There are some physical signs or gestures that our babies make that can help you know when your baby is tired or sleepy. If we detect these signs in time, we can start the sleep routine before fatigue overwhelms them.
Early signs of sleepiness: "I'm starting to get tired":
- Close your eyes
- He has a distant look in his eyes, as if staring into infinity.
- She has red eyebrows.
- Turn your head
- He moves more slowly and is less energetic.
Intermediate sleep signals: "I need to sleep now":
- Yawn
- Touch your ears
- Rubbing their eyes
- He's starting to get a little irritable.
Late sleep signals: "I've gone too far":
If we miss these signs, our baby will surely become increasingly irritable and show us that they are overtired with the following late sleep signs:
- Cries and screams hysterically
- It is more irritable.
- No consolation
- He's overexcited.
- Arches their back or becomes stiff
- He has trouble falling asleep even though he shows signs of tiredness.
The key is to observe them in order to detect their gestures and thus establish a sleep pattern, and then anticipate putting them to bed about 10-15 minutes before they are tired.
Solution to overtiredness in babies
Over-tiredness can be temporary, when a baby has one or more bad nights or does not take naps, often because they are ill, because their routines change during the holidays, etc. Or it can be prolonged over-tiredness when they never rest well and we observe signs of over-tiredness every day.
To avoid prolonged overtiredness, your baby should sleep the number of hours required for their age to meet their sleep windows. If your baby is at the age where they take naps, it is essential that they do so, as this will prevent them from becoming overtired at night. It is not true that if they do not sleep during the day, they will accumulate tiredness for the night; this is not how it works. When they have been awake for the recommended amount of time for their age, pay attention to their gestures and if you notice any of the above signs, it's time to sleep!
