How to Read Your Baby's Sleepy Signs

How to Read Your Baby’s Sleepy Signs

Tired babies fall asleep easily, and they give signals when they are tired. If you miss the signs, your baby can become overtired and fussy. By getting to know your baby’s body language and sound signals you will master the task of reading their unique signs of fatigue. You’ll be able to put your baby to bed at exactly the right moment – and avoid battles over sleep time.

There is often a fine line between tired and over-tired, but when you pass the line your baby becomes difficult to soothe. They become too wired up to relax. At this point they will become irritable and will often fight sleep – the very thing they need most.

This article is written by Elizabeth Pantley
For more on this topic, check out the full Sleep collection

Watch for Baby’s Sleepy Signs

Babies sleep better when you properly read their unique signs of fatigue.
(And by babies, I mean all babies.)

With infants, put them to bed every time sleep indicators show up. For older babies, watch the signs over a week to create a nap and bedtime schedule based on their personal rhythm. Pick as a guideline, and then use your child’s signals as the main cue for sleep. If you spot the signals, don’t start a lengthy routine ⎯ just get your tired little one off to bed!

Typical Signs of Tiredness in Babies

Your child may show one or more of these signs when tired and ready to sleep:

making slower motions
quieting down
losing interest in people or toys
rubbing eyes, ears or hair
staring off in the distance
having a droopy jaw, chin and mouth
eyes wide open; or making long slow blinks
becoming whiny, cranky, or fussy
losing patience with toys or activities
having tantrums
yawning (of course!)
slumping in their seat
caressing a lovey or blanket
asking for a pacifier, bottle or to nurse

In addition to these signs of normal tiredness, babies will accelerate their signals when they become overtired. There is often a fine line between tired and over-tired, but when you pass that line your baby becomes more difficult to soothe. They get an artificial second wind and become too wired up to relax. At this point they will become very irritable and will often fight sleep – the very thing they need most.

For more on this topic, check out the full Sleep collection

Featured Contributor: Elizabeth Pantley

Parenting educator and mother of four, Elizabeth Pantley is the author of twelve popular parenting books, including the best-selling No-Cry Solution series, and the international bestseller, The No-Cry Sleep Solution. Her books, on topics such as sleep, discipline, picky eating, separation anxiety and potty-training have been read by well over two million people in English, and have been translated into 27 different languages.