hyperarousal

plural hyperarousals

1. uncountableusuallyA state of heightened psychological and physiological tension resulting in reduced pain tolerance, anxiety, excessive response to sensory stimulation, insomnia, and fatigue.

   A feeling of restlessness and an urge to move in your arms, legs or torso is a state of hyperarousal and can keep you from a good night’s sleep, she said.

   2024 March 11, Madeline Holcombe, “What to do on the nights you are struggling with insomnia, according to experts”, in CNN

   1 more example

   Hyperarousal after a traumatic experience is normal. It occurs when a person's brain believes that person is at risk again because it misreads an external signal or trigger.

   2010, Liz Royle, Catherine Kerr, Integrating EMDR Into Your Practice, page 35