Reply To: Overtiredness and hyperactivity

[Emma H]

Hi Vivian,

This week started off a bit rough with all three kids sick, but thankfully, everyone’s back to their usual selves now, so things are looking up 😂

Hopefully, you’ve had a great week with your little one!

It sounds like he’s naturally spacing out his feedings during the day, which is fantastic.

Regarding your question about awake times – “awake times” means the period from when your baby wakes up from a nap until they fall asleep again. If they seem drowsy but aren’t fully asleep, that’s still counted as awake time.

I would try not to stress if his daytime naps seem shorter than what’s typical for his age. Each baby is unique in how much sleep they need. As long as he’s sleeping well at night and not constantly fussy or restless during the day, it’s likely he’s getting the right amount of sleep for him. If he seems content and happy while awake, then he’s probably just fine with the amount of daytime sleep he’s getting.

If you notice he’s starting to fight the last nap of the day and it’s been over 20 minutes, you have a few options. If bedtime isn’t too far off, you might skip the nap. Another option, if you use a baby carrier, is to go for a quick contact nap. Or, you could try for a nap again after a little break. However, if he does end up napping later, you might want to keep it short so he’s ready to sleep at bedtime.

Tired cues are often the same cues babies use to say they’re tired, bored or hungry. So it’s always better to combine your baby’s tired cues with wake windows and your baby’s general pattern to figure out when they really need sleep.

I hope this makes things a bit clearer!

Emma

• This reply was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by  Emma H.