How to Help an Overtired Baby Sleep

Overtired babies. Is there anything more exhausting or difficult to deal with? When a baby is overtired, it can seem like an impossible feat to get it to sleep. When your baby’s head begins to slide, its eyes start to droop and it starts to lose interest and withdraws from your interactions you know it’s too late. The battle has begun. From this point on, sleepy-time is game on. 

A worn-out baby gets an adrenaline rush that flows through its body. This response to stress pushes your little bundle of joy to conflict with itself between being too tired to sleep and just wanting to get some shut eye. This cycle can be problematic but not hopeless.

Signs your baby is overtired 

There are things to look out for before reaching this endless sleepy-awake loop. While your baby may be small, it does know how to communicate. Pay attention to yawning, when yawning becomes more apparent it’s a way for your baby’s brain to tell you that it is drained. A few other things you might notice would be whimpering for no reason, extreme clinginess and non-stop face and ear touching and tugging. This is the point of no return for an easy night’s sleep but there are ways to help your infant doze off without struggling too much. A regular sleep schedule and routine will make bedtime more manageable.  

Tips to help relax your baby

Depending on its age, your baby or toddler needs between 9 and 17 hours of sleep a day. This is usually broken down into little catnaps during the day and more lengthy periods at night. There are a few foolproof ways to help your overtired baby sleep and some of these tips will probably work on you too. Holding your baby close so it can hear your heartbeat while being swaddled up nice and tight is a great way to comfort your little darling into slumber, if you have a rocking chair, that's even better. The pacifier is a personal choice. Some parents refuse to use it while others swear by it. We personally love a frozen fruit teether to help ease swollen gums and teething pain. Before you know it, this cocoon of peace will relax your child. A dimmed or dark room will help you conquer the overstimulation. Another personal choice and preference determined by your baby is lullabies and lights.

If your baby enjoys sounds before bed the lullabies from a baby monitor like Daily Baby will be one of the best tools from your parenting belt of tricks. With an auto dimming light to avoid distractions in the dark and the crystal clear 4.3” screen to watch every moment of slumber you will have peace of mind knowing that your cranky little baby is finally getting some much-deserved rest. The Daily Baby monitor and camera set has preloaded nature sounds and lullabies to make any surrounding serene. You can also record your own personalized songs with the ChillaxCare app. Better yet, make use of the gooseneck camera on the Giraffe series to really get a full view of your nursery.

Lullabies are a great trick to help with sleep

Studies show that playing lullabies before bed each night help with cognitive development, help stimulate language, strengthen emotional bonds and are one of the greatest ways to lull your baby to sleep. Even overtired ones. When a baby hears a lullaby the soft, rhythmic sounds make them feel safe and bring on a sense of calmness. Did you know that lullabies also work on adults? You are never too old for them. If they are playing for your baby, why not listen to them yourself to distract your mind from all the chores you need to do, appointments that haven’t been scheduled and the well-deserved date night you should have planned 2 weeks ago. Lullabies are great at soothing stress and anxiety and help improve sleep quality for all ages.

The best way to help with an overtired baby is to first notice the signs. Once you are able to read your baby you can try to avoid going too far with the restlessness. From here, what’s important is to create a routine that works for you. It might be a bath, cuddle time, a book and then a few lullabies. When a routine works, stick to it and ask people around you who are caring for your baby to do the same. This will drastically change your babies’ sleeping habits and make everything easier. Baby will get the rest it deserves and you will too. Don’t give up, figure out what works for you and soon you will be able to break free from the angry baby sleepy time loop.