Clingy, Picky, Sore Tummies & Sleepless Nights with 3AM Wakes
, by Raising Well-Mannered Children Ltd,
23 min reading time
Lately, so many parents have come to me about their picky eaters.
Their children only want starches, deep-fried foods, or sugar. They might eat some fruit and a few vegetables, but that's about it. Add dairy and gluten sensitivities into the mix, and mealtimes can become incredibly stressful.
These parents want their children to develop a diverse palate. They want them to sit at the table, eat a variety of foods, and have good table manners.
But they can't seem to get their children to eat much of anything else. And then there's everything that happens in between meals.
Their children become clingy. Whiny. They flail, hit things, throw themselves around, complain about tummy pain, and the list goes on. Eventually, the parents lose their calm and snap.
Not because they don't love their children. Not because they're bad parents. They're exhausted. The constant flare-ups wear them down.
Then bedtime comes. The bedtime routine becomes a nightmare. Their child wakes up cranky at 3 AM, or they're constantly wetting the bed. They struggle to fall back asleep, and before they know it, morning comes, and they're facing the same battle all over again. The brain fog. The short temper.
Day after day.
Parents are burnt out. They're tired. They're frustrated. And, more than anything, they're tired of feeling like they're failing their children.
Sound familiar?
But what if parents aren't failing?
What if their child's behaviour is communicating something?
I struggled with all this too. I have done the specialist appointments, the naturopathic route, and finally figured out what my barrier was for these issues. It took a live blood analyst nurse, GAPS coach, and Myofunctional expert to help me figure out the underlying issue.
It was not a formation problem. It was me fighting my child's body that was overwhelmed and yelling at me to pay attention to things to help it thrive. These patterns sound a lot like one of these 3 issues, or even ALL:
An Overloaded liver from heavy metals and parasites in the digestive system can contribute to sleep disruptions and digestive symptoms. Some children may consistently wake between 2 AM - 5 AM, complain of a sore tummy, or become clingy and unsettled. When the body is under stress, these symptoms can contribute to a fight-or-flight response that makes it difficult for a child to stay asleep.
ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder): can cause a child to lose interest in eating or avoid certain foods because of their texture, smell, or colour. Some children may also feel anxious about the consequences of eating, such as choking or vomiting. ARFID can occur in neurodivergent children, although it is not limited to neurodivergent children.
A narrow airway can make it harder for a child to get adequate, restorative sleep and may also affect how they chew and swallow. Myofunctional therapy can help strengthen and retrain the muscles involved in breathing, chewing, and swallowing. Depending on the underlying cause, addressing oral and facial development and airway function may help improve swallowing and reduce factors that contribute to sleep-disordered breathing. You may notice this through thumb sucking, bed wetting, crowded teeth, tongue and/or lip tie, oral fixations, eating their shirts, and gag reflexes during swallowing.
What I advise parents in these situations comes from what I found helpful for my own family as we worked through these challenges. After trying so many different things, I finally figured out the combination that helped us.
This isn't meant to replace medical advice, and I always encourage you to consult a qualified healthcare professional about your child's individual needs.
But if you're exhausted from trying to find a solution and nothing seems to be working, you may want to consider what worked for my family.
Note: I became an affiliate with the companies I shop from to help you save money through my links while earning a small commission for my family. If you do choose to follow the recommendations, shopping through my links would help my family. 🙏
Below I will cover:
Overloaded Liver and Gut Problems
I kept hearing that 3 AM wake-ups were purely connected to spiritual warfare. I kept praying and praying during these hours with my children, but the wake-ups continued. I don't want to ignore the possibility of spiritual warfare during these hours, but I knew there had to be something else going on.
During one of my 3 AM prayer sessions, I felt inspired to check on their health and consider whether tummy pain could be contributing to their waking.
Down my 3 AM rabbit hole, I started reading about the connection between waking during the night, liver health, and the body's natural detoxification processes. I learned claims that between 2 AM and 5 AM, the body processes what it consumed the previous day and works to metabolize nutrients. According to what I was reading, if the liver becomes overwhelmed by things such as parasites, heavy metals, or an unhealthy diet, it may struggle to process everything entering the body. Some sources also claimed that this can trigger a stress response and affect cortisol levels.
At first, I thought there was no way my young child could have liver dysfunction because they were so young. However, I then came across information suggesting that a parent's health (both mother's and father's genetics) and gut issues can affect their child's health during pregnancy. That sent me even further down the rabbit hole.
I kept searching at 3 AM, and the more I read, the more I came across information about parasite infestations and their potential effects on the body. I read claims that parasites can move beyond the gut, particularly when intestinal health is compromised (like leaky gut disease), and potentially affect other organs or enter the bloodstream. These claims made me wonder whether something deeper could be contributing to what I was seeing in my children.
I decided to book a live blood analysis to confirm this process. When we got to the appointment, I got everyone in my family tested. They pricked the blood on the spot and put it under a microscope so we could see and diagnose the health problems right away. Right there, before our very eyes, were PARASITES and A TON of them! I was shocked, because I thought a doctor or naturopath would've definitely said something by now, but it wasn't mentioned at all. With all the diet changes I was making and eating relatively clean, I didn't think it was possible. But they were colonizing.
So, how do we address concerns about parasites, liver health, and digestion in a way that supports our children, including picky eating and nighttime sleep?
These are the steps I took with my family.
1) Healing the Gut
To prevent any further parasite escape from the gut, I knew I had to support and heal the gut lining. I tried a bunch of elimination protocols, but nothing seemed as effective for our family as the GAPS diet.
The more I researched the GAPS protocol, the more I realized how deeply it is rooted in properly sourcing, preparing, and consuming food. It focuses on many of the nourishing foods God has given us through His creation, and the community was filled with Christians & Catholics. That is how I knew God wanted our diet structured.
My family decided to start with Full GAPS rather than working through the stages. The transformation was HUGE!
By day four, my children seemed like completely different children. Their tummies weren't hurting. Their behaviour improved dramatically. They slept better. We saw fewer accidents during the day and night. The fighting became minimal instead of happening every hour. I was SHOCKED!
Every family I have encouraged to try this diet has noticed positive changes in their own family. They have also told me they began recognizing which foods their bodies were sensitive to and which foods their children now ate that weren't starch-heavy or unhealthy for their bodies. The foods that their bodies were sensitive to were the ones the blood type diet suggested. It is amazing how our cultural heritage shapes foods designed to nourish our bodies well, while the GAPS diet incorporates fermentation with fatty foods so our bodies get what they need to function at their best.
2) A Seasonal Liver Detox During Ember Days
Twice a year, our family uses Ember Daysto reset, simplify, pray, and practice self-discipline. We use this fasting period to help the body remove whatever is interfering in our lives and causing physical discomfort, while giving it a chance to heal.
Because Ember Days traditionally call for fasting on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, we use that week to simplify our meals for 3–4 days for a full-body detox. Our family focuses on fruits, vegetables, and water, with meat stock (not broth) available when we need additional nourishment.
For us, this isn't just about food. It's about mental fortitude.
It's our prayer week for learning to do hard things, even when we don't feel like doing them. We practice choosing endurance and perseverance instead of comfort and convenience.
Because the Church already gives us a framework for fasting during these days, it feels less like we're imposing a rigid health protocol on our children and more like we're inviting them into a spiritual practice our family can share.
Our Ember Days Rhythm (Wednesday-Saturday)
🍇 Fall Ember Days — The week of September 14 Observed around the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, with a traditional focus on grapes and wine.
🌸 Spring Ember Days — The week after Ash Wednesday Observed at the beginning of Lent, with a traditional focus on honey and flowers.
During our reset detox, I make sure the house stays stocked and ready for soups, fruit snacks, and smoothies galore! We add the liquid vitamins (mentioned below) to the smoothies to make sure the children fully consume them.
When we simplify our meals and focus on softer, nutrient-rich foods, I also prepare for mood swings and energy crashes, especially when the children reach for fruit snacks throughout the day.
A spoonful of honey gives them a little extra energy and something naturally sweet to enjoy when they struggle with the change in routine or blood sugar regulation.
And then there are warm castor oil packs that we apply at nightfor children and adults. During our reset, these have become one of my favourite comfort rituals. I've found them especially helpful when little ailments start floating around the house. Honestly? They're pure gold to have on hand. [Use code RWMC for 10% OFF]
Why castor oil packs? People have traditionally used castor oil to mitigate inflammation, support immune function, increase circulation, draw toxins out of the body, break down biofilm from parasites, increase libido (😉 you're welcome), ease constipation, reduce arthritis pain, relieve menstrual pain, ease dry-eye symptoms, improve thyroid function, and improve hair quality.
When we apply a warm castor oil pack to the abdomen at night, the warmth helps the body relax and supports its natural healing and repair processes during rest. For us, this soothing nighttime ritual also helps reduce night wakings and improve sleep quality.
3) Vitamins & Detox Supplements
During the detox phase, we make sure our bodies properly replenish the nutrients they need.
We eliminate high-inflammatory foods like wheat, starches, barley, rice, potatoes, flours, sugars, unfermented dairy, dyes, and seed oils. Instead, we focus on freeze-dried natural supplements and nutrient-dense foods that support the body during the reset.
We offer high-carb foods alongside vegetables and include healthy, high-fat foods like avocados and butter. We use olive oil ONLY from Oliveda because it preserves the oil's anti-inflammatory properties, including hydroxytyrosol, to support the body. [You can find the Oliveda oil on the USA site and Canadian site.]
Because the body can absorb liquid vitamins without first breaking down a capsule or tablet, we use liquid vitamins as our primary supplements, especially when the body is under stress. We also use a few encapsulated supplements when they make sense for our needs. Here are my recommendations:
Parasite deworming supplement that actually works for children and adults would be this Gut detox and parasite deworming supplement bundle [save 10% through my link
CR Supplements - liquid vitamins, small doses of 4x for adults and small doses of regular supplements for children (consult a professional to make sure you take the right amount and that you don't combine vitamins that could react when consumed together and need to be spaced out between different meals)
Primal Queen Vitamin B capsules (for adults) [you get 25% off when you use my link]
Acidophilus to remove the excess of yeast in the body - this can present as a problem either through dry scalp, cradle cap, or candida. [Get it through Nature's Sunshine to get 10% off with code NSP through my link]
Vitamin C through Camu-Camu fruit as it is 12x richer in vitamin C than an orange [Oliveda products - USA link or Canadian link... you can save 35% on your own orders if you sign up as an affiliate under me and sell to yourself or others]
Collagen supplement if the meat stock is not desirable - the one from Oliveda has a fruity flavour with the hydroxytyrosol, which makes it easier for children to take collagen [Oliveda products - USA link or Canadian link...you can save 35% on your own orders if you sign up as an affiliate under me and sell to yourself or others]
We either do celery juicing or the Phlush liver cleanse to clean out the liver {Public service announcement: you will be best friends with the toilet for a day. Don't leave your house.}
These supplements have drastically helped our bodies get the nutrients they need. I remember reading a study that said an orange 50 years ago contained 80 times more vitamin C than an orange does today, largely because mineral depletion affects our soil and because we use sprays and other treatments to preserve our food.
Our food provides less nutritional value today than it did for our parents. That creates a huge problem. It's one reason many people now turn to natural supplements to give their bodies the nutrients they need to thrive, rather than leaving their bodies in a constant fight-or-flight response as they work to conserve the vitamins and minerals they have.
Combining all of these health strategies can help our bodies repair and recover so they don't have to fight inflammation every day. We also found that these changes helped our families feel more at ease.
After we put these strategies into practice, we noticed things leaving the body that surprised us. We saw what looked like mineral sand in the stool, passed liver flukes, saw parasites backwashed into cups within two days, and watched worms leave the digestive system with stool.
Despite how carefully I feed my family, I realized that something deeper could still affect my children's health. The problem wasn't necessarily my parenting or my formation strategies. I simply couldn't create the breakthrough I wanted for my children because they struggled with constant inflammation, irritation, and pain.
Once I addressed the physical factors alongside the formation work, I finally began to understand why my strategies weren't reaching my child as I expected. Once I removed the barrier, my children became much more receptive to formation and manners.
Dealing with ARFID (Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
I have one child who has ARFID, and mealtimes became a battle of mental fortitude for both of us. Children with ARFID can lose interest in eating or avoid certain foods because of the texture, smell, or colour. Some children also experience anxiety about the consequences of eating, such as choking or vomiting. ARFID can occur in neurodivergent children, although it does not only affect neurodivergent children.
I found that ARFID went from making up about 80% of our mealtime battle to only about 5% of the battle after I addressed the liver and gut problems in my children. Mealtimes became easier because my children had clung to high-starch and yeast-containing foods, which contributed to the cycle we were trying to break. I told them that we needed to stick with fruits and vegetables for a few days while we worked on what was making their tummies hurt. I asked them whether they wanted the pain to continue. They said no, so I told them to trust me, even when the process felt difficult.
To get there, I had to remain very firm and consistently remind them, "Food takes practice, just like tying a shoe. You can't get better at it if you avoid trying to accomplish the task. I am not raising a quitter. I am raising a child who perseveres through difficulty and endures the suffering that comes with the process."
At every meal, they took their "no-thank-you" bites so they could keep practicing with foods they found difficult. I wanted them to give their bodies another opportunity to recognize and accept those foods rather than automatically avoiding them.
The 1st time we followed our liver-detox routine, day 4 brought a breakthrough. My child told me that things no longer smelled weird and that their sense of smell felt good. They told me that their tongue no longer felt weird when they swallowed food. They also told me that food no longer scared them and that eating felt much easier.
Four days!
It took 4 days of mental fortitude from both of us for the ARFID-related struggles to become almost negligible in our experience. I began to see the fears surrounding food differently and believed that something physical could contribute to the signals my child experienced around eating.
After we finished the cleanse and continued working on gut health, we began introducing other foods again. This time, I noticed the reactions didn't look like the ARFID symptoms I had seen before. Instead, I began noticing what I saw as food sensitivities that seemed to align with my child's blood type and foods their body didn't seem to process well.
As we continued, my child became much better at recognizing the foods that worked well for their body. They now avoid most starches (except for the occasional birthday cake) because they notice discomfort when they eat them. They have also become much better at listening to their body's signals and recognizing the foods they feel help support their immune system.
Remember to teach them that practice takes time. Enough practice forms a habit. Habits train virtues.
Myofunctional Therapy
This is a hidden power tool that I wish more people talked about.
Myofunctional therapy works with the muscles of the mouth, tongue, face, and jaw. It can help address things like a narrow palate, tongue ties, swallowing difficulties, and breathing issues. When the muscles and structures of the face do not develop or function properly, they can affect how a child breathes, eats, sleeps, swallows, and speaks.
When your child struggles to breathe or sleep well, you may also notice effects in their behaviour, eating habits, digestion, energy, and ability to regulate themselves.
The Signs You Don't Want to Ignore
These symptoms can tell you it may be time to look into myofunctional therapy so you can stop wondering, "Is this really normal?"
Your child's mouth is open all day.
Your child has disturbed or interrupted sleep, sleep apnea, snoring, or very light sleep.
Your child has crowded, tight, or crooked teeth.
Your child has unpredictable behaviour or tantrums that feel overwhelming.
Your child sucks their thumb.
Your child wets the bed.
Your child struggles to focus or has very little energy.
Your child seems drowsy or spaced out throughout the day.
Your child breathes through their mouth.
Your child sticks out their tongue when concentrating.
Your child becomes unusually irritable.
Your child becomes extremely clingy or wants constant cuddles, especially when their body feels stressed or uncomfortable.
Your child grinds their teeth or shows signs of TMJ tension.
Your child has persistent bad breath and dry mouth.
Your child experiences consistent cavities.
These signs can indicate that your child needs an evaluation from a qualified myofunctional therapist to determine whether their airway, nasal breathing, tongue, and oral muscles are functioning properly.
Tongue ties can also occur in different areas of the tongue. Providers commonly describe them as anterior (front) or posterior (back), with some clinicians also describing a mid-tongue restriction. Posterior restrictions can sometimes go unnoticed and may affect tongue movement, swallowing, breathing, gagging, and other oral functions.
What Changed Everything for My Family
Through my own journey, I can tell you that myofunctional work has made a HUGE impact on my family.
I saw the biggest improvement in bedwetting, and I also saw significant changes in my children's sleep and breathing. I wanted to share exactly what we did because these simple daily practices became a major part of our routine.
Here's what we did:
1. We had them chew their MyoMunchee for 5 minutes every day.
This gave their chewing muscles daily practice and helped us work on proper chewing, jaw movement, and tongue function.
We used this to make brushing easier and encourage good oral-care habits, especially when mouth breathing made it harder to keep the mouth comfortable and clean. The blue sonic light helps kill the bacteria in the mouth from mouth breathing in order to prevent cavities from forming or getting bigger.
This helped with the mouth staying open properly without clenching and keeping the development of the mouth palate in place; which avoided crowded teeth and mouth breathing.
Give It Consistent Practice
When you consistently work on these areas for several weeks, you may begin noticing changes in your child's sleep, mood, breathing, speaking, and eating patterns.
I personally used these strategies with my children and was able to avoid surgery in their situations. For our family, improving sleep, breathing, swallowing, and oral function changed the way my children functioned throughout the day.
When your child sleeps better, breathes better, and swallows more efficiently, you may also see a calmer, more rested child who has an easier time regulating and participating in everyday life.
This became one of those things I wish someone had told me sooner: sometimes the behaviour you keep trying to correct has a physical component you haven't addressed yet.
In conclusion...
You may not be doing anything wrong with your parenting or your approach to formation. Your child's body may simply be screaming for your attention and asking you to give it the support it needs to live life to the fullest and feel as calm as possible.
You may need some trial and error to figure out what works for your family, but persistence can pay off. Keep paying attention, keep learning, and keep working through it.
If you have questions, leave a comment below or email me. I am cheering you on!
P.S. If you want help with the manners piece and a more guided approach to discerning what your family needs, you can book a breakthrough session with me. I would be happy to help you work through it.
