Stress

Children are exposed to a number of different stresses from going to school; being held back a grade; reprimand from a parent or teacher; fights with peers; concern over school work; lack of self-confidence; moving; divorce of parents and illness.

Signs of stress in children are often multifaceted. Some physical symptoms can include headaches, stomach aches, nausea and bed wetting. Sadness, fear and irritability can be emotional responses to stress. Behaviourally children may cry, withdraw, lose their temper or even tease and bully other children in response to stress.

Sleep

Problems with sleep in children are also multifaceted. Sleep could be disturbed by a change in routine; a light on in the bedroom; sleeping in the same room as a sibling; nightmares; concerns from the day; fears (like that of the dark or of intruders) and even a blocked nose.

Deprivation of sleep in children can affect mental performance, mood, energy levels, behaviour and response to stress.

Solutions

There are simple measures and solutions that can help children with stress and sleep problems or a combination of both.

• One needs to recognize how your child responds to stress so that you can pick up on these changes and give tools to help them cope appropriately.
• Establish open communication so that your child can discuss any concerns with you.
• Minimize any unnecessary stress in the child’s environment.
• Learn relaxation tools that you can teach your children to help with stress and sleep problems.
• Ensure that your child is getting enough sleep for their age and has an established night time routine.
• Ensure that the child’s sleeping arrangements are conducive to a good night’s sleep.
• Nutrition is vital as certain food can keep children awake and aggravate behaviour and concentration problems. Good nutrition and water intake can help with energy, relaxation and a sound sleep in the evening.
• Exercise and play is important for reducing stress and can also help to release a child’s energy in a constructive manner.

If you are concerned about your child’s sleep, behaviour, mental performance, mood or general anxiety levels please have them assessed by a professional to determine what the cause of the problem may be. Often I see children for problems with school performance or behaviour only to find that their sleep, stress or both are the main concerns that need attending to. Good sleep and some relaxation techniques can make a grump kid a happy, bubbly child again.

There are also many natural medications and supplements that can be used safely with babies and children to help in these areas. These should only be given when the cause of the problem has been established and under medical supervision. Children are very sensitive to even natural medications and giving something that is not needed, can sometimes cause more complications than solutions.

WHEN SHOULD A BABY OR CHILD BE ASSESSED FOR BODY STRESS?

The birth process is stressful to the baby.  It makes sense to have a baby assessed for body stress within a few months of the birth. Even if there do not appear to be any obvious problems.  In this way, if there is any tension stored in the baby's neck or back it will be released before it accumulates to have an adverse impact on the nervous system.

The BodyStressRelease practitioner carries out the checks and releases while the baby is lying on the mother's chest or lap.  The pressure applied is very light and comfortable for the baby.  After the stored stress is released a baby very often will fall into a sound sleep.

Small children cannot always verbalise what they are feeling, but the parents may observe signs indicating the presence of body stress.  For example, a normally good-natured child will become sullen and uncooperative, or the child may talk about a "funny feeling in the tummy", or complain of sore legs.

Children enjoy experiencing BodyStressRelease as it is a gentle procedure and they become aware of how different they feel once the stored tension has been released.  Often a small child will be aware of the body stress and will ask to be taken for a BodyStressRelease session.

Babies & children respond very quickly to BodyStressRelease, as the pressure has not been present in the body for a long time and is readily released.

CASES

A two day old baby could not suckle, as her tongue kept flicking to the corner of her mouth.  After body stress was released in the neck she began suckling normally.

A mother reported that her twelve week old baby had cried almost constantly since birth, and he hunched his shoulders and screamed when moved.  Immediately after body stress was released in the neck the exhausted baby fell asleep for 10 hours.  Much to the relief of the distressed parents, he became placid and contented.

A five month old baby kept his arms in spasm against his chest and his gaze appeared to be unfocused.  Cerebral palsy was suspected.  After one session of BodyStressRelease his arms relaxed.  After a second session his mother reported that he was able to focus on her face and respond to her.  Six months later his grandmother sent a photograph of him and a letter to say that his development was normal in every way.

A six year old brain-damaged boy had both arms and legs bent in constant spasm, and his mobility was limited to rolling on the floor.  After 4 sessions of BodeyStressRelease the limbs had relaxed completely and he began crawling.  Two weeks later his parents reported that he was walking.

A three year old girl was described by her father as naughty, as medical tests showed no reason for her continual bed-wetting.  During the two weeks after the stress in the lumbar spine was released, the bouts of bed-wetting steadily decreased in frequency, and then ceased entirely.

THE EFFECTS OF BODY STRESS

A common sign that a baby has body stress in the neck is constant crying for no apparent reason.  When body stress is present in the lower back the baby will cry when the hips are lifted while the nappy is being changed.  The impact on the nervous system may cause constipation.  Body stress in the area of the diaphragm may result in colic.

Toddlers who refuse to walk and demand to be carried, or who complain of sore legs, (so-called growing pains) very likely have body stress in the lower back.  The leg muscles may be affected, causing a tendency of the feet to turn inwards.  Bed-wetting may occur if the nerve supply to the bladder is irritated.

At school, a child with tension in the neck may lack concentration and become disruptive.  If there is pressure in the lower back, the child may be restless and unable to sit still.