Dysautonomia in Kids: The Hidden Nervous System Imbalance
Many parents don’t realize their child’s struggles — fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, gut issues, or constant sensory overload — can stem from dysautonomia, an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. In this video, Dr. Drake explains what dysautonomia is, why it’s so common in kids today, and how neurologically-focused chiropractic care helps restore regulation and resilience. If your child’s nervous system is stuck in stress mode, there’s hope. ✨ INSiGHT scans help us measure stress, locate subluxations, and gently rebalance the system so your child can thrive again. 💜 From stress to strength — that’s our mission.
Today we’re diving into a topic that’s showing up more and more in our office — dysautonomia. It sounds complicated, but at its core, it simply means the autonomic nervous system — the system that controls everything you don’t have to think about — isn’t functioning the way it should.
If your child struggles with ongoing fatigue, anxiety, sleep challenges, digestive issues, or poor temperature regulation, this might be part of what’s going on beneath the surface.
The autonomic nervous system runs all those automatic processes — heart rate, digestion, immune function, breathing patterns, emotional regulation, and more.
It has two main sides:
The sympathetic system (fight or flight)
The parasympathetic system (rest, digest, and regulate)
In a healthy child, these two systems should work together in rhythm.
But with dysautonomia, the sympathetic side dominates. Their nervous system gets stuck in stress mode, and the “rest and regulate” side has trouble turning back on.
That can show up as:
Racing heart or feeling lightheaded
Trouble focusing or sitting still
Poor sleep or nightmares
Digestive problems like constipation or nausea
Sensory overwhelm or meltdowns
Anxiety or mood swings
We see dysautonomia develop for a few key reasons.
Chronic stress on the nervous system builds up from what we call the three T’s — thoughts, traumas, and toxins.
💭 Thoughts include emotional stress, pressure at school, or constant sensory overload from screens and noise.
💥 Traumas are physical stressors like birth interventions, falls, sports hits, or even repetitive posture strain.
☣️ Toxins include environmental chemicals, poor diet, antibiotics, and chronic inflammation that irritate the gut and nervous system.
Each of these adds tension to the spine and nervous system, creating subluxations — areas where communication between the brain and body is disrupted. Over time, this dysregulation keeps their body in survival mode instead of growth and development mode.
At our office, we use INSiGHT Scans to measure how well the nervous system is adapting.
These scans show us if the body is stuck in sympathetic overdrive, how much stress the system is under, and where communication breakdowns exist.
When we identify those subluxation patterns, we create a care plan focused on retraining the nervous system — not just relieving symptoms.
Gentle, neurologically-focused chiropractic adjustments help release stored tension, restore better brain-body communication, and gradually shift the system back toward balance.
Parents often tell us, “They’re finally sleeping, focusing, and smiling again.”
That’s the nervous system finding regulation and safety again.
If your child seems “stuck” — their body always tense, emotions high, sleep inconsistent, digestion off — don’t brush it off as “just stress” or “they’ll grow out of it.”
Dysautonomia can be reversed when we address the root cause — nervous system imbalance.
That’s exactly what neurologically-focused chiropractic care is built for.
By using INSiGHT Scans and gentle adjustments, we help kids move from stress to strength — allowing their brain and body to work together again.
If you’re ready to learn more, visit our website or click the link in the description to schedule your child’s INSiGHT Scan. Let’s get to the root of what’s holding them back.
We’ve seen countless families regain hope and health once they understood what dysautonomia really was — and how chiropractic can help reset their child’s nervous system.
If you found this video helpful, please like, subscribe, and share it with another parent who needs answers.
And remember, healing happens when the nervous system is connected and calm.