“Why is my baby so fussy?” The short list of reasons.

Macall Gordon, M.A.
Oct 31
5 min read

If you’ve ever wondered why your baby seems to spend so much time fussing or outright crying, you’re not alone. Parents of fussy babies spend hours a day bouncing, nursing, or walking the house just to get them to quiet down and fall asleep. These babies are attached to parents like Velcro. They seem to need lots of help with every aspect of regulation. They are not “self-soothers;” in fact, they can go from zero to 100 faster than you can say “pacifier.” Diaper changes, the swaddle, the car seat—all pure torture for them. It’s not easy, or for the weak. Having a fussy baby challenges parents on every level.

Persistent fussiness doesn’t come from nowhere. Babies aren’t fussy “for fun.” Some alert, sensitive, intense little ones simply experience discomfort—colic, reflux, body tightness—more intensely. So, instead of a “witching hour,” you are getting “witching days.”

Fussiness is a sign that your baby is uncomfortable. It could be due to actual, identifiable causes; however, there are additional reasons why these “livewires” can melt down despite being fed, dry, and held.

Temperament may be the reason your baby is this fussy

Most babies come into the world with the ability to buffer out a lot of input. These are the relatively chill little ones who yawn when they’re tired, play with toys, and only cry when something is really wrong.

A subset of children are born with internal wiring that’s more active and so they’re less able to buffer anything out. I call these children “livewires” because they seem to have more current running through their system. They are alert, super sensitive, super intense, perceptive, and persistent. It’s like their nerve endings are just a little closer to the surface.

How does this impact fussiness?

Here’s an analogy. Imagine how you feel when you have a sunburn. Clothing, sheets, the back of a chair, brushing up against something all hurt. People without a sunburn have no problem with any of these things, but you feel everything. This is what the world is like for livewires. The usual activities, routines, and experiences that are easy for many babies are a very big deal for them.

This means that the usual events that make babies fussy—gut issues, overtiredness, body tightness, feeding issues—are magnified for livewires, so it takes less discomfort to produce a huge reaction.

How temperament shows up as fussiness

Here are the elements of a livewire temperament that can explain why your baby seems “fussier” than others.

1. Big feelings (intensity)

For livewires, everything is a big deal: happy, sad, surprised, tired, frustrated. There are no “small” feelings. Parents will say that they hear other babies’ manageable “fussing,” while theirs sounds like they're being stuck with a pin. It’s difficult, but try to understand that the size of the reaction may not map to the degree of their discomfort. They’re not being “dramatic,” they just feel things very deeply.

2. Reactivity (“zero to sixty”)

Livewires feel things strongly—and they feel them fast. Parents will routinely say, “She will go zero to sixty if I don’t get to her fast.” It also takes less input for these kiddos to react strongly. It’s like their nerves are right under the surface (remember the sunburn?).

3. High alertness (serious FOMO)

Livewires want to be in the world—seeing, doing, interacting. Even as tiny newborns, they never seem to just “conk out” when they’ve had enough. They just…keep…going. It’s so easy for them to go past the point that their brain can handle, and meltdowns ensue. This kind of fussiness is simply from taking in too much without the ability to retreat from it. Other children will get tired. They’ll yawn and rub their eyes to signal that they need a break. Livewires will never do this.

4. Sensory sensitivity

This is a little-known cause of lots of fussiness in babies. Livewires have open channels for sensory input—sounds, textures, movement, lights, smells. It’s surprisingly easy for them to be overstimulated when their sensory barriers are low. Combine sensory sensitivity with high alertness, and you have a little one who is drawn to absorbing information but is also easily overwhelmed by it. Just that trip to Target with all the ins and outs of the carseat and the bright lights, colors, and people in the store may be way too much. It really doesn’t take much to throw these alert little ones off.

How to figure out the fussiness

The best way to figure out the source of fussiness is to rule out physiological causes:

Silent reflux or other feeding issue: Arching during a feed, only eating small amounts, screaming when lying flat, eating better at night, taking a long time to eat. Talk to a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.

Body tightness: Does your baby only look or roll one direction? Did they achieve a milestone and then stop? Babies can get tight muscles in their neck or back that can hurt. A trip to a pediatric chiropractor or craniosacral therapist is your best bet.

Overtiredness: “Low sleep needs” isn’t always a thing. Know how much naptime and nighttime sleep your baby should have and don’t wait for sleepy signals.

Eczema: Eczema is itchier than people think, and can be very disruptive for babies who can’t tell you how it feels. Make sure it is well managed and keep an eye out for dairy intolerance because it can be an underlying cause.

What you can do.

Once you’ve really ruled out physical causes, consider whether your little one is just overwhelmed. Begin by observing how they take in the world from a sensory standpoint and learn what to avoid or when to limit stimulation. Give them breaks, whether they seem like they’re ready or not. Even some time sitting in a darker room with you counts as a break—even if they don’t sleep.

Make sure you are being kind to yourself. Having a fussy baby requires a lot from parents—stamina, patience, and blind faith that you are doing everything you can. Make sure you get small breaks, and you take every opportunity to tell yourself that you’re doing a good job in a very challenging context. When your baby is super fussy, it may feel hard to believe, but you are.

Fussiness is often rooted in temperament. For these kiddos, the world is brighter, louder, and more interesting than it is for mellower children. It can be a lot. Understanding temperament can be the key to really understanding the “why” behind the fussiness.

Wondering if you have a livewire? Take our FREE quiz and find out.

Take the Livewire Temperament Quiz to find out whether your baby fits the Livewire profile. This quick, research-based quiz helps you uncover the temperament traits that make your little one so unique.

It’s not about labeling your child. It’s about understanding them, so you can calm your fussy baby more effectively, support their big feelings, and give yourself a little dose of “I’ve got this.”

Take the Livewire Temperament Quiz

When you know your child’s temperament, you’re not just reacting to their fussiness — you’re responding with insight, compassion, and confidence.

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Read Why Won’t You Sleep?! by Macall Gordon, M.A. and Kim West, MSW — available in print and now on Audible.

About Macall Gordon

Macall Gordon, M.A., has a master's degree in applied psychology from Antioch University in Seattle with a research-based specialization in infant mental health, sleep advice, and parenting culture.