It’s always the best-laid plan: You take your baby out, thinking they’re going to love a new adventure. But despite the fun day planned, your little one becomes fussy and unhappy. Not sure what’s wrong? You may just have an overstimulated baby.
In this article, we’ll share 10 signs that your baby is overstimulated, as well as tips to help them calm down.
Key Takeaways
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Takeaway #1: Signs that your baby is overstimulated include crying, yawning or fatigue, clenching their fists, waving their arms and legs, turning away from you, acting afraid, being more fussy than usual, feeding more frequently, and wanting to be held constantly.
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Takeaway #2: Calming an overstimulated baby starts with removing them from the stressful environment. Bring them to a dark, quiet place, and try to help them relax.
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Takeaway #3: Relaxation strategies include soothing your baby with a massage, swaddling them, or reading to them in a low voice.
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Takeaway #4: Babies become overstimulated due to excessive stress in their environment. Many things can overstimulate a baby, including noise, lights, smells, or too much activity around them.
What Is An Overstimulated Baby?
Your baby becomes overstimulated when the environment around them is simply too overwhelming. When they feel this sensation, their body starts to produce the stress hormone cortisol.
It’s not surprising that babies can easily get overstimulated. They spent nine cozy months in your womb where it was dark and quiet. Now, there are lights, noises, and an onslaught of new sensations.
Remember, your little one’s brain has to keep up with the new stimuli and make sense of it all. And that’s not such an easy task!
To help your little one adapt, it’s important to understand the potentially stressing factors, signs of sensory overload, and calming techniques will help your baby’s healthy development.
10 Signs That Your Baby Is Overstimulated
There are lots of signs that might point to an overstimulated baby. Here are 10 of the most common ones.
1) Crying
Because your baby can’t talk yet, crying is their go-to for communication. As a rule of thumb, the more agitated the cry, the more overstimulated they feel.
2) Yawning And Fatigue
If your baby is yawning and their eyes are closing, it could be their body’s way of shutting off all the noise.
3) Clenching Fists
Looking at your baby’s hands may also give you a clue as to how they’re feeling. If their fists are clenched tightly, it’s most likely due to overstimulation.
4) Waving Arms And Legs
Another surefire sign that they’re overwhelmed is your little one flailing their arms and legs when startled.
5) Self-Soothing
While some babies show more outward signs of overstimulation, others may turn inward when they’re overwhelmed. They may self-soothe by sucking on their hands or fists.
6) Turning Away
If your baby turns away from you, they may be trying to tell you that they’re overwhelmed.
7) Acting Afraid
Big eyes and trembling lips are signs that your baby is stressed and does not feel safe.
8) Being More Fussy Or Irritable Than Usual
All babies fuss because, as we mentioned, it’s their only form of communication. But increased fussiness and irritability might indicate they need a break.
9) Feeding More Frequently
Your agitated baby might demand the comfort of your breast milk of formula more often than usual.
10) Wanting To Be Held
Your little one may also seek the comfort of your arms when they’re feeling stressed. If you notice that they seem to want you to hold them more often than normal, they might be overstimulated.
What Causes Overstimulation?
Now that you know what signs to watch for in your little one, it’s important to be aware of the different things that can overstimulate your baby. Let’s take a look.
Sensory Stimuli
As we mentioned, things like loud noises, bright lights, different smells, temperature fluctuations, and tactile stimuli can all overwhelm your little one.
Excessive Activity Around Them
We know everyone wants to see the newest addition to your family. But all that bustling around your baby can also be a stressor.
Newness
With every new voice, place, or situation, your baby has to work hard to process what’s going on around them.
Too Much Screen Time
Setting your baby in front of a computer, phone, or tablet can lead to overstimulation as well. The blue light emitted by such devices can also disrupt their sleep.
Discomfort
Your baby may be going through different stages or ailments, such as cutting their first teeth, eczema, or a diaper rash. Whatever discomfort they are experiencing often results in a shorter fuse for the world around them.
Disrupted Routines
Babies thrive with consistency. Changes in your little one’s sleep schedule or daily routine are bound to throw them off.
Medical Conditions
Your baby may also be overstimulated thanks to an underlying medical condition, such as autism or sensory issues.
Tips To Calm Your Baby
Now that you know the signs of an overstimulated baby and what might be causing their extra stress, let’s talk about how to help them calm down.
Take Them Out Of The Overstimulating Environment
To start, take your little one out of the place that’s causing them stress as soon as possible.
Bring Them To Their Nursery Or Other Dark, Quiet Area
Find a quiet, dark, low-stimulation spot. It’s best if it’s someplace familiar, like their nursery. Once there, check for and address any discomfort they might feel.
If your baby is suffering from diaper rash, Mustela’s Diaper Rash Cream 1 2 3 can help soothe the irritation straight away.
With 98% plant-based ingredients, like Sunflower Oil Distillate and Avocado Perseose, our cream will not only help relieve today’s rash, but will also help prevent another one in the future.
If your little one is extra stressed because of eczema, soothe their skin with our Stelatopia Intense Eczema Relief, a natural emollient that relieves eczema rashes while restoring the skin’s moisture barrier.
Swaddle Them
Swaddling will help keep your baby’s arms and legs from flailing. Not to mention, being wrapped up so snugly will remind them of their peaceful months in the womb.
Speak Softly
Loud voices can be overwhelming. Speak softly to put your baby at ease.
Take A Walk
A little fresh air and the sounds of nature can calm someone of any age.
Hold Them
Maybe all your baby needs to feel safe is to be held in your arms.
Turn On A White Noise Machine
A white noise machine can block outside sounds that might be upsetting to your baby.
Offer A Pacifier
Non-nutritive sucking is also known to be quite calming for a baby. The sucking motion actually stimulates the release of oxytocin, giving them a sense of well-being. It also provides a distraction, which is helpful in the case of overstimulation.
Be sure to choose a pacifier that is the appropriate size for your little one’s age.
Give Them A Massage
Dimming the lights and giving your little one a baby massage is another good way to calm them down. Mustela’s Moisturizing Baby Oil is non-greasy and can be massaged into the skin to relax your baby before bedtime.
It’s made of 99% plant-based ingredients and enriched with a natural blend of Pomegranate Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, and Avocado Oil. Better yet, it’s hydrating as well as relaxing.
Be Patient
When your baby is overstimulated, it might take a moment for them to calm down. Watch their cues and give them the space and time they need to settle down.
When To Call The Doctor
As we mentioned earlier, if your baby gets overstimulated often or easily, it might be a sign of something else, like autism or sensory issues. Other indicators that you should reach out to your pediatrician include:
- Your baby having trouble standing or moving
- Their overstimulation disrupting routines
- Having a hard time managing your baby’s distress
Your doctor will examine your little one and recommend next steps. They’ll also give you some additional strategies to calm them down in times of stress.
Keep It Simple With Mustela
Having an overstimulated baby is no fun, but now you know what sorts of situations could result in overstimulation, the signs, and what to do about it.
One of our favorite ways to calm your little one is to give them a comforting baby massage. Our Moisturizing Baby Oil can help relax their senses and hydrate their skin.
When you need to soothe your baby with clean and gentle skincare, reach for Mustela.
