Baby Sleepy Cues and how to read them

Decoding baby sleep can be simple once you recognize what is happening. If only our little babes were sent home with a user manual, wouldn’t we all be so much better off? Those first few weeks you are getting to know each other and figure out this new journey together, but one thing that won’t change is your baby’s ability to just let you know what they need when they need it. Knowing and understanding the signs they give you comes to play and once you know what these signs are saying, giving your baby what they need becomes so much easier. In this blog, I have highlighted what those sleepy cues really are and what to watch out for to help your baby from becoming overtired and entering you into the tailspin of short naps, early morning wakings, and overall poor sleep.

1. Yawning and Eye Rubbing:

1. • This one may seem obvious, but this sleepy cue is usually the last one they give. Once you see the yawn and the eye rub you are in the danger zone of over tired. This is your cue to get your little to their bed ASAP.

1. Fussiness and Irritability:

1. • This one can be the most confusing, because sometimes you don’t know if it is tired, hunger, uncomfortable, boredom etc. As parents our instinct is to think our babies are hungry and we try to feed them first. Tracking milk intake throughout the day and feed times, ensuring you are giving a full feed each time and avoid snacking throughout the day will make this cue an easier one to understand.

1. Decreased Activity and Slower Movements:

1. • Here is where we tend to miss these more subtle cues. As your baby slows down, you might notice them staring off and not as interested. This is one of the first cues your baby will give you.

1. Loss of Interest in Play:

1. • Babies love to explore and play, but when they’re tired, they lose interest in toys and activities. If your baby suddenly seems uninterested in their favorite toys or games, it could be a sign that they’re ready for a nap.

1. Hyperactive:

1. • Working with older babies, I hear quite often from parents that their baby just doesn’t seem tired, they are ready to play. This is actually your baby in overtired! They have passed that threshold. This is what we as adults call our second wind. When we are tired but need to keep going, our bodies send a signal to our brain that it isn’t bedtime yet. Your brain then helps you out by releasing cortisol and adrenaline to help you push through. This is exactly what is happening in our babies. They have passed the point of exhaustion and they have released the hormones to give them more energy to keep going. This is a lot of times the reason for those false starts, short naps, etc.

As you do this parenting thing you will have a better understanding what your baby is trying to tell you. Remember that your baby will not always give you all of these signals that they are ready for a snooze, each baby is different. They may show you other signals that aren’t listed above. But being aware and keeping a good schedule of awake windows will help keep you and your baby well rested!