Remember that manual we talked about? The one that should have come with your baby? Well, chapter 1 should definitely be: The Overtired Baby For Dummies.
Overtired babies are akin to the thanksgiving turkey that you left in the oven too long. Itâs past the point of no return, emotions are running high, and youâre left feeling like youâve failed. But just know that weâve all been there. And the good news is that itâs totally preventable! So grab a coffee and join me to find out:Â
What happens when your baby is overtired?Â
What are the signs of an overtired baby?
How to get an overtired baby to sleepÂ
What happens when your baby is overtired?Â
When babies start to get tired, their body produces sleepy chemicals. If they are tired but donât get to sleep, then they start to power through and their bodies produce more chemicals to override the sleepy ones. This leads them to becoming âwired and tired.â Once they are in this âwired and tiredâ state, it makes them MUCH harder to settle.
If they keep pushing through this, they will eventually become exhausted and pass out, but one wants to go through that. The key is to catch your baby right when the first wave of sleepy chemicals starts to flow, as that is when getting them to sleep can be effortless. Thatâs right. The words âeffortlessâ and âbaby sleepâ can be in the same sentence. Just read on, my friendâŠÂ
What are the signs of an overtired newborn?
Here is the part where most parents make their biggest mistake (in preventing overtirednessâŠnot in life). The stereotypical signs of being tired are actually overtired signs. Iâm talking about:Â
- fussing
- rubbing their eyes
- tugging on their ears
- arching their backs
- flailing about
Yes, these are the âitâs too late, the Titanic has already hit the icebergâ signs. Meaning, your baby is overtired. Since putting an overtired baby to sleep is significantly more difficult, what you want to watch for are the âfirst alertâ signs. These are what I call âsleepy cuesâ and as soon as you see them, itâs time to get baby to bed. Continue on to âhow to prevent overtirednessâ for all the details on sleepy cues!Â
How to prevent overtiredness
The obvious way to prevent overtiredness is to get your baby to sleep BEFORE they become overtired. The not so obvious part is, how exactly do you do this.Â
The key is to catch your baby in the act of showing sleepy cues before they turn into tired cues. And parents often mistake these sleepy cues for signs that their baby is bored. Donât be fooled! When your baby shows signs of being sleepy, donât crank up the music or pull out more toys! Instead, drop everything and get them to bed!Â
Sleepy cues are:Â
- Staring off into the distanceÂ
- Calm, still demeanorÂ
- Subtle yawnÂ
- Reddish hue on their eyelids and eyebrowsÂ
Following age appropriate wake windows (see chart below) can also be helpful, as they can give you an idea of when you should be starting to look for those sleepy cues. However, wake windows are just averages, so paying close attention to YOUR babyâs sleepy cues is your best tool.Â
Wake Windows… Sleep begets sleep:
Remember, sleep begets sleep. Parents often make the mistake of underestimating how much sleep their baby actually needs and when they need it.Â
You can use this chart to help you have an idea of what your babyâs age appropriate wake window is, as well as how much sleep (on average) they should be getting. This includes naps and nighttime sleep. Again, this is just an average, so use it as a starting point and tweak it based on YOUR baby.Â
Age | Number of naps per day | Ideal length of naps | Awake time between naps | Awake time before bed | Average amount of daytime sleep | Average amount of nighttime sleep | Average amount of TOTAL sleep |
0-3 months | 4-7 | 45-60 min | 60-90 min | 1-2 hours | 5-8 hours | 9-10 hours* | 16-18Â hours |
4 months | 4 | 60+ min | 90 min | 2 hours | 3.5-5 hours | 10-11 hours*Â Â | 15-16 hours |
5 months | 3 | 60+ min | 2 hours | 2.5 hours | 3.5-4.5 hours | 11-12 hours*Â | 14-16 hours |
7 months | 2 | 60-90 min | 2-3 hours | 4 hours | 3-4 hours | 11-12 hours | 14-15 hours |
14 months | 1 | 2 hours | 5 hours | 5 hours | 2-3 hours | 11-12 hours | 13-14 hours |
*Broken for feedings
Itâs also important to note that a few naps on the go are ok, however good restorative sleep is going to happen when your baby is in a consistent sleep space with an optimal sleep environment. This means in a room that is dark, quiet, sound machine on, swaddled if they are not rolling yet and in a safe sleep space like a bassinet or crib.Â
If you are out and about with your newborn, here are some tips for avoiding overstimulation:
How to get an overtired baby to sleepÂ
Getting your baby to sleep before they become overtired is like giving candy to a toddlerâŠeffortless! But getting an overtired newborn to sleep is like taking candy away from a toddler. May the force be with you!Â
Â
Once you have an overtired baby, thereâs really only two courses of action here.Â
- Pull out all the stopsÂ
- Donât let it happen againÂ
Pull out all the stops:Â
This is where youâre going to want to implement my Six Sâs. And stat. My Six Sâs are calming tricks that work to get your overtired and fussy baby to sleep. (Note that these calming tricks are also great for any time you have a fussy or cranky baby, not just an overtired baby).Â
The Six Sâs:Â
SwaddleÂ
If your baby is still young and not yet rolling, a swaddle will help them feel calm and relaxed, which will help put them to sleep. Even if your baby protests it at first, I recommend sticking with it and adding on the other Sâs before throwing in the towel. Here are some more tips on using a swaddle with your newborn:Â
ShushingÂ
Babies find a good loud whooshing sound distracting and calming. Once they stop crying, you can use a quieter whooshing sound.Â
Side PositionÂ
Hold your baby snug to your body to avoid Moro reflex.Â
SuckÂ
Offer your baby a pacifier and remember that sometimes babies need some support to use a pacifier. If your baby is having difficulty “liking” the pacifier, you may find this Instagram reel helpful!Â
Swing
Babies love motion! You can gently jiggle baby against the side of your body.  Â
StrokeÂ
The eyebrow stroke is my magic bullet! It’s soothing and encourages baby to close their eyes. Start at their forehead and run your fingers down the length of their nose, or stroke side to side across their eyebrows.Â
If you are a visual learner, check out my eyebrow stroke in action!
Once you are doing all six of the Sâs, your overtired baby should drift off. Make sure that when you are transferring them to their crib or bassinet, you use this trick so they donât wake back up!Â
Donât let it happen again:Â
When I mean is to say, try not to stress – finding yourself with an overtired baby that is fighting sleep happens to everyone. The best thing you can do is to learn from this experience. Whatever the wake window was, shorten it for next time. In hindsight, were there any sleepy cues you mighty have missed? Was the wake window too stimulating? Bottom line is, it happens, even when you are trying your best to avoid it, and thatâs ok- itâs not the end of the world. I promise!Â
Recap of an Overtired Baby & What to DoÂ
If you have found yourself with an overtired baby who is fighting sleep, remember to pull out my Six Sâs, and that they will eventually fall asleep, and you are now equipped to prevent overtiredness for ALL future sleep endeavors. Ok, maybe it won’t be that simple and easy, but if you know the sleepy cues to watch for, and have a good idea of what your babyâs optimal wake windows are, you will likely be able to prevent a whole lot of future overtiredness.Â
If you are finding that your baby is not going to sleep effortlessly more often than not, I highly recommend grabbing an individual consultation with one of our amazing sleep consultants! They can help you tweak your schedule and offer tips and tricks that make sense for YOUR baby. Every baby can get great sleep, and putting your baby to sleep CAN be effortless!Â
Plus, if you want more helpful tips be sure to download the FREE (yes, really) Newborn Sleep Guide here!
0 Comments