Can osteopathy make baby’s sleep easier?

The reasons for difficult sleep in newborns can be physical (teething, infant colic, etc.) or psychological. And in the latter case, it is not always easy to find the origin of the anxiety, whether it is linked to the afraid of being separated or to a change of environment. In order to help him find his way to sleep, there are many solutions, including osteopathy, for example, to be considered preferably after consulting your pediatrician. How does this practice work and how can it make it easier for my child to sleep and avoid difficulty falling asleep? We take stock with Astrid Le Clerc, osteopath.

Improving baby’s sleep: what is osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a practice that appeared during the XNUMXth century. This is based on theories considering that the different tissues of the body are correlated and that pain in one place may be linked to a problem in another area of ​​the body. Osteopaths practice during sessions of manipulations on the body of patients in order to relieve them. Therapy also involves a patient analysis thanks to an in-depth questionnaire.

Problems and lack of sleep in babies: when to consult?

Sleep disorders in babies are linked to many causes, as osteopath Astrid Le Clerc points out: “ Sleep in babies is a very broad subject, starting in the first few months. There are many factors. It is not until the age of 3 for the child’s sleep to stabilize. There is no child profile that we prefer for osteopathy sessions. In the event that the patient has sleep disorders and signs of fatigue, it is possible to consult for baby osteopathy. This is, moreover, one of the most frequent reasons for consultation.

6 months, 18 months… Is there an age to consult an osteopath?

If you think your child is too young to go see the osteopath, think again: ” Un infant, baby or newborn will have different factors for their sleep disorders and signs of fatigue, but they can go to the osteopath for consultation», Assures Astrid de Clerc.

Be careful though for children under six months : the osteopath is not authorized to handle a baby of this age if he does not have a certificate of non-contraindication established by a doctor.

Osteopathy for children’s sleep disorders, how does it work?

If you decide to take your child to the osteopath for his sleep problems, be aware that the first session may take a while, as Astrid Le Clerc explains: “ Lhen of a first appointment with the osteopath, we ask the patient a lot of questions to determine the potential areas on which to intervene. In the case of pediatric osteopathy, it is different because the child does not speak. So we need to ask parents about a lot of things. We will ask, for example, how the birth went or how the baby’s first months went. And above all, how do sleep disorders manifest themselves: is the baby anxious? Does it make restless nights? Does he take naps during the day? »

Nervous and tired baby: manipulations of osteoarthritis

After question time, the osteopath will proceed to appropriate examination of the child. Thanks to this, he will determine where the tensions responsible for sleep disorders in the baby can be located, as Astrid de Clerc explains: ” À unlike adults, manipulations on babies are much more gentle. We are going to check on all the structures of the body if there is no postpartum tensions. We will also check the different tissues of the baby and treat any potential imbalances present that generate signs of fatigue.».

Consultation with the osteopath for babies: lots of advice

Once the manipulations have been carried out, the practitioner will give a large amount of advice to young parents, which Astrid Le Clerc does: ” En depending on the various factors and sources of tension identified, we will give the best advice to resolve them. In the case of night terrors for example, we will explain to parents how to reassure the child. We also explain the importance of setting up a bedtime ritual, including the importance of establishing regularity in schedules. In the case of an anxious baby, we also give indications to improve the environment of his room, by changing the brightness of the room to low light and by generating a comfortable temperature. »

Helping a restless baby who is not sleeping: how much does an osteopathic session cost?

But to restore quality sleep to our child, we imagine that the sessions with the osteopath must be very numerous … ” Phave necessarily, replies Astrid Le Clerc. We often see signs of comfort in toddlers from the first session. On average, three or four sessions are recommended.

Regarding the financial aspect, note that osteopathy is not reimbursed by social security. On the other hand, some mutuals can cover part of the sessions. It takes on average between 50 and 150 € for a session with the osteopath. In addition, if the signs of fatigue and the baby’s nights do not improve, do not hesitate to consult your pediatrician again.