Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Dr Ainslee Roughan, the founder of Live, which is a gentle holistic chiropractic health and wellness centre based in Kumeu and Henderson, Auckland. I am a registered qualified Chiropractor and like to categorise myself as a wellness extraordinaire. At Live we look at multiple aspects of health to enable you to be more awesome. My passion for health and wellness leads me to a mission of educating and empowering as many humans as possible. Health can be confusing with the latest fads flying around, it can be hard to keep up and know what is right. At Live we keep health simple, like it should be.

We all know how adults can accumulate stress in their bodies, but how do younger children experience this and how can they benefit from Chiropractic care?
Younger children may have stress on their bodies from sources such as postural stress, chemical stress or mental stress.
Postural stressors come in the form of birth (if it doesn’t quite go to plan), falling regularly or other physical challenges. Emotional stressors come from being in a new environment or being unsure of what is happening around them. Chemical stress may come from not being able to feed or sleep well or many other sources.
Children are like sponges absorbing information from birth and sometimes this can be A LOT for a small body to manage. At Live we offer gentle Chiropractic care that allows humans of all ages (even babies) to function to the best of their ability. Chiropractic care allows humans to integrate information optimally, and for growing minds and bodies this may allow them to feel better in themselves physically, mentally and emotionally.

What do signs of stress on the nervous system look like in little ones?
Young children can’t tell you they are getting symptoms like reflux from stress on their nervous systems, so they have to show you in the forms of skin rashes, colic, irritability, feeding difficulties, sleeping disturbances and many other symptoms.
Chiropractic does not fix any of these symptoms, but it does take the extra stress off the nervous system which allows your body to tend to those problem areas itself. It makes sense right? Take pressure off areas where too much pressure has built up and it allows the body to be more at ease.
The body is a complex organism and health is a multifaceted domain, at Live we approach it holistically, gently and naturally. How awesome is that?

For more information on how we may be able to help you and your family contact Dr Ainslee at [email protected] or 0274246770 

Like Live's Facebook https://web.facebook.com/chiropracticlive/ 
​or visit www.livechiropractic.co.nz

• Baby steps. This is the MOST important step. Start early - even as early as 7-10 days before the actual day (daylight savings is on Sunday the 24th)! Gradually adjust your child’s nap and sleep times by 5 to 10 minutes each day before the time change so the shift is more gradual for them. Moving naps and bedtime a tiny bit EARLIER each day, will help your little one adjust gently and very gradually.
• How to adjust bedtime? If bedtime is normally 7pm, start one week prior. On the Saturday make it 6.5opm, on Sunday 6.45, on Monday 6.40, on Tuesday 6.35, on Wednesday 6.30, on Thursday 6.25, on Friday 6.20, on Saturday 6.10 and finally on Sunday 6.00pm (which will now be 7pm!). 
• Have plenty of outside time. Make sure to have a lot of time to play and run around outside in the week leading up to Daylight Saving with a lot of exposure to natural light. Fresh air is always a great recipe for a good sleep!
• Normal routine. Having a regular bedtime routine can help your child be ready to drift off. Following regular steps (just a little earlier every day) from dinnertime to bedtime, such as bath & story time, will help your child slow things down and be ready to snuggle up. Stick to the routine even as the time changes so that your child understands what’s expected.
• Limit screen time at night. Avoid screen time up to at least 1.5 hour before bedtime. The bright lights will keep your little one up thinking it is daytime.
• Keep the room dark. Even if it is still light outside when you’re putting your child to bed, make sure the room is completely dark to encourage sleep. Room-darkening blinds keep the light out at night and can be opened in the morning to wake the body up.
• Keep the room cool. Keep your child’s room cool so his body wants to sleep. Babies and toddlers should sleep in sleeping bags heavy enough to keep them warm while older kids can snuggle up with a comfy blanket.
• Breathe deeply and keep calm. Although it might be at times frustrating to get your little ones to adjust to the new time, remember that they’re just listening to the cues their bodies are giving them when they have trouble falling or staying asleep. Work on making changes to the environment, schedule or routine that will help their bodies sleep.

Good luck helping your little ones adjust. We would love to hear how you get on x

For more info on sleeping bags and how to keep your little one warm at night click here