What Is Sensory Overload?

Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the five senses becomes overstimulated. For instance, your sense of hearing may become overloaded when music is too loud, or vision impaired if lights are too bright. In some cases, more than one sense can become overwhelmed at the same time.

Learn more about what causes sensory overload, its symptoms, and common co-occurring conditions—such as autism spectrum disorder.1 If you’re experiencing an overload of the senses, it’s also helpful to know treatment options and some ways to cope with your symptoms.

Causes of Sensory Overload

When the brain receives more information through your senses than it can process, sensory overload occurs. Common sensory overload triggers include:

Sound

Your sense of hearing might become overloaded if you’re surrounded by loud noise (e.g. a concert or sports game) or if you’re hearing multiple sounds at once. While some people report only mild discomfort, some experience pain when sounds are too intense.

Touch

Everyday things like the feeling of your clothes or a person touching you could feel overwhelming. The texture of certain materials might also be uncomfortable (i.e. some people don’t like certain fabrics). For some, a certain touch or the feel of certain things can be painful.

Sight

Some people experience a sensitivity to light, especially if it is bright or flashing. A vision-related overload can also occur if you’re in a busy environment, such as a bustling city street, and unsure what to focus your eyes on.2

Smell

A person whose sense of smell is over-responsive or highly sensitive might find scents like perfume overwhelming. They’re also likely to notice smells others might not and can begin to feel unwell if they’re around too many strong scents.

Someone with a smell overload might avoid places with strong smells, like kitchens, bathrooms, or certain stores. They may even refuse to eat certain foods due to the way they smell.

Taste

Your taste buds can be overwhelmed by foods with strong flavors or specific spices. The temperature of certain foods might also trigger sensory overload, with foods that are either too hot or too cold overwhelming your sense of taste.

Symptoms of Sensory Overload 

Symptoms of sensory overload vary from person to person. While some people experience only mild symptoms resulting in slight feelings of discomfort, others report symptoms so intense that they are unable to function until their senses normalize.

In some cases, more than one of your senses might feel overloaded. However, there are some shared symptoms that anyone experiencing sensory overload might have. They include:2

• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Irritability
• Lack of focus
• Racing thoughts
• Stress

Identifying Sensory Overload in Children

Research suggests that one in six children has sensory processing difficulties.3 Additionally, while they may be either over-responsive or unresponsive to sensory inputs, it is more common for children to be over-responsive.

How do you know if a child might be experiencing sensory overload? Here are some symptoms to watch for:3

• Crying and screaming
• Covering their faces or plugging their ears
• Shutting their eyes and refusing to open them
• Completely shutting down

Conditions That Heighten Sensory Overload

People with certain medical conditions are more likely to experience sensory overload. Here are a few to consider.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

A common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder is heightened sensory sensitivity. People with PTSD often experience flashbacks of the traumatic events they lived through. Sometimes these flashbacks are triggered when their senses are overwhelmed.

For example, a person living with PTSD as a result of getting shot might be triggered by loud banging sounds. The heightened responsiveness of their senses often causes them to be on high alert, even in scenarios where they don’t need to be.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

People with sensory processing disorder receive and respond to sensory inputs in a non-typical way. As such, they can either be under-responsive or over-responsive to these inputs.

An over-responsiveness to sensory cues can show up in a variety of ways. For instance, someone with sensory processing issues related to sight or sound may experience migraine headaches.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder—whether it’s inattentive, hyperactive, or combined type—might experience sensory overload.6 They may also be more likely to develop anxiety when their senses are constantly overwhelmed.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Sensory overload is common in people with autism spectrum disorder because they often have sensitive sensory systems.1 Some of the most common forms of sensory overload for this demographic are sight and sound. This means they can be triggered by loud noises and bright lights.

Diagnosis of Sensory Overload

Medical professionals can identify sensory overload issues with tools such as:

• Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT): The SIPT includes 17 different tests to measure perception and is used to identify sensory issues in children aged 4 to 9.7
• Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation Checklist (SPSRC): This checklist consists of 130 items and can be used to examine sensory processing in children aged 3 to 8.8

Treatment of Sensory Overload

There are many ways to help manage sensory overload symptoms when they emerge.

Sensory Diet

For children with sensory overload, a pediatrician might recommend an occupational therapist, to help. An occupational therapist helps children with sensory sensitivities by creating a sensory “diet.”9

A sensory diet is a schedule of sensory activities tailored to your child’s needs. It’s designed to help your child manage their sensory inputs and cope with triggers that might overwhelm their senses.

Speak With a Professional

While an adult might simply remove themselves from a situation triggering their sensory overload, children may not be able to do so or may not be able to fully communicate what they’re experiencing. A pediatrician can help provide ideas if your child is having a particularly difficult time coping with sensory stimuli.

Coping With Sensory Overload

To live a healthy life when dealing with sensory overload, work to optimize your coping mechanisms. Some coping methods include:

• Stick to a routine to create stability. If your sensory overload is caused by unavoidable triggers in your day-to-day life, sticking to a routine can help you plan how to deal with an upcoming overload. While you might not be able to prevent it, you might be able to manage its severity.
• Identify triggers to learn how you can avoid them or prepare for them. You can do this by keeping a diary and making a note of each time it occurs.
• Practice meditation to help your mind relax when you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Optimize your living space to remove things that trigger sensory overload, such as bright or harsh lights and loud speakers.