When Your Baby Is Overtired... - Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Potty Training Coach

A lot of moms joke about how much coffee we have to drink in order to not feel like a total zombie all day long. It’s no joke how sleep deprived we are, even if our babies are sleeping through the night. A mom’s brain never turns off, it never goes to sleep- it just keeps going and going and going. A lack of sleep causes trouble concentrating and also is the source of mood changes. Raise your hand if you get cranky and irritable when you’re tired!

Now take all of this and apply it to your baby.

When your baby is overtired he becomes disinterested in what’s going on around him. He may look away from you if you’re trying to play peek-a-boo, he will be overstimulated and underrested. Older babies become more clumsy and more clingy. When your baby is overtired, it becomes more and more difficult to get him to sleep.

So what do you do when your baby is overtired? First things first, get him to calm down. Hold him, rock him, swaddle him, sing to him, etc. Bring your baby to a dim room and set the stage for relaxation. If you have an older baby, you may try to distract him with his favorite board book. If you have a toddler or preschooler, you can offer a quiet time or alone time to unwind- books, puzzles, favorite quiet time toys typically work.

How do you prevent your baby from getting overtired? Number 1 is to know your baby’s capable length of awake time. You may be surprised to hear that a newborn may only be able to handle being awake for 45 minutes to an hour before needing another nap. But your toddler can handle 4-5 hours before needing a nap. Isn’t it crazy how fast they grow and can be awake MUCH longer?! You also want to make sure that you’re feeding your baby at the appropriate times so that baby isn’t always waking up due to hunger (aside from overnight).

If you’re not sure how to get your baby on a schedule or what may be appropriate for your baby, contact me now and set up a free 15 minute consultation. We can discuss your options and if you want a personalized baby sleep plan, I’ll be there to support you for 1-2 weeks of unlimited texts/emails.

If you’d like to be a part of my baby sleep support group, click here!

Sweet Dreams!Missy Yandow