It’s common knowledge that being a parent is exhausting at times, particularly in the first few years of your child’s life. But if your kids have trouble sleeping, the whole household can feel the negative effects of exhaustion. Kids can struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get quality sleep for a number of reasons, but poor sleep can also bring about additional issues. Behavior problems, trouble concentrating, and mood swings can all come about when children are sleep-deprived. Additionally, developmental challenges can come about from a lack of sleep, meaning children may struggle to meet important milestones and perform age-appropriate activities and skills. Because of this, it’s extremely important to deal with any sleep troubles and help your child get the amount of rest and high-quality sleep they need for their health—and yours.
Causes of Childhood Sleep Troubles
For most children, sleep troubles don’t have one singular cause. Sometimes, respiratory issues, neurological problems, behavior issues, poor sleep habits, lack of routine, improper sleep training, and more can contribute to children having trouble sleeping. Occasionally, hormonal imbalances may be the cause of sleep troubles, as the sleep-inducing chemicals that the body naturally produces are not plentiful or produced at the proper time of day. A poor diet, lack of exercise, and poor overall health can also contribute to challenges with sleep. Sometimes, going through some sleep training and improving a child’s diet and activity levels will be enough to see drastic improvements in sleep habits. But if that isn’t effective or doesn’t help as much as anticipated, chiropractic care is a great option.
Pediatric Chiropractic for Improved Sleep
Pediatric chiropractor Dr. Tom Niemela has experience working with kids of all ages, from the tiniest newborns to teens and young adults. He practices neurologically-based chiropractic care in Bentonville, which helps the central nervous system to function better, thus improving all the systems of the body. A spinal misalignment can wreak havoc on the nervous system, which impacts the hormone production that can impact sleep, among other things. Inflammation, muscle spasms, and interrupted sleep cycles can all play a role in childhood sleep disturbances, but chiropractic care can help with all of those things.
Pediatric chiropractic consists of gentle, specific adjustments that activate the nervous system and help the body regulate and work as it should, allowing children to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, all the while getting a higher quality sleep than they may have ever experienced. Studies have proven that chiropractic care is a safe, natural, and effective method to improve sleep habits in children and adults alike.
If you’re interested in learning more about the vast benefits of pediatric chiropractic, or if you are finally ready to face those sleeping challenges head-on, contact Dr. Tom Niemela and his team at Arbor Vitae Chiropractic in Bentonville.
Sources
Cawthra, L. “Chiropractic management of a 5-year-old boy with sleep disturbance and challenging behaviour: an evidence-based case report.” https://rcc-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Cawthra-L_Case-report_0315.pdf
Vernon, L.F. “The Chiropractic Subluxation and Insomnia: Could there be a Connection?” Journal of Sleep Medicine & Disorders, 2015 Oct; 2(5): 1032. http://www.jscimedcentral.com/SleepMedicine/sleepmedicine-2-1032.pdf