Overstimulated Baby

You’ve seen lots of babies, tucked in their prams, being pushed around the shopping centres wide eyed and what appears to be very interested in life rushing by. Chances are they will fail to fall asleep in their prams, as there is just so much happening. Later on, comes the crying, closely followed by upset and frustrated parents. What most people miss is the first clue – wide eyed. Wide-eyed is commonly interpreted as interested. It is in fact over stimulated.

Over stimulated is when your baby is getting tired, but their brain is being over-loaded with stimulation as opposed to winding down and drifting off to sleep. The more over-stimulated they become, they longer it then takes their brain to ‘wind down’. Our world is highly stimulated between people rushing about, the constant flicking of the television, the noise and the large quantities of signs. This problem not only affects babies, but children of all ages and even adults. How long does it take you to wind down?

The solution? For a baby it’s easy to tackle, when you see the signs of tiredness, place a sunshade over their pram and cut down on the stimulation from outside. Limit the number of toys on their shelves or cluttering their room. For children it is quite similar. At home, you can put out select toys and books. Put the rest in the cupboard and then swap them around. Children focus better, have greater concentration and memory when there is order to their world and the clutter is minimised. When reading to your children be sure to turn off the radio and television so that they can listen and fully focus. All this background noise is distracting and doesn’t let these skills develop completely.

To give you an example, think of the last time you walked into kindy or a classroom. Were the walls covered in artwork, information sheets etc. to the point that there was no space? I have certainly been in children’s rooms where I cannot think, and it makes me wonder how our children function in this environment all day. Usually, all the work on display is to show parents what their children have been working on – there are many better ways to show parents. I have also seen centres where even the windows were covered with art. Remember simple is better.

I have also seen classrooms where it is organised, the work on display is limited and rotated – the children certainly focus better. By making the walls clutter free we are actually impacting on their ability to learn. The same applies to adults: the more clutter, the less organised your brain is. Why is it we all strive to have the great-organised cupboard or house? It’s for the sense of satisfaction and clarity we get seeing things organised, neat and tidy. We have a totally different feeling when we walk into a room that is ordered compared to cluttered. At work it is the same, we are more productive when the room is organised, and the clutter contained.

Nicole Pierotti

Originally Published: April 2, 2019

Last Edited: December 13, 2021