to avoid are letting them cry it out, Ferberizing them, and banishing kids to their rooms when they’re overtired.
3. Kids need to feel connected.
A child who feels connected to his carer will fall asleep much more easily. Kids sometimes get really silly and playful before naps or bedtimes. Often we just end up getting annoyed or trying to “work them down.” We’re afraid that if we get silly at this time with them, they will get more worked up! But the opposite is true. Playfulness before bedtime (even if it’s rough-and-tumble) can be such a great outlet of energy, and also for laughter and connection. Sometimes kids cry when you finally call quits on the playing, but the crying is also a good thing which leads us to the next point.
4. The child needs to release pent-up emotions.
This is probably the biggest reason why kids seem to “fight” sleep. There are a lot of ways to make sure that a child has released his emotions. One thing you can do, especially with babies, is to simply hold them in your arms, look them in the eyes, and “listen” without interrupting by feeding or rocking or patting them. They will most likely cry. And, after they cry, and if they’re tired, they will almost certainly drift off to sleep.