Helping Infants Who Can’t Settle: A Gentle, Foundational Approach

There are few things more heartbreaking—and exhausting—than a baby who just can’t settle. The baby who cries for hours, arches their back, struggles to latch, or wakes every hour through the night. Their little fists clench, their faces scrunch in tension, and every attempt to comfort them feels fleeting.

As a parent, you’re left wondering: Is something wrong? Am I missing something?

Over the years in my practice, I’ve worked with many of these high-tension, colicky, sleepless little ones. And time after time, I’ve seen that when we look deeper—beyond the typical advice and into the anatomy and neurology—we find answers.

The four therapies I use as the foundation of treatment for these babies are:

1. Palate Release

2. Cranial Release

3. Upper Cervical Fascia Release

4. Vagus Nerve Activation

When combined, these approaches help restore calm to the baby’s nervous system, improve feeding, and allow their body to finally relax into rest.

1. Palate Release – Making Latching Easier

The roof of your baby’s mouth (the palate) is more than a simple arch of bone—it’s a vital structure for feeding and calming. The palate helps create the suction needed for breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. If birth was difficult—whether from a long pushing stage, forceps/vacuum assistance, or even a fast delivery—the palate can become slightly compressed or restricted.

This tension changes how the tongue moves and how well your baby can latch. Babies with palate restrictions may:

• Click or lose suction during feeds

• Swallow lots of air, leading to gas and colic

• Tire quickly at the breast or bottle

A gentle palate release restores natural motion and balance, making it easier for your baby to feed effectively—and reducing the frustration and tummy discomfort that comes with poor latching.

2. Cranial Release – Unwinding Birth Tension

During pregnancy and delivery, your baby’s head molds to pass through the birth canal. Normally, the cranial bones shift back into place over the days and weeks following birth. But if tension remains—especially at key joints in the skull—it can create a constant state of discomfort and overstimulation for your baby.

Cranial restrictions can:

• Increase head and neck tightness

• Contribute to colic

• Affect sleep patterns

• Agitate the nervous system

With precise, feather-light adjustments, cranial release eases these restrictions, allowing your baby’s head and nervous system to find a state of ease. Often, parents notice immediate changes in how relaxed their baby’s face and body look after treatment.

3. Upper Cervical Fascia Release – Freeing the Neck & Nerve Pathways

The upper neck (just below the base of the skull) is home to a dense network of fascia—connective tissue that wraps and supports muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. When this fascia is tight, it can limit head turning, make feeding on one side harder, and even keep the whole body in a guarded, tense posture.

This is also where the vagus nerve exits the skull, carrying vital signals between the brain and the digestive system, lungs, and heart. Releasing the fascia here can:

• Improve neck range of motion

• Relieve head-turning preferences (and prevent flat spots)

• Reduce tension-driven irritability

4. Vagus Nerve Activation – Calming the Whole System

The vagus nerve is like your baby’s “calm switch.” It controls the parasympathetic nervous system—rest, digestion, and relaxation. If this nerve is underactive due to birth tension or upper cervical restrictions, your baby may stay stuck in a fight-or-flight state: unable to fully relax, digest, or sleep.

Through gentle stimulation techniques, we can activate and balance vagus nerve function. Parents often notice:

• More relaxed facial expressions

• Easier digestion and less gas

• Longer, deeper sleep

• An overall calmer demeanor

When These Four Therapies Work Together

Addressing all four of these areas means we’re not just treating a symptom—we’re helping your baby’s body function as it was designed to. A more relaxed nervous system means better feeding, better digestion, and better sleep… which means a calmer, happier baby—and a more rested, confident parent.

If you’ve been walking the floor at night, feeling like you’ve tried everything… know that your baby’s struggle isn’t just “their personality” or something you have to wait out. Sometimes, it’s a matter of gently releasing the tension their little body has been holding since birth.

If you’d like to see if this approach could help your baby, my office is always ready to talk, listen, and provide a gentle, compassionate path forward.