Do babies really get overtired?

This is part 2 of the “why do babies fight sleep” blog because the most common reason is usually timing/overtiredness– and for good reason! In this blog, you’ll learn all about the (very real) phenomenon of overtiredness and what you can do about it.

We’ll cover:

• what are signs of an overtired baby

• is baby overtired or gassy

• can overtired baby self soothe

• what to do with a overtired baby

• can overtired babies catch up on sleep

• do overtired babies sleep less

• do overtired babies wake early

• how to break overtired baby cycle

• how to put overtired baby to sleep

What are signs of an overtired baby?

Here’s the hard part– undertired and overtired look a lot alike. 

Usually, they’ll fight sleep more, take short naps and wake really grumpy, more night time wakings that are VERY unhappy, crying out in their sleep, cranky during wake times.. All point to overtiredness typically.

Sometimes just figuring out their sleep needs will help you figure out if they’re under or overtired. You can view the determining sleep needs blog here and also start logging sleep here to get a handle on what your child specifically is doing with sleep.

Track a week or so of your baby’s sleep. Note the time they’re actually falling asleep for naps and bedtime, how long each nap is, and what time they wake in the morning. This should give you a good idea of their “average” total hours per 24.

Then, if your baby is getting what’s on the lower end of average you can safely assume they could be overtired. If they’re on the high end of average total sleep, you might assume they are actually under tired and need their wake windows to be a bit longer, or for a nap to be capped.

Signs of Overtiredness Include:

• hyperactivity or hysteria

• body stiffening

• pushing off of you/ away

• back arching

• squirming

• irritability

• high-pitched crying

• frequent yawning

• little interest in eating

• being more emotional/ crying more than usual

• collapse or total overwhelm

• clumsiness

When babies are overtired, they’ll likely have a difficult time falling asleep and staying asleep. This is the main reason parents are so afraid of it happening! 

is baby overtired or gassy

This is a great question because the fussiness can give you mixed signals– my best advice is by process of elimination!

For overtiredness- do you have a reason to believe they’re overtired? Were you out all day and missed a nap? Are they way over their awake time before bed? Then you can probably say it’s overtiredness.

Have they been fussy off and on all day? Acting like they’re uncomfortable? Take them into a calm, relaxing environment and try some belly massage to see if you get any gas out.

The hardest part of parenting is remaining calm when they’re cranky. It’s important to take a deep breath and try to look at the puzzle from a logical standpoint! You probably know what it is and what to do if you just take a step back and think about it.

can overtired baby self soothe

My number one recommendation for all things baby sleep is to be curious about what your baby can do and never just assume they can’t without seeing for sure that they’re struggling or really can’t.

It may be more difficult for them to fall asleep and they may need more support when they’re overtired. 

OR– the extra support can make them more cranky/overstimulated and delay them from falling asleep causing even more overtiredness.

Again, be curious. You won’t know if you don’t give them the space to try!

Read more about self-soothing in this blog.

what to do with a overtired baby

If you’ve got an overtired baby on your hands (or have ever had one) then you probably know how miserable it can be. 

My best advice is to:

• Wear ear plugs (Loop Ear Plugs are my fave and ASHLEY15 will save you 15%)

• Get outside and go for a walk (baby wearing can be helpful)

• Set baby down and take 10 deep breaths outside while grounding yourself

• Avoid the car if you’ve got a car seat hater (overtiredness makes that way worse)

• Call in reinforcements

• Do whatever it takes to help them sleep and make up the sleep debt– get back to other habits when they’re better rested

• GIVE THEM (AND YOU) GRACE!

can overtired babies catch up on sleep

They can! It can take a few days to recover depending on how overtired/how much sleep they’ve lost. But it’s not a lost cause and you’re not doomed to poor sleep forever. That’s why we always say it’s worth skipping a nap or staying out late for something like family plans. 

Because it won’t ruin their sleep forever and sometimes when you weigh the pros and cons, it’s worth the sleep loss in favor of memories.

This blog goes into details on managing sleep on the go.

do overtired babies sleep less

Babies can struggle with overtiredness for sure– some temperaments are more sensitive to it than others! 

This happens because when babies are overtired or sleep deprived, the sleep latency (time it takes to fall asleep) decreases so babies go through sleep stages too quickly, and then they struggle with transitioning between sleep cycles for the rest of the night. Sleep deprivation increases the sleep pressure, meaning it might be easier to fall asleep (or at least quicker) but the sleep architecture itself is altered, with less total NREM sleep.

So many parents are scared of getting their babies overtired.  While it’s true that chronically overtired babies might have a hard time getting the sleep they need, some babies simply need less sleep than we think they do, especially those that are highly sensitive.

do overtired babies wake early

This can be a sign of overtiredness for a lot of babies– though it’s not the only sign and an early waking doesn’t always mean it’s overtiredness. Clear as mud?

It is something to rule out- I would rather have an undertired child than an overtired child so you can try pulling back on some wake times (espeically the one before bed) by 15-30 minutes and see if that results in better overnight sleep.

This blog goes into more details about early wakings for babies.

how to break overtired baby cycle

So how do you break the cycle of overtiredness and start to pay back that “sleep debt?” Unfortunately, overtiredness can build throughout the day and can set into motion a vicious cycle of early bedtimes and early wakings. 

This then sets off the natural daily rhythm of cortisol release and can cause a habit of early rising- which no one wants!

• Learn your baby’s earlier sleepy cues like gaze aversion, loss of interest in play, glazed over look, going quiet, or reddening eyebrows.

• Protect the first nap. If you can give your baby a predictable wake up time and first nap time, it can really help with overtiredness for the whole day!

• Be sure your baby gets adequate wind-down time before naps and has wake windows that aren’t too much for them. You could try tracking a few days to see if you notice any patterns- this can help you find the sweet spot. Don’t pay too much attention to wake window “averages” because every baby is unique! Aim for a sleep latency of 15-20 minutes (time it takes baby to fall asleep). This is a good clue you’ve timed it well.

• Establish simple, calming routines. Things like the bath, songs, books, etc. are great for many- but find what works for your baby. What calms you? What calms them? Remember that baby is so in sync with our emotions and arousal level. If we’re stressed and rushing the routine, they’ll struggle to fall asleep big time!

• Always calm yourself first. Overtiredness can happen, and your baby might fight sleep a bit more than usual. This can be really frustrating! Go into the routine with a mantra or another trick or coping strategy to keep yourself grounded. This will really make all the difference!

how to put overtired baby to sleep

Know that overtired babies may need more support falling asleep. This means rocking, bouncing, feeding, walking forever or driving around. This isn’t unusual- the extra cortisol makes it harder to unwind, they get frustrated because they can’t relax, and we have to pull out all the stops to make it happen.

Allow sleep wherever and however it works best. Contact nap? Car ride? Babywearing on a walk? Do whatever you need to do (and whatever is possible for you to do) to get your baby the rest they need. Once they’re “caught up” and out of the woods of overtiredness, you can nudge toward sleeping in a crib UNLESS they sleep better without all the bells and whistles. Whatever it is, DO IT! Don’t feel guilt for it. 

If you’re struggling with this piece of the puzzle and can’t even imagine starting something new like sleep training, you can apply to work with me here to get started on the road to better sleep!