My Kid’s Acting Wild—Is It the Sugar, the Screens… or Their Nervous System?

apexchiropracticnc
Jun 25
2 min read

(Spoiler: It’s probably all three.)

School’s out. The snacks are endless. The screens are glowing. And your kid, who used to sit still for a whole book, is now bouncing off the walls or melting down over the color of a cup.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. At Apex Chiropractic, we hear from parents every summer who say:

“My kid is just… different lately.” “She’s clingier and more emotional.” “He’s hyper one minute, then crashes hard.” “Nothing is ‘wrong’—but something is off.”

And often, that “something” is nervous system overload.

Let’s break it down:

Your child’s nervous system is in charge of how they regulate energy, emotion, digestion, and sleep. And in the summer, that system is under extra stress—even if they’re not in school.

What’s stressing them out?

Disrupted routines (bedtime? what bedtime?)
Excess sugar from treats and snacks
More screen time, less movement
Travel, new environments, loud pools, hot cars
Growth spurts and overstimulation

Their little bodies are trying to keep up… but they don’t always know how to tell you. So their nervous system speaks through behavior.

So what does chiropractic have to do with it?

Pediatric chiropractic isn’t about “cracking” anything. It’s about using gentle, specific adjustments to remove tension from the nervous system so your child can better regulate: