Sleep Red Flags: Is an Underlying Health Issue Leading To More Waking
Most baby’s sleep is normal. Hard, disruptive, but normal. Often sleep struggles come from a mismatch between societal expectations and biological norms or a need for sleep support to be more intentional and specific to a child’s needs. However, sometimes there are underlying health/medical factors contributing to disrupted sleep. In a society focused on sleep training above all else, these red flags can be overlooked or dismissed.
If your gut says something is wrong beyond the norm, trust that. If your pediatrician or another health care provider tells you your little one just needs sleep training, get another opinion, or push back. You know your child best, and you are their best advocate.
If you notice any of the following red flags, talk to a health care professional for further investigation. If possible, take a video or bring a picture to share with them.
Regular noisy breathing, snoring, or mouth breathing when baby is well
Restless sleep – some movement in sleep is normal, but excessive, constant movement should be looked into further.
Regular discomfort or pain
Poor weight gain or other feeding concerns
Excessive sleepiness during the day
Noticing a red flag doesn’t automatically mean there’s an underlying health condition, but it’s a sign that suggests further investigation is a good idea. Red flags should be looked at by a qualified health professional within the context of your family history and a comprehensive look at what else is going on in baby’s world.
What do red flags often point to? What are some of the big health concerns that commonly disrupt sleep?
Knowing what underlying health conditions are commonly linked with worse sleep can give you another way to think threw the above red flags. If you suspect or know your child struggles with any of these, it’s possible that part of your sleep struggles are due to and underlying health concern. Meaning that your sleep specific tools will work much better if you are also getting to the bottom of that health concern.
Health related factors that disrupt sleep:
Digestive discomfort – reflux, constipation, excessive gas
Discomfort – eczema, persistent skin rashes, restrictions, tightness, or asymmetry in baby
Sleep disordered breathing
Allergy (environmental or food) or food intolerances
Oral ties
Iron deficiency anemia
Low vitamin D
Who should be on your care team if you are struggling with sleep and also know or suspect your baby has more going on?
The right professionals are key, and often a team approach is best. Depending on the red flags, you may need to consult:
An IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant) – for anything involving feeding if you are nursing or pumping
Your pediatrician- for general health concerns and to help you triage where to go next.
A bodyworker with special training in infants – when ever theirs tightness, restriction, or asymmetry. Also great for highly sensitive babies from a nervous system perspective.
A pediatric ENT (ear, nose, throat doctor) – for breathing concerns or potentially oral ties.
A pediatric Dentist - for oral ties
A Pediatric Physical Therapist – for anything involving movement, tightness, restriction, asymmetry.
A Pediatric GI doctor (Gastroenterologist) – Sometimes helpful with reflux
Pediatric allergist – when allergies need a specialist involved.
A holistic and well trained sleep specialist – even when health concerns a present, working with a sleep specialist can help you optimize and strategize along the way.
This is not an exhaustive list of care providers nor an exhaustive list of all health and medical concerns that could affect sleep. It is a starting point to look at your child’s sleep, behaviors, and symptoms at a deeper level. Not all waking is normal. Not all care providers think about medical concerns when supporting parents around fragmented and difficult sleep. Identifying red flags and health concerns can be a piece of the big picture and path towards more restful sleep.