As parents, you understand the general value of sleep for not only yourselves, but for your little one as well. A popular topic that most parents present with is how to improve their kiddos overall quality of sleep. Kids that get an adequate amount of sleep have improved behavior, attention, learning, and memory ability. If your kiddo lacks sleep, it is important to be aware and look for certain signs that your kiddo may express.
You may have noticed that your kiddo is hyperactive, and there has been no end to their activities. It may have been tough for your little one to get to sleep, and have trouble staying asleep. Lack of sleep can cause short and long term effects such as: behavioral, growth, and developmental delays. Your little one may be experiencing an overstimulated nervous system that can cause mood disturbances and/or constantly on the move! This “loud noise” is within your little one’s nervous system, and causes miscommunication between the brain and the rest of the body. It is important to quiet down the body to ensure an appropriate amount of sleep. According to Kids Health, school aged kids need about 9-12 hours of sleep, and babies need up to 18 hours.
The typical route used for insomnia in kiddos is to provide them with melatonin but it is very important to fully understand what melatonin does to the body. What seems to be a quick fix. actually may cause complications down the line. However, studies have shown that symptoms may include drowsiness, agitation, and/or bedwetting. Melatonin is not regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Your body should be able to produce enough melatonin regularly, in order to have an efficient amount of sleep.
Chiropractic and Sleep Stress to the central nervous system adds pressure to the sympathetic state of our bodies. This is the gas pedal state, which may explain why your kiddo is always on the move or constantly "revving" as we say here in the office. This takes away the ability for the body to be in the parasympathetic (brake -pedal or calming) state, which is where the body can rest and relax. Stress can consist of trauma, toxins, and/or thoughts. Once the body is under regular chiropractic care, the body is able to relax. Adjustments help relieve muscle tension that causes restlessness. Blood flow and circulation is stimulated, and your overall central nervous system is improved. Pediatric chiropractors specialize in assessing and treating kiddos for a wide range of conditions. Sleep is a key factor that we focus on! Receiving consistent spinal adjustments can help stimulate the nervous system so that your kiddo can feel more relaxed. Parents have noticed post adjustments have shown improvements to children’s quality of sleep. Your kiddo will be able to finally relax and enjoy a full night of rest. Chiropractic care will help assist with practicing a healthy sleep routine, and relieving overall stress.
Above are examples from a practice member that struggled with sleep as one of their chief goals for getting under care.
The first image is of a 7 year old with 2.5X the amount of input than the body can handle which equals lack of sleep and very emotional outbursts for this little one.
The second image is of the same kiddo with significantly less "noise" which means more sleep and better mood regulation.
We love being able to provide families objective measures to what is going on in their little one's body!