Understanding Sleepless Nights with Babies

There are few things that create tension in a home like a baby who will not sleep. When nights are broken and parents are exhausted, everything feels harder. Emotions run high. Patience runs low. A crying baby affects the entire household.

This is something we see often with families across Columbus Ohio and the surrounding communities. One story that stands out is Reya, a 4 month old baby girl who I personally took care of.

When Reya’s mom, Heidi, first came into our office, she was completely worn down. She had already seen three different pediatricians and a GI doctor because Reya struggled with reflux and frequent waking. She worked with multiple sleep consultants and tried gripe water along with countless other strategies. Nothing seemed to help.

The stress and lack of sleep became so overwhelming that Heidi actually passed out twice. That was the moment she realized they needed to try something different.

Like many parents, Heidi was unsure how chiropractic care could help a baby. Most people think chiropractic care is only for back pain or neck pain. But what we really focus on is the nervous system, and babies can absolutely experience nervous system stress.

Birth can be stressful on a baby’s body. In utero constraint, delivery forces, and early environmental stress can all place tension on the nervous system. When that system stays stuck in a state of high alert, babies struggle to settle. Sleep becomes difficult. Digestion becomes inefficient. Feeding and comfort are disrupted.

Think about how you feel when you are anxious or under pressure. Your body stays tense. Now imagine being brand new to the world with no ability to communicate and no way to calm yourself. That is what many babies experience when their nervous system cannot relax.

When we evaluated Reya, we found clear signs of nervous system stress, especially in her upper neck. This is something we commonly see in babies who do not sleep well. Her posture also told a story. She curled inward, pulled her legs up, and held tension through her body. These are physical signs of a stressed nervous system.

Using very gentle and specific chiropractic care, our goal was to calm and regulate Reya’s nervous system.

As Reya’s nervous system began to calm, her body could function the way it was designed to. Sleep improved. Digestion improved. Her overall comfort changed. And just as importantly, Heidi and her family were finally able to rest.

We see this not only in babies, but in adults as well. The upper neck and mid back often hold stress. When the nervous system resets, the entire body responds. Many adults even feel so relaxed during care that they nearly fall asleep on the table.

If you are a parent in Columbus, Westerville, Lewis Center, Powell, or nearby areas and your baby is not sleeping, you are not alone. And you are not out of options.

If you have tried everything and nothing seems to work, it may be time to look deeper at the nervous system.