An overly tired baby will cry hard from the beginning of nap and then fall asleep, but in the end take a short nap. Some overly tired babies will crash and fall asleep immediately, but wake up crying after a short nap. A baby who isn't tired enough will play in the crib for a while before getting upset.
Try laying your baby down at the same exact time for naps each day. Consistency over a couple of days is usually enough to reset your baby's clock and get back on track after a major or minor sleep debt.
The hardest part of identifying if your baby is undertired — not quite tired enough to go down for a nap — is that its signs can mimic being overtired. You try to settle them to sleep in what is normally a nap or nighttime sleep window, and they resist.
Tips for Settling an Undertired Baby
The 20-minute rule: If you cannot get your baby to sleep within 20-30 minutes, stop the whole process. It will just stress you out. You can try again in 15-20 minutes. Create a sleep-inducing environment: The right environment will help your baby settle more easily to sleep.
An undertired baby generally looks like this: crying while you try to settle them to sleep. resisting settling. napping for short periods/catnapping.
They may finally fall asleep, but chances are they will only take a short nap and then continue the cycle for the rest of the day. It's always ok to assist your overtired baby with falling asleep. Once they're well rested, you can get back on track with your sleep goals.
One of the biggest, most obvious signs of understimulation in children is that they have a lack of interest in whatever is happening. This can even include things that used to excite them or engage them but no longer do. This can leave parents frustrated with finding ways to engage with their children.
They include eye rubbing, crankiness, ear or hair pulling, yawning and so on, and respond promptly by getting baby in for a nap or for bedtime at the first sign that she's tired. Follow a consistent bedtime routine every night. This helps baby transition from awake time to sleep time.
Even a small catnap to reset can help – the amount of time doesn't really matter. Don't put them in their bassinet or crib for this catnap. Instead, try a contact nap. Overtired babies are usually clingy, so letting your little one sleep in your arms or putting them in a baby wrap carrier can help soothe them.
It Affects Sleep Cycles
Some kids might be able to sleep through the night even though they're overtired. But typically what I see, then, is that they end up waking early. The reason for this is because any extra cortisol in their system will compound early in the morning.
When your overtired baby finally does fall asleep, he or she may wake frequently, wake up screaming, and/or wake up early. A vicious cycle is created: as an overtired baby gets less quality sleep, they become more tired, exacerbating the problem.
Pediatricians and experienced parents have noted these signs of “over-tiredness” in the very young: A noted lack of interest in people and the environment. A tendency to look away from stimulating things. Hand-to-face gestures: Pulling ears, rubbing eyes.
An overtired cry will sound higher pitched and more nasally than other cries. Prevention is the key here - make sure your baby is being put to bed awake, but drowsy. Keep an eye on your baby's unique sleep cues to know when they're getting sleepy.
Although newborns generally sleep 16-18 hours each day, unusual sleepiness may be an indication that your baby is underfed. If you're having trouble waking your baby to eat or keeping your baby awake at the breast, try applying a cool, damp cloth to your baby's forehead and face.
Understimulation is when there is not enough sensory input or feelings, so the person may stim their own stimulation of their senses. Overstimulation is where there are too many sensory inputs, and the person may stim to control the overwhelmed feeling they have.
Some signs that you might be understimulated include: Lack of motivation. Physical hyperactivity. A sense of unease, making you feel "flat" or irritable.
If you're having trouble figuring out how to get an overtired baby to sleep, try the 5 S's: Swaddle, Side (or stomach) Position, Shush, Swing, and Suck.
Bath, Bottle, Bed
Try the “three-Bs” method to soothe your overtired baby. Start by giving your baby a quiet, warm bath. The warm water and gentle massage in the tub will soothe muscles that have tensed by fussing. Generally this will start to calm your baby's crying and prepare her for sleep.
Is it starting to take longer for your baby to settle down for their naps? These are signs that your baby is craving more awake time. Other signs include your baby waking up earlier in the morning and more often at night. You should also consider your baby's age when navigating wake windows and naps.
Most often, temporary things like illness, teething, developmental milestones or changes in routine cause baby sleep issues — so the occasional sleep snafu likely isn't anything to worry about.
Sometimes a bad night's sleep is just that. Your child wakes up feeling grumpy and needs an early night to make up for it. However, if the problem persists or keeps coming back too often, it can be a good idea to talk to a doctor. There may be an underlying cause that needs to be identified and treated.