Thereās a āGolden Momentā for Putting Your Baby to Sleep
Most people think a baby is ready for slumber when their eyes get lidded and their head slumps against our shoulder. Actually, at that point they are overtired.
Many tired babies can sleep anywhere, anytime. But those with a challenging temperament or poor state control live on a tightrope. Growing weariness can suddenly tip them off balance and send them crashing down from a happy alertness to exhausted misery in a blink.
So, if your well-meaning neighbour says to keep your tired baby awake during the day to boost their sleep at night, donāt do it! This strategy may work for adults, but it usually backfires with babies, leading to bigger struggles falling into sleepā¦and staying there.
In his classic book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby, sleep expert Dr. Mark Weissbluth states, āSleep begets sleep.ā Heās rightā¦and thatās why experienced parents put their babies to sleep before they get overtired.
Signs of an Overtired Baby
Some common early signs of an overtired baby include:
- Reduced activity, smiling, and talking (or even frowning!)
- Yawning
- Staring, blinking, and rubbing the eyes
- Increased fussing
While these signs will tip you off that your sweet pea needs to hit the hay, the truth is, by the time theyāre showing signs of sleepiness, they are overtired. A better bet is to get to know your little oneās routine so you can anticipate when theyāll be ready to nod off.
How to Get a Baby to Sleep Before Theyāre Overtired
Wouldnāt it be nice if the hospital issued you a crystal ball the same time they sent you home with your little bundle of joy? While so many parts of parenting areāand will continue to beāwoefully unpredictable, there are ways to foresee when your bub is ready for bed.
Adjust your baby sleep expectations. Knowing how much sleep babies usually need can give you a good sense of when youāre on the verge of keeping your lovebug awake too long. Hereās a guideline for how much sleep to expect in the baby years:
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Get to know your babyās wake windows. Along with figuring out the total sleep your little one needs, youāll want to keep an eye on what are called āwake windows.ā A wake window is the length of time your baby can comfortably stay awake between sleeps. So if your baby consistently shows signs of overtiredness 2 hours after waking, their wake window is probably just shy of 2 hours. As babies get older, their wake windows get longer. Here are common wake windows by age:
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As time goes on, it will get easier and easier to recognise your little oneās sleepy-time cues. Putting your baby down before they show signs of being overtired and cranky will not only be easier for you, but it will also set them up to get the best sleep possible!
What do you do when an overtired baby wonāt sleep?
If youāre having trouble figuring out how to get an overtired baby to sleep, try theĀ 5 Sās. Early in my career as a pediatrician, I became determined to get to the bottom of colicky crying.
For a long time, experts thought that colic stemmed from tummy trouble, but what I found was that it was actually the result of babies being born about three monthsā¦too early! Babies enjoy nine cozy months in the womb where theyāre cradled by the uterus, serenaded by the whooshing sound of blood rushing through the wombās walls, and are constantly jostled as Mum moves. So, when theyāre born, and we try to place babies on a still, flat surface in a quiet roomā¦itās really jarring!
The 5 Sās (swaddling, holding a baby in the side or stomach position while soothing, shushing, swinging, and giving a pacifier to suck) help recreate the comforts of the womb. But more than that, these sensations trigger a babyās calming reflex, which quiets crying and brings on sleep. (SNOO, my responsive bassinet, uses three of the 5Sās toĀ respond to most fussing in under a minute andĀ aid baby sleep!) TheĀ Happiest Baby on the Block streaming videoĀ breaks down these techniques and shares essential calming tricks to get your tired baby to sleep quicker and longer.
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