What Are Sleepy Cues and How Do I Use Them?

The best way to know if your baby is tired is to use sleepy cues. They can be tricky to spot at first but with practice, you’ll get better and better at them. Here are some examples. Not all babies have all of these cues, but all babies will have some of them.

And they start from the earliest newborn days so it's never too soon to start looking for them. They include: 

• Less eye contact from baby.
• Less smiling. 
• More staring off into the distance versus engaging with people or toys.
• Red eyebrows or red eyes (my kids have never had these but clients have mentioned seeing them in their own kids).
• Snuggling her head into your neck (after she has gained at least some head control).
• Eye rubbing. 
• “Fuzzy eyes” – I don’t know how to describe this except to say that Valentina’s eyes look different when she’s tired. 
• Yawning. This is a powerful one. Once you see this, leap into action!

Fussiness is a sign of overtiredness. Do not wait for fussing to put your baby to bed because once she’s overtired, it’s a LOT harder for her to fall asleep.

Caveat: chronically overtired babies often don’t show sleepy cues. If that’s the case with your little one, go by wake windows. I’ll be explaining them in tomorrow’s post. 

Sleepy cues also work for older kids!

In toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond, yawns may be followed by a burst of energy, called the “second wind.” If your child starts to bounce off the walls before bedtime each night, he doesn’t need more exercise, he needs an earlier bedtime.

The goal is always to get your child while they are still calm and collected, just a little quiet and dazed. 

Even adults have sleepy cues. If you find yourself yawning, get yourself to bed stat, dirty dishes be damned. Missing that magic window, just like with children, makes falling asleep much more difficult. 

PS If you’d like help deciphering your baby’s sleepy cues, or you’re worried your baby doesn’t have them, schedule a free consultation and get your family’s sleep on track in two weeks or less, guaranteed. 

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