Overstimulation
Overstimulation is when too much sensory input, such as constant noise, touch and mess, floods your senses with no quiet to recover in, until your nervous system hits its limit.
Each input is small: the singing toy, the whining, the background telly, the tugging on your sleeve. All of them at once, all day, with no gap to reset in, is a lot for any nervous system to hold, especially while you are also managing the mental load.
It often feels like a short fuse, wanting to bat away touch or noise, a buzzing can't-think feeling, and craving total silence the moment the children are in bed.
Common questions
What is overstimulation in mums?
Overstimulation is when constant noise, touch, mess and demands flood your senses with no quiet to recover in, until your nervous system reaches its limit. It can feel like irritability, a short fuse, or wanting to crawl out of your skin.
What does mum overstimulation feel like?
It often feels like a short fuse over small things, wanting to bat away touch or noise, a buzzing can't-think feeling, and craving total silence once the children are asleep.