If you’re wondering, “What is overstimulation and what does it look like in my child?” you likely already know more about sensory overload than you think.

Years ago, as a first-time parent, I noticed my baby would become fussy and restless after 45 minutes of having company over (even when I was holding him!).

But when I moved him to the other side of the room and placed him in his swing, he would begin to calm down. Like clockwork, he would need a 10-minute “swing break” to reset every hour.

I didn’t have the words for it then, but now I know he was overstimulated. 

This post will cover 7 of the most common symptoms of Overstimulation in kids and how adults can help prevent and intervene when sensory overload occurs.

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What is overstimulation?

Overstimulation happens when the brain receives more input from the body’s senses or other environmental factors than it can process at one time, often impacting a child’s behavior, cognitive ability, and executive functioning.

The eight forms of sensory input that can contribute to overstimulation include:

1. Visual (e.g., bright lights, fast-moving or changing patterns)
2. Auditory (e.g., loud, high-pitched, or overlapping noises)
3. Tactile (e.g., undesired textures, physical contact, changes in weather)
4. Olfactory (e.g., intense smells or odors)
5. Gustatory (e.g., food with undesired tastes or textures)
6. Proprioceptive: (e.g., rough play, heavy lifting, or tight clothing)
7. Vestibular: (e.g., spinning or swinging)
8. Interoceptive: (e.g., inner-body sensations such as hunger, pain, or emotions)

It is important to note that triggers for overstimulation vary greatly from child to child. Interestingly, some forms of sensory input will overwhelm some children yet calm others!

Overstimulation vs. Sensory Overload

For example, a child may be hypertensive to sounds. Conversations in a quiet room may sound very loud to them; however, they can still function.

Let’s say the same child attends a 45-minute parade where people are talking, music is playing, and fire truck sirens are blaring. Cue sensory overload and possibly a meltdown.

What causes overstimulation in children?

Now that we know about the different forms of sensory input that can lead to overstimulation, let’s discuss environments or scenarios that can often trigger sensory overload:

• Crowded Environments: Busy places like shopping malls, amusement parks, or crowded classrooms can bombard children with a lot of sensory information, especially when those places are new or unfamiliar. “Preschool overstimulation” is common when young children begin school.
• Sensory-Rich Events: Events with intense sensory elements, such as fireworks displays or concerts, can be particularly overwhelming for some children. Sudden loud noises, bright flashing lights, and large crowds can trigger sensory overload.
• Environmental Changes: New and unfamiliar environments can be challenging for children. For example, moving to a new neighborhood or attending a social gathering where they don’t know many people can increase the chances of overstimulation.
• Highly Interactive Activities: Some activities require a lot of social or sensory input and be exhausting for sensitive children. Video games, intense physical sports, or group activities with multiple stimuli can contribute to overstimulation.
• Overwhelming Visual or Auditory Stimulation: Environments with extremely bright lights, flashing screens, or blaring sounds can quickly lead to sensory overload.

Overstimulation in ADHD, Autism, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Neurodivergent children, particularly those with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) are often more susceptible to overstimulation, along with children with anxiety.

Everyday sensations that others may not notice can trigger strong reactions in neurodivergent children, leading to sensory overload.

Children with ADHD often have heightened impulsivity and difficulty in filtering distractions, thus leading to sensory overload in stimulating environments. They may find it particularly challenging to focus with excessive sensory input.

Due to intense hypersensitivities, overstimulation for children with ASD can involve a cascade of sensory experiences overwhelming their ability to adapt and respond.

Similarly, children with SPD have difficulties regulating sensory input, making them more prone to overstimulation.

Finally, children with anxiety can also be highly susceptible to overstimulation. Their heightened alertness and sensitivity to potential threats can cause even minor sensory input to feel overwhelming and contribute to feelings of unease.

7 Key Signs & Symptoms of Overstimulation in Kids

Recognizing signs and symptoms of overstimulation in children is pivotal for preventing sensory overload and intervening once it has already begun to unfold.

Let’s discuss seven of the most common sensory overload symptoms in kids:

#1: Covering Ears or Eyes

Children often instinctively attempt to reduce overwhelming sensory input, such as bright lights or loud noises.

Remember, everyone has a different sensory threshold. Just because it doesn’t feel too loud or too bright for you, it’s possible your child experiences those stimuli differently. Validate their perspective and emotions.

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

#2: Irritability or Restlessness

When sensory input becomes too intense, it can lead to heightened emotional states, causing children to feel on edge or easily frustrated.

Furthermore, you may notice a visible restlessness in your overstimulated child.

Irritability and restlessness in an overstimulated child may look like:

• Constant movement
• Pacing the room
• Tapping on nearby objects
• Difficulty concentrating
• Inability to stay engaged or follow directions
• Impulsivity
• Excessive talking or interrupting
• Tense or stiff muscles
• Difficulty waiting
• Restless hands (frequent touching of nearby objects/people)

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

• Adopt a predictable daily routine
• Take a break and change their environment
• Deep pressure hug (for some kids, with consent)
• Drink cold water
• Deep breathing
• Provide hand fidgets
• Validate feelings (e.g., “It’s okay to feel worried.”)

#3: Crying or Meltdowns

Crying, emotional outbursts, or meltdowns can be common symptoms of overstimulation in kids.

Often, sensory stimuli are compounding. On the outside, the outburst can seem wildly out of proportion or over one trivial event, when on the inside, the child has been struggling to process a slew of sensory input.

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

As caregivers, we must first recognize that children in an overstimulated meltdown cannot “hear” us and are not emotionally available for redirection.

After taking steps to ensure your child and others are safe, create a safe space for them to feel their emotions, co-regulate, and eventually reach a place of calm.

Consider these words:

We can empathize and affirm children’s feelings (even when we cannot condone the behaviors that accompany them). Once calm, we can collaborate with kids on how to solve the problem, and if harm was caused, steps to make things right.

You may consider creating a sensory haven in your home. This may look like a sensory tent or a designated calming corner where you can co-regulate with your child and help facilitate the use of calming sensory tools.

#4: Difficulty Sleeping

If you’ve observed a child throughout a high-energy, event-filled day, you’ve likely thought or heard someone say “They’ll sleep great tonight!”

Unfortunately, these sensory-loaded days can do just the opposite for an overstimulated child.

Children who experience sensory overload may have difficulty settling down and falling asleep, as well as possibly staying asleep.

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

• Create a consistent, predictable bedtime routine
• Avoid screens before bed
• Utilize white noise machines to block out distracting bedtime sounds
• Provide an eye mask to block out distracting bedtime lights
• Add a compression sheet or weighted blanket to your child’s bed (my top choice brand for both is Harkla, included below).

#5: Avoiding or Escaping Triggering Environments

Children may grow to avoid or even attempt to escape certain environments that trigger overstimulation or cause overwhelm. Busy, crowded, or emotionally overwhelming settings can result in sensory overload.

While it may be easy for families to avoid or limit time in certain environments such as crowded playgrounds, other settings such as school are much trickier.

School avoidance can be difficult for students, teachers, and parents alike. Accommodating areas of hypersensitivity in the school setting and properly supporting/addressing any underlying school anxiety is essential.

Some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder may be particularly suspectable to a “flight” response, making attempts to elope from overstimulating settings.

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

• Communication and collaboration with teacher, school counselor, and any other relevant staff to discuss school-based accommodations.
• If frequent overstimulation at school stems from an underlying disability, your child may be eligible for a 504 Plan or Individualized Education Program (IEP).
• For children who tend to elope, take safety precautions such as notifying other adults nearby ahead of time, keeping doors locked, and equipping your child with an ID bracelet and/or tracking device.

#6: Difficulty Focusing & Responding to Verbal Prompts

If your child is ignoring your directions, do not automatically assume the behavior is manipulative or defiant. This type of “shutting down” in response to overstimulation is a neurological function to help the brain minimize sensory input.

In other words, your child may not be able to hear you in that moment of overwhelm. They may have difficulty even tracking your voice and finding you when you call their name in a busy setting.

If you have ever heard of the body’s “fight, flight, or freeze” response to stress, this is what “freeze” looks like.

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

• Shorten their total time spent in triggering environments by arriving late or leaving early (e.g., birthday parties, large family gatherings, indoor play spaces).
• Take regular breaks in overstimulating settings (e.g., getting fresh air, drinking cool water, assisting your child in stepping away from the “noise”).
• Get close to your child and down on their level before giving directions (rather than calling out from the other side of the room or playground).
• Give short, simple directions. “Chunk” multi-step directions by giving one step at a time.

#7: Anxiety

It is no surprise that when faced with excessive sensory or emotional input, children can feel overwhelmed. For many kids, this overwhelm can further evolve into anxious feelings.

Research backs this link between childhood sensory processing issues and lifelong anxiety. Furthermore, children with sensory needs and anxiety often face challenges with emotional regulation.

Potential ways to help (varies from child to child):

• Validate anxious or worried feelings in children (Research shows invalidating statements like “You’re fine!” and “Don’t be scared!” can worsen fear in kids).
• Establish a predictable daily routine, leaving periods for quiet, unstructured downtime.
• Involve your child in creating a designated calming space or peace corner.
• Identify environmental triggers and adapt them to meet your child’s needs (e.g., provide noise-reducing headphones, reduce total time spent in crowded places, request a school-based intervention plan).
• Seek professional help, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

The last thing you need to know about overstimulation in children

If your child is easily susceptible to overstimulation, know you are not to blame. At the same time, there are many ways to help.

Children often feed off our energy and behavior. Their emotional well-being and ability to navigate the world around them are profoundly influenced by the atmosphere we create.

When it comes to managing overstimulation, a positive approach to parenting and discipline is far more effective than punitive or permissive parenting.

By fostering an environment of patience and understanding, coupled with supportive boundaries, we can best support our children through sensory overload.

I invite you to join Such a Little While’s free 30-day positive parenting challenge. Thousands of parents worldwide have completed our free email course, gaining a strong foundation in positive parenting, along with easy-to-follow daily tips: