In the joy when a baby comes into the world relatives try to hold and cuddle the little one a lot. Right from the time of baby’s birth doctors and parents also manage to handle the baby. The wish to get our hands on the baby can be overwhelming.
The effects of overstimulation in newborns are much real and a lot of cuddling, playing around the baby, and things happening around a baby can quickly get him overwhelmed, and might feel unsafe. It is important to know what causes this and should comfort him successfully.
What Exactly Overstimulation Is?
Babies can feel everything happening around them without filters. If it works in their favour they feel they are safe and in a calmer environment.
But the busy environment with a lot of sounds, people, and changing places here & there and so on, can easily put pressure on the sensory perception of a baby. This creates confusion and gets overwhelmed.
They feel the situation is and safe and lead them to burst out crying.
What Can Cause Overstimulation in Babies?
Every child is different in their own way. What might become too much for one baby might calm down the other? However, anything too much is also too bad. Most common signs in general for overstimulation are:
- Surrounding new people and keep interacting with the baby continuously.
- An environment of pungent smells, loud unexpected sounds,
- When his daily routine gets disturbed.
- Duration and intensity of any activity can further contribute to overstimulation.
- Sometimes simplest acts like feeding, handling, talking and making eye contact can also overwhelm the newborns.
Some children are easy-going, while some children are easily overwhelmed. Newborns might get stimulated faster because don’t have developed nervous systems to control or cope up with the things happening around them.
Every simple action is unclear and new for an infant because everything is different from what the baby has experienced in the womb of their mother. We need to wait for some months for the baby to mature enough and control things.
Signs Of Overstimulation In Babies
Most babies are quite capable of letting others know that they have been exposed to a number of things that is overwhelming for them. The below signs can make you aware quickly that your baby might be getting overstimulated.
An overstimulated baby might show signs associated with body
- The skin colour changes from normal to bright red or pale
- Moving around in an Unusual Way
- Change in breathing patterns like short and fast breathing
- Sudden movements like giving jerks or tremors
Behavioural signs include:
- Starts crying continuously, become critical and hard to please.
- Covering face with his hands
- Rubbing eyes continuously
- Spreading fingers and toes
- Looking away from people
- Becoming fussy, irritable, or tired easily
- stiffens up the body instead of relaxing
- showing over attention or being hyper-vigilant
- Staring into Space
How to Calm Your Overstimulated Baby?
For parents who are wondering how to deal with overstimulation in their baby, the solution is to understand what makes the baby feel so safe and secure. Better to avoid other things which can stimulate your baby. By following these guidelines can help to calm down your baby easily.
- Go for a small walk
- Go back to the usual schedule
- Opt for breastfeeding
- Try for Skin-to-Skin contact
- In some situations leave him alone for a while
- Cry it out let out their frustration and sleep so that they feel better in some circumstances
- Say ‘No’ to sound technologies
How to Avoid Overstimulation?
Comforting your baby may be easy for you but avoiding overstimulation at the beginning itself can keep your baby peaceful for a long time. Follow these simple steps to avoid overstimulation.
- Constant exposure to phones and other digital devices can overload the sensory perception of babies, So try to avoid technology as much as possible.
- Be prepared when you are out with your baby to a new place. Carry his favourite toys or other items which he likes most and can easily comfort him.
- Let him take a quick nap if possible when are out for a long time.
- Regulate visitors as much as possible where over cuddling can lead to overstimulation.
Be vigilant when you are in a new space with your baby. Immediately when you notice the signs of overstimulation, calm him down.
There is no exact solution when we talk about how much stimulation is too much because every child is different. So contact a doctor if can’t handle down your overstimulated baby. We, Sai Siva Children’s Hospitals being the best, we can treat any kind of problem facing by your child.
About The Hospital:
Sai Siva Children’s Hospital, Chanda Nagar, is a full-fledged medical facility specially designed for pediatric patients as well as young adults. The hospital was started in the year 2008, with the aim of reaching out to schools and villages to educate the middle and high school students about health & hygiene. Sai Siva Children’s Hospital is one of the most sought-after children’s hospitals in Hyderabad with a team of experienced doctors and skilled staff who aim to help your child have healthy growth and development. We believe that children today are the future of our world, and must have good health to make the world a better place to live in.