Can babies be overtired?

Can babies be overtired?

We all know that sleep is an essential biological need, affecting brain development, the immune system, and more. As long as parents provide suitable conditions for sleep (which might be a pair of arms, a sling, or any flat surface, even in bright daylight) and aren't actively hindering their child's sleep, babies are naturally primed to fall asleep when they need to.

Instead of making parents feel guilty about their baby not getting the "right" amount of sleep, I prefer to support parents to understand what's happening when babies cry before sleeping or when toddlers "flip their lid" in the evening.

So if your baby is waking up a lot at night or having short naps during the day, please rest assured that this is unlikely to have any consequences in their development. Their bodies are infinitely wise and they will make sure they go into deeper, more restorative sleep when they need it.

Babies and children who cry before sleep are not fighting sleep nor needing our help to go to sleep. Rather, tiredness is helping them express their feelings and release tension from the day, so they can fall asleep feeling more relaxed.

Does the idea of feeling "tired but wired" resonate with you? Well, babies feel "wired" too and when they cry or act agitated before sleep, this is their innate wisdom at work, guiding them towards a restful sleep. Unfortunately, in our culture we are mostly taught to work against this innate relaxation mechanism - so we stop them from crying, we feed them, rock them, bounce them or distract them… which results in more night wakings and taking longer to go to sleep.

If you are curious about a sleep approach that respects our biological needs and ensures everyone gets restful sleep, tune in to episode 184 of The Aware Parenting Podcast, or listen to the sleep series (episodes 178-188).

And if you need further guidance along the way, why not book a Discovery call for a free 20-min chat?