Babies often struggle to sleep. Some of this is to be expected: babies frequently need to wake up to eat, after all. But if your infant really can’t seem to fall asleep or stay asleep, even after they’ve been fed, a chiropractic adjustment might be the solution.
The birthing process puts a tremendous amount of stress on a baby’s body. As a result, they can already be out of alignment when they’re born. Their spine might be experiencing extra pressure, or they might be favoring one side of their body over the other, or carrying a particular amount of tension in one muscle group or another. This can make it very difficult to sleep!
Fortunately, a quick chiropractic adjustment can make a big difference. Fixing imbalances in the body is something chiropractors are especially able to help with—getting an infant’s spine and musculoskeletal system back into balance, so that pressure and tension are properly released and distributed throughout their body, not clustered in any one part. It’s a simple process.
In addition to working with the physical structure of the body, a chiropractic adjustment also helps calm down the sympathetic nervous system, or the body’s stress response. While babies may not have the same stresses as adults, they are still very aware of their environment, and pick up on what’s going on around them. Even in the most peaceful home environments, there are still unpredictable stressors—a passing fire engine, for example—that can trigger a baby’s sympathetic nervous system. A chiropractic adjustment can help soothe them, and bring them back to a state of calm. This can also really help your baby to sleep better!
When working with babies, chiropractors know to be very gentle. It’s a specific approach, more subtle than the way we work with adults, that we receive special training in.
Wondering what age you can first bring your baby in? Well, I suggest as early as you like!
If your baby can’t sleep, chiropractic can probably help. It’s a great way to give your child a great foundation for health, and give yourself a chance to sleep through the night—at least until the next feeding time anyway.