Next up on the blog are Slumber & Sprouts tips on understanding sleep cues. They’ve put together a handy table so that you can work out the signs of when your baby or toddler is getting tired, when they are ready to sleep and the part that we all want to avoid – the overtired signs.
When it comes to easier settles, timing really is everything. And when we talk about timing a baby’s or toddlers sleep perfectly it means taking into consideration their age appropriate awake windows but also their sleep cues. When we use those two things in conjunction with each other we can avoid overtired little ones.
When timing is good most little ones will generally go to sleep easier and sleep better. An overtired baby or toddler though, with too much cortisol and adrenaline, can become too upset and/or fussy, making falling asleep and staying asleep hard for them – and we don’t want that.
There are 3 stages to sleep cues:
Stage 1: Baby or toddler is starting to get tired
Stage 2: Baby or toddler needs to go down to sleep
Stage 3: Baby or toddler has missed their ideal sleep window and is overtired
So what can you look for to know if your little one is sleep ready? Below are some signs that you might you see in each sleepy cue stage.
BABY SLEEP CUES
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Baby is starting to get tired |
Baby needs to go down to sleep |
Baby has missed their ideal sleep window and is overtired |
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Pink Eyebrows |
Starts rubbing eyes |
A very upset baby |
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Starts staring and zoning out |
Yawning |
Arching back |
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Loses interest in toys and people |
Getting a little fussy |
Difficult to settle & resisting sleep |
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Rubbing/pulling at the face/ears |
Clingy and needing more comfort than usual |
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Rigid |
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TODDLER SLEEP CUES
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Toddler is starting to get tired |
Toddler needs to go down to sleep |
Toddler has missed their ideal sleep window and is overtired |
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Seeking more attention |
Starts rubbing eyes |
Lots of crying or really hyper |
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Starts staring and zoning out |
Yawning |
Meltdowns and tantrums |
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Loses interest in toys and people |
Getting a little fussy |
Difficult to settle and resisting sleep |
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Grizzling/crying |
Demanding more comfort than usual |
We hope the sleepy cues help to get your little one off to sleep more easily. If you unsure about your little ones sleep needs or what their age appropriate awake windows might be, the team at Slumber & Sprout have a Scheduling Guide covering ages 1 month to 5 years. Grab it here
Baby & Toddler Sleep Cues