Understanding Baby Sleep Cues for Better Sleep

As parents, few things are as precious as the sight of our little ones drifting off into a peaceful slumber. Yet, the journey to achieving those moments can often be filled with uncertainty and frustration, especially when it comes to understanding your baby’s sleep patterns. However, within their subtle cues lies the insight that can transform the way we approach both naps and bedtimes.

The Language of Sleep:

Babies have their own unique language when it comes to letting you know it’s time for sleep. These cues can range from subtle to unmistakable, and learning to interpret them will help to develop healthy sleep habits.
Common baby sleep cues:
  • Eye Rubbing: As fatigue sets in, babies often rub their eyes as a way to soothe themselves and prepare for sleep.
  • Yawning: A classic sign of drowsiness, frequent yawning signals that bedtime is approaching.
  • Irritability and fussiness: pulling at ears, and clenching fists can indicate that your baby is tired and in need of rest.
  • Becoming quiet and still: A decrease in movement or engagement with surroundings suggests that your baby is winding down and getting ready for sleep.
  • Ignoring interaction and losing interest in toys and people can suggest your baby is feeling tired.
  • A Glazed Expression: Staring into space or glazed-over look in your baby’s eyes can indicate fatigue and the onset of sleepiness.
baby sleep cues

Why do sleep cues matter?

  • Recognising and responding to your baby’s sleep cues is not just about ensuring a smoother bedtime routine; it’s also about meeting your baby’s need for rest and comfort.
  • Tuning into your baby’s cues will help you establish a sleeping pattern for your baby that aligns with their unique natural rhythms, promoting better sleep quality and duration.
  • Responding to your baby’s sleep cues also helps to prevent them from becoming overtired and fractious.
  • A well-rested baby can engage with the world around them, supporting healthy growth and development.
  • If you can respond to your baby’s early sleep cue signals, they will be more relaxed and find it easier to fall asleep.
baby sleep cues

To understand your baby’s sleep cues, here are some tips:

  • Observe your baby’s behaviour: Try looking for subtle changes in your baby’s behaviour and mood throughout the day. Over time you may start to see patterns and consistent cues that signal tiredness or drowsiness.
  • Learn your baby’s unique language: Every baby has their own specific cues for sleep, so try to find some time to understand and interpret your baby’s signals such as eye rubbing, yawning, becoming quiet and still, or a glazed expression.
  • Take note of timing: Try keeping track of the times when your baby typically shows signs of tiredness. This can help you anticipate their sleep needs and establish a routine around their natural rhythms.
  • Understanding your baby’s sleep cues can take time: Be kind to yourself as you observe and learn to recognise your baby’s signals for sleep. It’s a journey, and with time you and your baby will find a rhythm that works.
  Understanding and responding to your baby’s sleep cues can transform sleep times into a serene, bonding experience. By recognising their signals you can create a routine that matches their natural rhythms. This journey requires patience and observation, but it will help you establish regular sleep patterns. Be kind to yourself, and with time, you and your baby will find a rhythm that ensures more peaceful nights and well-rested days. Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.DipHV Founder of Millpond Children’s Sleep ClinicHere are some helpful suggestions for understanding your baby’s sleep cues:    

Discover Why Your Baby’s Wide Awake At Night

Why Your Baby Stays Awake for Long Periods at Night: Causes and Solutions

As a parent, you may be wondering why your baby is awake for long periods during the night. While every baby is unique, several common factors might contribute to their extended wakefulness. Understanding these factors can help you better manage your baby’s sleep patterns and ensure that both you and your little one get the rest you need.

baby awake in the night

Developmental Milestones:

As babies grow, they often reach developmental milestones that can temporarily disrupt their sleep. Learning new skills like sitting, crawling, or standing can cause them to wake up and want to practice these new abilities.

Sleep Onset Associations:

When a baby is used to specific conditions or methods to fall asleep, such as being rocked or held, they may need the same conditions to fall back asleep when they wake at the end of a sleep cycle. Without these familiar sleep associations, they might wake up fully and need assistance to return to sleep. As morning approaches, the reduced levels of sleep hormones like melatonin and adenosine make it harder for babies to fall back asleep, potentially keeping them awake for extended periods, sometimes even hours.

Hunger or Thirst:

Babies, especially younger ones, might wake up because they are hungry or thirsty. Nighttime feedings are common in infants under a year, but hunger can still occasionally wake older babies and toddlers too.

Overtired and Awake:

An overtired baby often struggles to settle down for sleep. They might become dysregulated, fussy, irritable, and harder to soothe. This restlessness can prolong the time it takes for them to fall asleep initially and may lead to more frequent awakenings throughout the night.

Discomfort or Illness:

Discomfort from teething, nappy rash, illness, or other physical discomforts can keep a baby awake for extended periods. Conditions like ear infections, colds, or reflux can disrupt their sleep.

Daytime Sleep Patterns:

Having too much daytime sleep can affect nighttime sleep. All babies have different sleep needs; the key is to get the right balance for your baby between daytime naps and nighttime sleep.  If your baby is awake for long periods in the night and is happily awake, wanting to play, they may be having too much sleep in the day.

Nighttime -how much sleep should my baby have at night:

Everyone has different sleep needs, and some of us are genetically determined to need less sleep than others. Understanding your baby’s unique sleep needs can help address and reduce those long periods of wakefulness during the night.

Hoping that your baby or young child will sleep for 12 hours overnight is usually unrealistic; the average overnight sleep needs for this age group are 10 to 11 hours, with or without a feed.

My baby is content happily awake in the night and doesn’t seem tired:

If your baby is awake and content and happily “chatting” or playing, they may be spending too long in bed and as a consequence have developed a “split night,”. This is called low sleep efficiency.

Sleep efficiency measures how much time is spent asleep compared to the total time in bed.

  • High sleep efficiency means most of the time in bed is spent sleeping, which indicates good sleep quality.
  • Low sleep efficiency suggests frequent awakenings or difficulty staying asleep.

To calculate sleep efficiency, compare the total time your baby is in bed to the time they are asleep. For example, if your baby is in bed for 12 hours but only sleeps for 10, they have low sleep efficiency.

To improve sleep efficiency and reduce nighttime wakefulness, adjust your baby’s schedule so that the time they spend in bed matches their actual sleep needs, such as 10 hours.

baby awake in the night

To help manage and reduce extended wakefulness at night:

  • Establish a consistent bedtime routine: A predictable sequence of calming activities can signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep.
  • Have a regular wake time in the morning for your baby.
  • Consider how much sleep is appropriate for your baby overnight.
  • Monitor and adjust daytime sleep: Ensure your baby has an appropriate balance of naps during the day to avoid too much daytime sleep impacting their night.
  • Create a conducive sleep environment: Ensure your baby’s room is dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature.
  • Encourage self-soothing: Gradually ease your baby towards settling to sleep without help from you at bedtime.
  • Check for discomfort or illness: Address any physical issues that might be causing discomfort and disrupting sleep. You may need to discuss this with your health professional.

 

If the persistent sleep issues continue, we’d love to be able to offer you some guidance. Please get in touch and we’ll discuss how we can help.

 

Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.DipHV.

How Developmental Stages Affect Baby and Child Sleep

Human sleep undergoes continuous change from the pre-born baby through to adulthood, with the most rapid changes occurring in the first 6 months of life. 

As your baby and child grow, their sleep patterns evolve rapidly, especially during their first year. Just when you think you’ve got their sleep figured out, new developmental milestones can come into play, sometimes causing what’s commonly referred to as s ‘sleep regression’.

In this blog, we’ll explore how these developmental stages—from early motor skills to language development and more—can have an impact on your baby and child’s sleep. Understanding these changes can help you better navigate and adapt to your child’s evolving sleep needs, ensuring both you and your little one get the rest you need.

 

help baby's sleep

Your Babies Sleep: Age 6 to 12 months

  • Nighttime Sleep:

By now, your baby will have the majority of their sleep at night, although it is still common for them to wake occasionally. Non-REM sleep dominates early in the night, promoting deep restorative sleep. By the middle of the night, REM sleep becomes more prominent, which is important for cognitive development and memory consolidation. REM sleep accounts for about 30% of the total sleep time at this age.

The average amount of nighttime sleep for most babies at this age is 10 to 11 hours with or without waking for feeds. This extended nighttime sleep is supported by the gradual reduction of daytime sleep and the development of longer periods of wakefulness during the day.

  • Sleep Cycles:

Your baby’s sleep cycle at this stage is roughly 90 minutes long at night. This cycle includes both deep non-REM sleep, which helps with physical restoration, and lighter REM sleep, which supports brain development and dreaming. As they transition through these cycles, your baby may stir or wake briefly.

  • Naps:

Around 6 months of age, your baby will typically take three distinct naps throughout the day. These naps help them manage their increasing wakefulness during the day. By 9 months, your baby’s capacity to stay awake between naps improves significantly. As a result, they often drop their late afternoon nap, consolidating their daytime sleep into two main naps.

  • Separation Anxiety:

Around the age of 7 months, many babies begin to experience separation anxiety, which can lead to noticeable sleep disruptions. This developmental phase is marked by your baby’s growing awareness of their attachment to you and an increased sensitivity to your absence.

During this time, your baby may become distressed when you leave the room or when it’s time for bed. They might cry, reach out, or resist being put down in their crib, reflecting their newfound understanding that you might not be immediately available. This separation anxiety is a sign of a secure attachment, indicating that your baby has formed a strong bond with you and is developing emotional depth.

  • Physical Development:

As your baby develops new motor skills such as sitting, crawling, and cruising, you may notice disruptions in their sleep patterns. This phase of physical growth is marked by increased exploration and practice of these newly acquired skills, which can extend into their sleep environment.

When your baby is learning to sit up or crawl, they might practice these movements even while in their cot, leading to frequent awakenings or restlessness during the night. 

  • Language Development:

As your baby begins to speak their first words, you might notice an increase in sleep disturbances. This period of language development is marked by a busy, active mind that’s processing and trying out new skills.

Your baby’s growing ability to recognise and use words can lead to heightened mental activity, even during sleep. They might wake up more frequently as their brain processes new vocabulary, phrases, and concepts learned throughout the day. Additionally, they may experiment with sounds or practice speaking just as you’re trying to calm them ready for sleep.

  • Teething:

Teething can be a challenging period for both you and your baby, often leading to discomfort that can disrupt their sleep. As new teeth push through the gums, your baby may experience soreness and overall discomfort, which can result in more frequent night awakenings. 

During this potentially long and difficult time, it’s best to respond to your baby’s needs. You can help soothe their discomfort by offering teething toys that are chilled or gently massaging their gums with a clean finger. Additionally, using a mild pain reliever, as recommended by your paediatrician, can provide relief. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and offering extra comfort during night wakings can also help your baby feel more secure and ease their teething troubles.

 

help toddlers sleep

Your Toddler’s Sleep: Age 1 to 2 Years 

Between 12 and 15 months, most toddlers transition to a single daytime nap, typically taken after lunch. To help prevent overtiredness and make bedtime smoother, consider moving bedtime earlier.

At this stage, your toddler might develop minor fears, such as of animals or loud noises, which can disrupt bedtime. They may also form a strong attachment to one parent, experience tantrums when frustrated, and show increased separation anxiety, especially around 18 months.

As your toddler’s understanding of simple commands and language grows, they may begin walking and climbing, fostering newfound independence that can lead to bedtime challenges.

They will enjoy listening to stories and might start testing boundaries for more.

help my child sleep

Your Child’s Sleep: Ages 2 to 5 Years

During this stage, your child may start experiencing nightmares and developing fears, such as a fear of the dark. They might ask for a nightlight or request that the door be left open at bedtime. Their anxiety about being alone in a room can make settling down more challenging.

The transition from a cot to a bed can introduce a sense of freedom for your child, which may lead to resistance at bedtime or an increase in night wakings.

By age 3, your child’s sleep will typically consolidate into a single nighttime sleep as daytime naps reduce and often stop by this age.

Many children also begin to stay dry at night and may move out of nappies. This new awareness of their need to use the toilet can occasionally disrupt their sleep.

Increased independence at this age might result in resistance to bedtime routines, such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, or going to bed.

Additionally, starting nursery or school introduces significant changes that can unsettle your child and affect their sleep.

From age 3, children can usually wait for short periods at bedtime and start to understand the concept of rewards, which can be used to encourage positive behaviour changes.

By age 5, children are typically able to articulate their fears, worries, and frustrations more effectively.

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