Every time I tell someone that I struggle to sleep because I can’t tolerate noises like snoring, someone ALWAYS suggests sleeping with earbuds.
LIKE I GET IT 😭 BUT HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT I HAVE SENSORY ISSUES??
I absolutely cannot stand the feeling of having something inside my ears. It makes them itchy, I can constantly feel that something is sitting inside my ear canal, they fall out while I’m sleeping, and the sensation drives me absolutely crazy. I also sleep on my side, so having something in my ears makes it even more uncomfortable because I’m putting pressure on them.
They feel heavy, intrusive, and just generally uncomfortable. When I’m trying to fall asleep, I become hyperaware of the fact that they’re there, and instead of helping me sleep, they become another thing keeping me awake.
I feel like people assume that because I’m sensitive to noise, blocking out sound with something in my ears must automatically be the perfect solution. But my sensory issues don’t ONLY apply to sound. Physical sensations can bother me just as much, if not MORE.
I want to be able to sleep without hearing someone snoring, but I also want to be physically comfortable in my own bed. Why is that so difficult for people to understand? 😭
I’m genuinely curious if anyone else with sensory sensitivities experiences this. Do you also find earbuds or earplugs unbearable, even though you’re extremely sensitive to noise? What do you do instead?

Hi,

I have visual issues and reading and writing can give me eye strain. I already have prescription glasses, but they can't solve everything.

I can usually read on paper, or unlit e-ink screens, and low-brightness led screens at low brightness, but it's harder and harder at medium brightness or worse. I have an easier time with certain readability fonts, and with bolder text, and I have a harder time with mainstream fonts, and with fainter text. I have an easier time with dark text on light backgrounds, and I have a harder time with light text on dark backgrounds. Now I'm using Windows 11, and it's common advice to use scaling to improve readability, but it leaves text too thin and faint for me; instead I reduce the screen resolution, leaving text slightly fuzzier, and adjust Cleartype, and sometimes reduce gamma, to make that fuzz darker. I hope that helps anyone else who has the same problem.

I also have sensory processing issues, and flashing lights, smooth animation, etc. will give me migraines.

I have to avoid blinking cursors, smooth scrolling, animated interactive menus, and often multi-column tools, unless there's a lot of space, or another clear separation between columns. Yes, Windows 11 has system settings to disable some animation effects, and to stop blinking cursors, and some apps respect these, but other apps don't.

At the moment I'm only writing personal notes, historical notes, and game rules. I'm using LibreOffice Writer, but running into trouble, especially with searches. I still need something which supports footnotes, tables, headings, and subheadings, has a navigator, etc. I've also looked at Softmaker, Obsidian, Writemonkey 3, and Zettlr, but either the websites or the apps gave me migraines.

Any suggestions for accessible writing software which works on Windows, or how to find it?

I don't like the feeling of soap in general on my face, probably because of bubbles and a lot of soaps give me like a dried out, squeaky, grippy feeling, so I switched to dove hydrating bar soap but it still makes the bubbles issue for me and I'm not sure what I should use for my face anyway. I don't really like water on my face so I try to dry it as soon as possible and I don't really have a way of washing my face that doesn't let water drip down my arms and occasionally onto the floor if I don't put my entire arms over the sink, but I'm short so it's hard to do that.

Any suggestions?

(Ps if it matters, I do dry my face on a towel I think they're beach towels but I just use them as regular towels)

posting this here because I hope yall can relate to my pain, I’m exhausted.

I recently moved in a big a bigger city and I often feel overwhelmed by the smell and sound. I already felt this way but it became more frequent. I have to put earplugs to sleep, I can't stand the smell of cigarets, trash and sometimes food, I was at a party in a friend's house and I had to isolate myself because their LAUGHTERS was too much, I'm also repulsed by ASMR. I don't know if my sensitivity changed or it was always like this but I was less stimulated because I lived in a smaller town, it's really wierd.

A friend asked me if I was hypersensitive but I never considered it before, maybe it's the case but I don't want to give me auto diagnosis

My first post here.

Looking for support from parents of children with SPD and autism or adults with similar condition.

I have a sweet, beautiful 3 year old babygirl and we are currently on the waiting list for an autism evaluation. I know she will be diagnosed. I have suspected SPD since infancy. She is hypersensitive to visual, oral, tactile, and vestibular input and the world often seems overwhelming for her. The only thing that helps calm down her senses is heavy work/proprioceptive input.

Around 15 months, after an illness, I noticed a significant change in her social skills and anxiety levels. She was very social and developing typically before that, all milestones were on time. When she is regulated, she can be happy, social, make eye contact, and interact with us. But when she is overwhelmed, she goes into fight-or-flight mode.

When go outside, she experiences sensory overwhelm and cries or bolts. Crowds, visual clutter, movement and changing visuals can trigger intense distress. She is afraid of swings or any climbing equipment.

She is in sensory overload most of the time where she has multiple meltdowns and is unable to tolerate textures or eat or drink anything, tolerate going out etc. When she is regulated, she can do all these things.

She also has a significant speech delay. She understands simple instructions like "come here" "give me" "pick it up" "get inside" and communicates using limited, repetitive two- or three-word phrases heard from us and she doesn't yet form her own sentences. She loves toys and does pretend play. People are difficult for her but objects are easier. She isn't very social and likes to play alone. She is also very hyper-vigilant, if someone touches her or makes her do something she thinks it's going to hurt her. She is even afraid to put a thermometer to check temperature. She won't let doctors touch or examine her. She won't let anyone check her weight on a weighing scale.

As first-time parents, we didn't know much about SPD or autism until her teachers recommended an OT assessment and an autism evaluation.

I love my little girl more than words can express but it breaks my heart to see her struggle so much in a world that feels too overwhelming for her senses. When she experiences sensory overload, she has multiple meltdowns and severe anxiety and it is heartbreaking to watch her struggle to cope with things that seem so simple for other children. Sometimes, I feel helpless and even guilty about bringing her into a world that is so difficult for her to navigate. She is deeply loved and cared for but when she is dysregulated, she looks like a quiet, traumatized, and neglected child, when in reality, she is a deeply loved little girl who is struggling with so much internally.

Parents or adults who have been through something similar, what helped you or your children? I would love to hear your stories and any advice you can share. I am looking for understanding and a little hope. ❤️

My doctor wants me to wear a watch that can monitor heart rate, but I find it unbearably uncomfortable. I’ve tried different types of straps (Velcro, stretchy) but the longest I can stand it is about an hour. It makes my arm ache from my wrist to my elbow and makes me feel nauseated/ constantly distracted by it. I just hate that I never stop feeling it. Advice or hearing from people who can relate would be great.

i (22F) have ocd which brings me lots of fun treats, along with severe sensory-related stress in a couple very specific areas of my life, with my most sensitive areas being the back of my neck, feet, and upper back. i’ve struggled with this for my entire life and am on 40 mg fluoxetine and 150 mg bupropion currently which help IMMENSELY.

currently my biggest issues are clothes and washing my hair, with clothes always feeling dirty, wet, tight, heavy, or just wrong and sending me to the brink of a panic attack until i can strip naked (sometimes in the bathroom at work for a few minutes (,: ). luckily i have an “escape” from this, with getting the clothes off and showering if i’m able relieving these feelings, although hauling loads upon loads of laundry to be washed multiple times a week isn’t fun.

regardless, washing my hair has been extremely rough lately. apart from wet hair on my back, i can’t seem to get the feeling of conditioner off of my back or get any part of my body to feel normal until i suffer through the feeling overnight and take a long, hot shower in the morning. i shower 2-4 times per day (thank GOD my landlord has a fixed rate for water), putting my hair up in a high bun and using the wand shower head to avoid getting my hair wet. when washing my hair, even if i put my hair up in a towel/hair-wrap and then take another separate shower just to wash the feeling off, it remains there.

when i look up anything to do with sensory issues with showers online, i only find resources for children or people who can’t do showers at all. im thinking of trying shampoo and conditioner bars since i assume they have less residue and may help with these sensations, but i wanted to see if anyone else struggles with this. i’ve had these feelings for so long but am sick of suffering through it; im tired of feeling like this.

tldr; i absolute LOVE showers but cannot stand hair-washing. looking for advice.

SPD is causing severe anxiety in my child. We moved houses and first 2 weeks he was fine due to novelty and then after 2 weeks he got severe anxiety to the point he cannot even tolerate eating.

Outside, he gets overwhelmed specially in new environments, grocery stores etc. He needs to bolt/run to regulate or he cries.

If anyone goes through or HAS GONE through this. Please let me know what helps.

Im looking be or a bit of guidance /help as I’m yet to undertand what exactly is wrong and I’ve seen so many doctors, psychiatrists and neurologists. I get severe sensory disturbance which I live with 24/7, it never goes away and it happened following a traumatic incident, where I also got severe DPDR around 6 months ago. Since that day something in my brain changed and I no longer sense things the same. I can feel things in my head I should not be able to feel. Ive had this internal dry sensation in my head for months and it feels like my head is being dried out. Prior to this I had feelings like liquid sensation, furry and fluffy sensations mostly all in the head area, sometimes face and body. I no longer can tolerate water, showers or baths are very hard and anything touching my hair or head can trigger it ro worsen. I think something went very wrong with my nervous system and sensory processing and it’s really bad. I especially get numbness which worsens daily. Symptoms are so bad I wake up 3-4-5 times a night. Barely sleep. Medication hasnt helped me so far it’s made it worse . Does anyone else have anything like this? I feel very alone and to develop it so suddenly was such a shock. I literally never come back to any baseline.

For parents of sensory sensitive children, when did you first start noticing signs of sensory sensitivities? Did they develop gradually, or did you notice a sudden shift in your child’s behaviour? Did anyone experience a change around 18 months? My daughter wasn’t having any issues up until now and is now very sensitive to change (circle time ending and going outside), loud noises, laughter (only certain laughs), and adults talking loudly. Completely understand this could be normal. Just wanted to hear from other parents. This is happening more at Daycare but we are noticing some of it at home. Thanks!

My 7 year old daughter has sensory issues around food especially with anything leafy, mixed, mushy or strongly scented. We’re already getting professional help and slowly working on exposure but I’d really appreciate some advice and support from parents who have been through this before us. It’s such a slow process and while I’m not expecting anything to suddenly fix her food aversions I’m still very concerned about supporting her diet in the meantime.

She accepts milk and smoothies much more easily than unfamiliar solid foods which made me wonder whether a greens drink  could be useful while we continue feeding therapy. Has anyone here discussed something like this with their pediatrician, dietitian or feeding therapist? I’d really appreciate hearing what worked or didn’t work for your family, especially from parents who understand that expanding a sensory eater’s diet isn’t as simple as telling them to take another bite.

Anyone else able to sleep absolutely anywhere but as long as you have your pillow to sleep with or you have trouble?

My pillow finally just died and although I’m completely exhausted I can’t fall asleep because I have no head support and it’s driving me crazy, gah!

I hate tossing and turning trying to find any position that’ll work with it to no avail and can’t wait to buy a new one tomorrow but I can’t remember which one I bought last time and don’t want to accidentally buy it again because it was worse than anticipated after initially seeming amazing, lol.

Thankfully the retail store I work at usually embeds a tag with the UPC # on it into the pillows we sell so if I didn’t cut it off I can use that to make sure I don’t buy it again.

Is this also a sensory issue for you?

Thankfully my weighted blanket is helping me a lot but nothing is right without the cushion of the pillow and I hate it.

I have really bad issues regarding getting my hands wet and being wet to the point I’ll vomit. This has caused me to stop washing my hands and showering completely for a while until I found some solutions!!!

Plastic gloves for the shower, for me it keeps me from feeling the prune, water WILL get trapped underneath however I just hold a hair dryer to them for 20 minutes. You win some you loose some.

Hand sanitizer! I carry like 4 different kinds and smells with me everywhere and it avoids the stress of the prune. I also like smelling things when I’m overstimulated

Claw clip for yucky wet hair on back, you can quickly just put it up and not feel suffocated :,)

This is what has helped for me, leave more tips if you want!!

Has anyone developed temperature sensitivity?

Idk if this is the right sub to post it but i hate the texture of my nails on my nail bed i sometimes wish i had naked fingers. help me pls tell me how can i stop it from bothering me

Let me begin by saying that when my son was diagnosed with SPD, we worked with him, made tons of changes for him in our household and beyond, went to therapies, did the exercises, sought help. We accepted how he was and worked to improve his comfort. Now he's much better at tolerating things that used to bother him, and knows how to advocate for his needs.

But now, I'm on a medication that has caused skin hypersensitivity and I'm constantly overwhelmed, bothered, in pain, etc. All I can think of is how this compares to how my son felt/feels and how this is only bearable for me because I know it will eventually go away, and I'm an adult! To experience this as a small child, without communication abilities, without independence to choose my clothes/activities is heartbreaking!

This has really given me a new perspective on SPD, especially skin sensitivity. I'm even more proud of how far my son has come and how hard he works every day to function.

Im not bothered by tags or seams or things like that. I feel it deeper in your body, not necessarily on my skin. it’s just the feeling of any clothes at all on my body and it causes a fight or flight response.

i have 3-4 tops and 3-4 bottoms that i can comfortably wear. pants have to be baggy and loose and can’t be tight on my waist at all. I usually buy pants too big so that they don’t touch my waist. tops have to “puff” out so they don’t actually sit on my body.

It causes an extreme amount of depression because I can’t do anything normal or do normal fun things, especially things that require a dress code like weddings, a normal job, nice dinners etc. Also things that are supposed to be fun are just dreadful and heartbreaking, because I want to be able to dress up and be fashionable instead of sweatpants and a giant t shirt everywhere i go. I want to be able to take pictures with friends or family without sticking out like a sore thumb. I also just want to be able to dress up for me, because it’s such a huge part of life. I see so many girls getting dolled up and dressed up together and i’ll never be able to be a part of that. right now it’s no vacations, outings with friends or any other “fun” events because it just makes me so, so sad.

I’ve worn a handful of nice-ish clothes before for a really short amount of time, but in order to do that it takes extremely meticulous planning and a ton of anxiety. also on the rare occasion this happens the clothes don’t look the way they’re supposed to because I always have to get items a size too big or manipulate it in some way to make it semi tolerable. Even then, I can only make it less than an hour before it becomes too much and i have a panic attack and rip it off, which would happen immediately if i just wore it “normally”

anyways, does anyone else experience this? I’m 22 and have been dealing with it my entire life and it’s only getting worse as time goes on.

Hi, I’m a uk medical doctor and I’ve just released a web app called SensoryMe. We’re very early stage with it and I would really love some feedback on it as we plan the next stage of development. The idea is that adults with sensory struggles can go through the senses one by one to figure out which tools might be helpful for them. It could be used alongside young people but for now it’s been developed with adults in mind. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

SensoryMe.app

> Falls ihr hier upvotet, würde ich mich sehr freuen, wenn ihr auch kurz die Petition unterschreibt.

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> Die deutsche Wirtschaft wächst ohnehin kaum noch und wir merken gerade deshalb die negativen Auswirkungen des Wachstumszwangs.

>

> Sollen wir nicht mal eine Wirtschaft ohne Wachstumszwang ausprobieren? Eine Wirtschaft, in der freiwilliges Wachstum möglich ist, aber nicht erzwungen wird?

https://www.change.org/AnderesWirtschaften