Sensory Overload in Parents: Why It Happens and How to Cope
Some days, it’s just too much. The noise, the clutter, the constant touching. Even if you’re getting through your day, it can feel like your body is stuck in overdrive—bracing, buzzing, totally overstimulated. When Parents.com asked me to weigh in on sensory sensitivities in parents, I felt such a deep yes in my body. Because this comes up all the time in my practice.
It’s not about being “too sensitive.” It’s about what happens when your nervous system is carrying more than it can hold, day after day. And for many parents, that overload builds slowly—until suddenly even normal stuff feels impossible.
What the Article Gets Right
The article does a great job naming something a lot of parents feel but don’t know how to say. Maybe you were always a little sensitive to noise or mess, but once you became a parent, it all ramped up. I shared in the piece that a lot of people experience these sensitivities as something that was always there, but gets louder in parenthood—especially when sleep is poor and the mental load is nonstop.
It also captures how easy it is to feel ashamed when you’re touched out. Like, shouldn’t I want to snuggle my kid? Shouldn’t I be more patient? But being overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human, and your system is asking for a break.
What the Article Doesn’t Capture
What’s missing, I think, is how personal and layered this can be. Yes, sensory tools and self-care help—but they only go so far if you don’t understand what’s really happening in your body.
Sometimes the overload isn’t just about parenting. It might tie into trauma, anxiety, burnout, or the kind of care you never got growing up. If your system learned early on to stay alert, or to take care of others at your own expense, it makes sense that your body is now maxed out.
There’s nothing wrong with you. But there might be something old that needs tending to.
How This Shows Up in Therapy
In therapy, this shows up in a lot of ways. Clients might say they feel irritable all the time, or like they’re one spilled snack away from snapping. Or they might cry in sessions about how guilty they feel for needing space—from their kids, their partner, even themselves.
When we dig into it, it’s rarely about the mess or the noise alone. It’s about the pressure to keep functioning, to keep giving, without enough room to breathe. We work on creating more space—internally and externally. That might mean nervous system tools, yes, but it also means permission. To rest. To ask for help. To say “not right now” and actually mean it.
If deep breaths and noise-canceling headphones don’t feel like enough, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just a person whose body is trying to survive more stimulation than it was meant to hold alone.
Beyond the Tips
You might need more than tips. You might need validation. You might need to say out loud, “This is too much,” and have someone look back at you and say, “You’re right.” Therapy can be that place.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated, or like you can’t handle one more thing brushing against your skin or pulling on your sleeve—you’re not broken. You’re not dramatic. You’re tired, and your body is asking you to listen.
You don’t have to keep pushing through. There’s room to slow down, to heal what’s underneath, and to feel like yourself again.
Want more support around parenting, burnout, or sensory overwhelm? Read more blog posts or book a consultation .
