• Kundel L

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Child Nutrition Disorders
• Open Access Document
• Pediatric Chiropractic
• Sleep

Breathing disordered sleep or sleep disordered breathing - which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Is sleep so poor that breathing is compromised or is one sleeping poorly because breathing is compromised? Both sides of the coin are valid. If the body must struggle to move air in and out, whether it’s due to a pulmonary disorder, thoracic spine/rib restriction or an obstructed airway due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids, chronic inflammation (allergies), hyoid displacement or a malformed palate or a tongue tie or tongue size,2-4 then essentially “nothing will be right.” How can it be? If someone is drowning, no amount of psychotherapy nor nutritional supplements will save them. They need a life vest! If breathing becomes easier, the body can function normally. There is an inherent wisdom in the body which is about checks and balances: what is okay and what is not okay? If there is even a small amount of difficulty in obtaining oxygen, behavior will change based on the adaptive capacity — some people can handle the challenges and adapt readily and some fall into distress much more quickly.

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