How to Regulate a Dysregulated Nervous System

If your body feels easily overwhelmed, slow to settle, or constantly “on,” you’re not imagining it.

You might notice that small stressors hit harder than they used to, that sleep no longer feels restorative, or that tension, anxiety, or digestive symptoms flare even when nothing obvious is wrong. Over time, it can start to feel like your system has lost its ability to fully relax.

This pattern is often described as a dysregulated nervous system. It is not a formal diagnosis, and it is not the same as dysautonomia (an umbrella term for functional or structural damage to the nervous system), but it reflects an imbalance where the stress response stays activated too often, making recovery harder to access.

The encouraging part is that nervous system regulation is trainable. In this article, I’ll explain what dysregulation looks like, why it happens, and practical ways to support vagal tone, calm the stress response, and restore a sense of stability.

What Is a Dysregulated Nervous System?

A dysregulated nervous system is a state where your body has trouble shifting out of stress mode and back into recovery. The system designed to help you respond to challenges stays activated longer than it should, while the system responsible for rest, digestion, and repair does not get enough airtime.

At the center of this balance is the autonomic nervous system, which runs largely in the background. It has two main branches:

• The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which prepares you for action, focus, and threat. The SNS is often called the “fight-or-flight” nervous system. 
• The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which supports relaxation, digestion, sleep, and healing. The PNS is often called the “rest and digest” nervous system. 

In a regulated system, these two branches work together fluidly. You rise to stress when needed, then return to baseline once the stress passes.

When your nervous system is dysregulated, your stress response may switch on quickly and intensely, but shut off slowly or incompletely. This prevents you from properly recovering from a stressful experience and keeps you on high alert 1. Over time, the body begins to operate as if it needs to stay alert, even when the environment is relatively safe. This can make ordinary stressors feel overwhelming, and recovery feel elusive.

Importantly, dysregulation does not mean the nervous system is broken. It means it has adapted to prolonged or repeated stress in a way that is no longer serving you. And because it is an adaptive state, it can also be retrained with the right inputs and enough consistency.

The Cortisol Loop That Keeps You Wired

When stress becomes chronic, your nervous system starts operating as if it needs to stay on standby. The sympathetic system fires more easily, and stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released more often and for longer periods of time.

In small doses, that response is protective. It helps you focus, react quickly, and get through a hard moment. But when cortisol and adrenaline stay elevated, the body can begin to feel locked in readiness rather than recovery. Sleep may become lighter, your mood may feel more fragile, and anxiety can show up even when life looks “fine” on paper.

Research also suggests that people with depression and anxiety tend to have a more activated stress response, though it’s not always clear which comes first 2.

Cortisol may also blunt memory and the speed at which you process information 3. This is one reason dysregulation often shows up as brain fog, forgetfulness, or a sense that your mind is moving through molasses.

Over time, this creates a feedback loop: stress activates the nervous system, and an overactive nervous system makes stress feel more intense. The encouraging part is that this loop may be interrupted. With the right inputs, the nervous system may relearn how to downshift.

A Note on Dysregulation vs. Dysautonomia

A dysregulated nervous system is not the same thing as dysautonomia, though the terms are often confused. Dysautonomia is an umbrella term encompassing many conditions, including postural orthostatic ​​tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and neurocardiogenic syncope, also known as vasovagal syncope (fainting) 4. 

In contrast, a dysregulated nervous system is often a sign that it has been under long-term stress and has trouble returning to baseline. Fortunately, dysregulation often improves with targeted regulation strategies.  

Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System

Nervous system dysregulation does not always show up as obvious anxiety or panic. More often, it shows up in everyday patterns that slowly become your norm.

Some common signs of a dysregulated nervous system include:

• Feeling “tired but wired.” You feel exhausted all day, but when it’s finally time to rest, your mind won’t slow down, and sleep is difficult
• Heightened reactivity to small stressors. A delayed email, a minor inconvenience, or an offhand comment can trigger a disproportionate emotional or physical response that takes hours to settle.
• Difficulty relaxing, even during downtime. You sit down to rest but feel restless, agitated, or compelled to stay busy. This can look like doomscrolling in bed, watching show after show without feeling relaxed, or constantly reaching for stimulation.
• Muscle tension or body vigilance. Jaw clenching, tight shoulders, shallow breathing, or a sense of being physically “braced” throughout the day, even when nothing is wrong.
• Digestive symptoms that flare with stress. Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, or abdominal discomfort that worsens during stressful periods or emotional strain.
• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating. Tasks that used to feel manageable now take more effort, and your thinking may feel slower or less clear under pressure.
• Emotional numbness or overwhelm. Some people feel constantly overstimulated, while others feel flat or disconnected. Both can be signs of a system that has been under stress for too long.
• Increased sensitivity to sensory input. Noise, bright lights, crowds, or busy environments feel draining or intolerable, even if they never bothered you before.

Note: Some of these patterns may sound familiar to people who identify as neurodivergent, including those with ADHD or autism. That overlap is real, and it’s worth naming.

Many neurodivergent people also experience nervous system dysregulation, often because they have spent years navigating environments that were not built for how their brains work. In those cases, regulation work is still valuable, not to “fix” neurodivergence, but to reduce overload and improve resilience.

Importantly, nervous system dysregulation does not replace or explain away neurodevelopmental differences. Rather, it describes a state of stress and recovery that can affect any nervous system, neurotypical or neurodivergent alike.

Who’s at Risk for Dysregulation?

In truth, nearly everyone is at risk for a dysregulated nervous system, mostly because of our increasingly stressful daily environment. Rush-hour traffic, financial burdens, and an inflexible work structure have become common fixtures for many of us, creating a breeding ground for chronic stress. 

Certain traits, like perfectionism, may make you more vulnerable to a dysregulated nervous system, as can too much stress at work or school 1. There are several other factors that may put you at an increased risk: 

• History of emotional or psychological abuse 1 5 6
• History of traumatic events or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 6
• History of burnout or exhaustion 7 8
• Traumatic brain injury/ concussions 9
• Hormonal imbalances 10
• Metabolic disease, like diabetes 11 12

While these factors differ in their origin (psychological, neurological, endocrine, or metabolic), they all share the ability to influence autonomic regulation. For example, metabolic syndrome and diabetes have been shown to blunt HRV and reduce parasympathetic tone, suggesting an indirect pathway by which metabolic conditions can increase vulnerability to nervous system dysregulation.

Understanding how a dysregulated nervous system develops and your personal risks may help you find answers to your chronic health symptoms. And, thankfully, even if they seem impossible to change, there are steps you can take to heal a dysregulated nervous system. 

How to Balance Your Nervous System

Balancing a dysregulated nervous system usually requires two parallel moves. First, you reduce the overall stress load so the system is not constantly being asked to respond. Then you actively retrain the nervous system to return to a state of calm more efficiently.

Think of it as turning the volume down and teaching your body how to rest again.

Step One: Reduce the Stress Load

When the nervous system is already taxed, even small stressors can feel overwhelming. This does not mean you are fragile. It means your system has less capacity right now.

Many stressors are subtle and easy to overlook. But when they stack up, they keep the sympathetic nervous system engaged longer than necessary.

Reducing stress load is not about eliminating everything you enjoy. It’s about temporarily lowering stimulation while your nervous system regains flexibility.

The following tips won’t be universal for everyone, but hidden stressors include things like:

• Constant digital stimulation: Doomscrolling, rapid-fire videos, and frequent notifications keep the nervous system alert. Taking intentional breaks from social media often leads to noticeable improvements in mood and sleep.
• Reality TV and violent or scary movies: Researchers are unsure why watching stressful events causes us to feel stressed in return 13. It’s clear that stressful TV can make our breathing shallow and our hearts race. Choosing inspirational or “feel good” shows instead of stressful and scary ones may help support your nervous system 
• Aggressive, fast, or loud music: Music’s effects on our emotional state last long after the song is over, making it a good target for stress reduction. Classical music balances areas of the brain associated with emotional reactivity and reduces anxious tendencies 14 15.
• Uncomfortable clothes: Overly tight or restrictive clothing may cause subtle irritation to your nervous system and is a known trigger of dysautonomia symptoms. If you have the option, switch to well-fitted, loose, or soft fabrics with no uncomfortable tags or seams.
• Excess clutter: A messy space can lead to overwhelm. Not everyone is stressed by clutter (in fact, some people prefer it), but if your mess is getting in your way, physically or mentally, it’s probably stressing you out. 
• Toxic or negative relationships: Being surrounded by pessimistic or negative people day after day can take a toll on your health. Seek out relationships that bring you joy, as research shows that laughter can increase parasympathetic activity 16 17.

Step Two: Retrain the Nervous System’s Response

Once the stress load is reduced, the next goal is to teach the nervous system to return to baseline more efficiently. This is where active regulation strategies matter.

Increase Your Vagal Tone

The vagus nerve plays a central role in shifting the body out of stress and into recovery. When vagal tone improves, heart rate and breathing slow, stress hormone release decreases, and emotional regulation becomes easier 18 19 20. 

Research-supported ways to support vagal activity include:

• Aerobic exercise 16
• Walking 21
• Massage 22
• Meditation/ mindfulness 23
• Yoga 24
• Emotional freedom technique 25
• Mantra chanting 26
• Singing and humming 26
• Biofeedback 27 28
• Breathing exercises, including slow breathing and deep breathing 16 28

Cold exposure may also stimulate the vagus nerve. Simple approaches like splashing cold water on the face or using a brief ice massage may be enough for many people. More intensive methods, such as structured cold immersion, may be helpful for some people, but there are many less extreme ways to activate the vagus nerve, as listed above. Overall, consistency matters more than intensity.

Cognitive behavioural therapy, when practiced over time, can also help balance cortisol and indirectly support vagal activity 23.

Calm the Sympathetic Response With Limbic Retraining

For some people, symptoms persist despite lifestyle changes and foundational regulation practices. In these cases, limbic system retraining may be especially helpful.

Limbic retraining targets subconscious threat responses that keep the nervous system stuck in the fight-or-flight response. Programs like the Gupta Training Program aim to reduce emotional over-reactivity and improve resilience.

Research in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue populations suggests these approaches may improve anxiety, depression, and functional impairment 29 30, pointing to potential benefits for chronically taxed nervous systems. Clinically, they tend to be most helpful when someone feels “stuck” or overly reactive to treatments, supplements, or sensations.

Support the Nervous System Through the Gut

Nervous system regulation is not only top-down. The gut and immune system play a major role in how the nervous system behaves 31.

Chronic gut inflammation may keep the stress response activated. Reducing inflammation often makes nervous system regulation easier.

Give Your Gut a Rest

In clinical practice, two approaches stand out:

• An Elemental Diet, which provides nutrition in a highly absorbable form and reduces digestive workload.
• Elimination-style diets, which temporarily remove common inflammatory triggers.

Elemental diets are well-studied in inflammatory conditions and may reduce gut-driven stress signals within a few days 32 33 34. Duration depends on severity and should be guided by a clinician when extended.

Afterward, many people transition to a less restrictive plan, such as a Paleo-style diet, with gradual reintroduction of foods.

Calm the Nervous System With Good Bacteria

Gut inflammation may increase permeability, allowing inflammatory compounds to reach the nervous system. Probiotics may help reduce inflammation, support the gut barrier, and promote a healthier immune response.

Research suggests probiotics may also influence brain function and are associated with improvements in mood 35 36 37, cognition 38 39, sleep 36, and stress resilience 35 36 40). They are generally safe and accessible tools that can complement other nervous system regulation strategies.

How to Know Your Efforts Are Paying Off

Aside from watching your symptoms, the easiest way to monitor progress is through tracking your heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the fluctuation in the length of intervals between heartbeats and is a good way to track your vagal activity 41. 

Higher HRV is considered a marker of a balanced sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, and low variability is linked to poor health outcomes. 

There is no universal “normal” HRV 42 43. What matters most is your personal baseline and how quickly you recover after stress. Wearable devices may help you notice your HRV patterns over time.

If HRV stays suppressed long after stressors pass, it may be a sign that your nervous system needs more support 41.

FAQs

What does a dysregulated nervous system feel like?

It often feels like your body is easily overwhelmed and slow to settle. Small stressors may trigger outsized reactions, sleep may feel lighter or less restorative, and you might notice anxiety, muscle tension, brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, or gut symptoms that flare under stress.

What causes nervous system dysregulation?

Common drivers include chronic stress, burnout, trauma, poor sleep, illness or inflammation, overtraining, and ongoing emotional strain. It is often less about one event and more about cumulative load over time.

How do I know if I’m in fight-or-flight?

Not everyone experiences it as panic. For many people, it looks like “tired but wired,” constant tension, racing thoughts at night, irritability, hypervigilance, trouble relaxing, or feeling keyed up even during downtime.

Can a dysregulated nervous system cause digestive symptoms?

It may. Stress physiology may affect motility, gut sensitivity, and inflammation, and many people notice bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, or abdominal discomfort that worsens during stressful periods.

When should I seek professional help?

If symptoms are severe, persistent, or include fainting, significant heart rate or blood pressure instability, or major functional decline, it is worth seeing a clinician. It can also be helpful to work with a professional if you feel stuck, highly reactive, or unsure how to sequence nervous system and gut-focused interventions.

Stop the Cycle of Nervous Burnout 

Healing your dysregulated nervous system and ending the cycle of over-reactivity is possible through rebalancing your autonomic system and healing your gut. Cold water therapy, limbic retraining, and reducing gut inflammation with diet and probiotics are great ways to address your symptoms. 

While you work to heal your nervous system, cutting out any hidden stressors can help speed up your recovery. And reach out to the Ruscio Institute for Functional Health today if you need help with healing your symptoms of a nervous system overload.

The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations to help our clients and audience. If you’re interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you. The information on DrRuscio.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, natural health provider, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as the book Healthy Gut, Healthy You. He also founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, where he helps patients with a wide range of GI conditions and serves as the Head of Research.