Primitive Reflex Integration Case Studies
Rhythmic Movements Help 7-Year-Old Sleep Through the Night
Better rest, emotional regulation, and attention after neurodevelopmental movements
This young girl with anxiety had chronic sleep issues, and was highly resistant to going to bed. Her inability to sleep through the night left her continually exhausted and prone to long meltdowns. After just five days of rhythmic movements from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course, she stopped waking up in the night. Soon she was going to bed independently, self-regulating within a few minutes, and making great progress at school.
Submitted by Claudia Claudel, Learning Support Teacher
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Took hours to settle down for bed; a parent had to lie down with her to help her go to sleep | Going to sleep independently |
| Multiple nightly wake-ups, falling back asleep required a parent to lay beside her | Now sleeping through the night |
| Many meltdowns at school and at home | Able to self-regulate |
| Struggled to focus in class | Remarkable improvement in quality of attention; homework is less of a struggle |
C. is a 7-year-old girl in Grade 2. Her parents were desperate because she was hardly sleeping. Despite a very strong evening routine, it would take C. hours to accept going to sleep, and her mother would have to lie down with her. During the night, C. would wake up numerous times and ask for one of her parents to stay with her until she fell asleep again. She was exhausted during the day, had many meltdowns at school and at home, and struggled to focus in class. The parents were also shattered.
I started to focus on RMs [rhythmic movements from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course] for 2 weeks to lower C.’s levels of anxiety (and Mum’s as well). When introduced to RMs, C. couldn’t actively perform any of them. Mum incorporated RMs into their evening routine, the whole family being involved in doing them at the same time. After five sessions, C. was able to sleep the entire night without waking up. After two weeks, she went to bed independently, and now she is even doing the movements by herself in her bed.
I also worked with C. on the 5-Step Balance process [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course], with the goal of having a good night’s sleep.
C. was introduced to the Brain Tune Up [from the Brain and Sensory Foundations course], and her mother reported that whenever C. experienced an emotional meltdown, she suggested the Brain Tune Up to her daughter. As a result, C. was able to self-regulate in just a couple of minutes instead of taking hours, which had a positive impact on the whole family, especially during dinners and evenings, which became more serene.
C.'s teacher also noticed a remarkable improvement in the quality of her attention during class, leading to significant progress. C.'s mom also stated that homework was less of a struggle, as C. was able to sit down and focus.
We paused the sessions over the summer as the family was traveling, but I will start working with C. again when school resumes. The focus will be on C.’s reading, writing, and spelling. Now that C.’s mother has seen the change in her daughter regarding her sleep issues, she wants to pursue the session on the academic challenges.
(Edited, emphasis added)
*Disclaimer: The activities in the Brain and Sensory Foundations curriculum make use of the natural processes of neuroplasticity and development that are innately wired in the design of human beings to promote maturity and function. These activities appear to calm, organize, and mature the neuro-sensory-motor systems just as we see in the healthy development of human infants. Individual results may vary, and we do not claim to offer a diagnosis or cure for any specific condition or disorder. The Brain and Sensory Foundations activities appear to improve overall functioning resulting in measurable improvements for a range of conditions as demonstrated in over 1800 case studies from participants.