How Birth Can Affect a Baby’s Sleep: Understanding the Hidden Causes

When we imagine a newborn, we often picture peaceful, sleepy days and cosy nights. But for many parents, the reality looks very different: babies who are restless, uncomfortable, crying excessively, struggling with skin problems, and unable to settle easily. If your baby shows these signs, it is important to understand that there may be underlying physical and biological reasons, and they can be helped.

Let’s explore some of the lesser-known factors that can affect a baby’s sleep and wellbeing from birth.

Tension and the Baby’s Head: How Cranial Osteopathy Can Help

During birth, particularly difficult or assisted deliveries (including caesarean sections), a baby’s head can experience significant pressure and tension. The skull is designed to mould during birth, but if this process is disrupted or especially forceful, the baby may be left with residual tension in the cranial bones.

This tension can affect their comfort, digestion, and sleep. Many babies with unresolved cranial tension appear unsettled when lying down, cry excessively, or struggle with feeding. Cranial osteopathy is a gentle, specialised therapy that can help release these tensions. By encouraging the skull and body to align more naturally, cranial osteopathy often leads to better sleep, easier feeding, and a calmer, happier baby.

The Microbiome and Caesarean Birth: A Hidden Disruption

Babies born via caesarean section miss out on an important natural process: exposure to their mother’s microbiome during vaginal birth. This exposure plays a critical role in seeding the baby’s gut with healthy bacteria, which is vital for their digestion, immune system, and even emotional health.

Furthermore, in the UK NHS system, both mother and child are typically given antibiotics during or after a caesarean section, sometimes without families being fully informed. Antibiotics are life-saving when needed, but they do not discriminate: they wipe out both harmful and beneficial bacteria.

When a newborn’s gut is disrupted in this way, it can cause a cascade of issues including irregular bowel movements, discomfort, skin irritations (such as eczema), excessive crying, and of course, poor sleep. The gut is often referred to as the second brain because it produces around 90% of the body’s serotonin (the “feel-good” hormone) and plays a huge role in regulating stress responses.

Given that a baby’s intestines make up a large percentage of their body, especially in those early weeks, any disruption in the gut has a massive effect on their comfort and overall wellbeing.

Stress During Pregnancy and Birth: The Impact on Cortisol Levels

Another important factor is maternal stress during pregnancy and birth. Studies have shown that a mother’s stress hormones, particularly cortisol, can cross the placenta and affect the baby. If a baby experiences heightened cortisol exposure, they may be born with an elevated stress response, meaning they are more easily triggered into fight or flight mode.

A baby in fight or flight does not feel safe and calm. Instead, they are clingy, fretful, cry more easily, and struggle to settle when put down. Their sleep can be light, restless, and short, and they may have difficulty staying asleep for long periods.

High cortisol levels also affect the gut, which can slow digestion, making bowel movements irregular and further contributing to discomfort and crying.

Signs to Look Out For

It is important to recognise if your baby is struggling so you can seek gentle, effective support. Things to look out for include:

• Being uncomfortable in certain positions (especially when lying flat)

• Irregular or infrequent bowel movements

• Skin issues such as dryness, rashes, or eczema

• Looking uncomfortable or irritable much of the time

• Excessive crying without a clear cause

These are not issues that have to be permanent. They are signs that your baby’s system needs some support.

What You Can Do to Help

• Probiotics: A high-quality, baby-safe probiotic can help restore a healthy balance in the gut microbiome, supporting digestion, immunity, skin health, and sleep.

• Cranial Osteopathy: Gentle cranial treatments can release physical tensions and help reset the baby’s nervous system into a calmer, more restful state.

• Skin-to-Skin Contact: Continuing skin-to-skin time, even beyond the newborn phase, can help regulate the baby’s stress levels and strengthen bonding.

• Patience and Trust: Understanding that your baby’s distress is not random but rooted in physical causes can help you meet their needs with patience and compassion.

In Summary

Many unsettled babies are not simply “difficult”. Their bodies and systems are trying to tell us something. Whether it is cranial tension, a disrupted microbiome, or elevated stress levels from pregnancy and birth, the good news is that with the right support, babies can heal, thrive, and sleep peacefully.