Recognizing your baby’s tired signs - 10 sure fire signs that your baby is ready for sleep.

When I first thought of compiling my baby survival guide, I knew a list of tired signs had to be included. Recognizing tired signs in your baby can be very difficult at first, especially if you don’t know what you should be looking for. It took me a few months to realize that some of the strange behaviors my baby was exhibiting, actually meant he was ready for sleep. These ten were the signs that I found the most reliable for recognizing that my baby was ready for sleep.

Tired sign #1 - Yawning

I know it sound obvious, but you’re often busy doing things and you may miss this one.

Tired sign #2 - Pulling ears

This was often the most obvious tired sign for my baby. I could always tell (and still can) when my baby was ready for sleep as soon as he started pulling his ears.

Tired sign #3 - Red eyebrows

Particularly noticeable in younger babies. My little one always had red eyebrows and I never knew what I meant until I asked my child health nurse. As they get older (over 6 months) this sign becomes less noticeable.

Tired sign #4 - Jerky movements

This one is also particularly noticeable in younger babies as they have less control over their bodies. Once again, as they get older this tired sign becomes less noticeable.

Tired sign #5 - Clingy – Wanting to be held

You know your little one is ready for sleep when he wants to be held constantly and screams if you try to put him down.

Tired sign #6 - Constant crying or screaming

When this happens, you can often assume your little one is sick. However, before reaching for your thermometer just try settling them in their bed and see if they will go to sleep. Often they are just so over tired they can’t control their little emotions anymore and begin to cry uncontrollably. Often they can be completely inconsolable.

Tired sign #7 - Grizzling

Your baby may not be crying or screaming as above, but might still be very grizzly or whiney.

Tired sign #8 - Watery Eyes

This is another obvious one, as this is present even with adults and often accompanies excessive yawning. I know even when I am tired this happens to me.

Tired sign #9 - Red rimmed eyes

Enough said – you all know what this one looks like

Tired sign #10 - Arched back

Babies do this quite a lot when they are newborns, so at first, I thought my little one was in pain. But after a while, I finally realized that he did this when was tired. Even though this was the case with my baby, if you think your baby is in pain, you should always get her/him examined by a doctor just in case.

Ok… I’ve seen a tired sign, what now?

Once you start to see tired signs, it is important to try and get your baby to bed as soon as possible. You actually only have a short window of time to get your baby to bed before they become over tired ( which can make settling them much harder) and the younger your baby is, the shorter the window of time. For young babies, it can be as short as 5 – 10 minutes. From 6 months on you can get away with leaving it for a little longer.

I really hope these baby survival guide tips help you recognize the tired signs in your little one. I know just how difficult it is to get a baby to sleep and catching them before they get overtired can save you a lot of frustration. Happy sleeping.

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