Before I even ask parents to give me the run down on their kids’ sleep schedules, I ask a whole series of questions that allow me to identify whether or not a child is exhibiting red flags for some common underlying issues that impact sleep.
One of the most common issues I see with my clients is compromised oral function in the form of tethered oral ties. Lip ties, tongue ties and buccal ties not only affect feeding, but they also have an enormous impact on airway health and on sleep. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Here are some of the things I am looking for:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby is sleeping with an open mouth⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby snores⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby has pauses in breathing⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby has issues with feeding, has dropped off their growth curve, or the parent has been told they have low supply⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby sleeps in unusual positions⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby has very frequent wakes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby will only sleep in an upright position (ie being held or with a wedge under the mattress⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔎Baby chokes or gags on food⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This is not a complete list, but if your child has some or all of these, they may have an oral restriction that needs to be addressed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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ICYMI, yesterday @hungrylittlehumans and I spent almost an hour talking about her experiences with her son’s oral restrictions, why we suspected a tongue tie, and what the process was like to have it released. I’ve saved the video to my grid and to IGTV, so be sure to check it out if it is of interest to you!
