Secrets of Good Sleepers

How do you know if your child is tired?

A tired baby may:

• Grizzle or whinge
• Pull at his ears
• Close his fists
• Have jerky arm and leg movements
• Yawn
• Have a worried look on his face
• Arch backwards
• Have difficulty focusing – go cross-eyed
• Suck on his fingers

A tired older baby may:

• Have any of the above signs of tiredness
• Be more clumsy
• Be more clingy
• Need or demand more attention
• Be fussy while feeding and eating

A tired child may:

• Have any of the above signs of tiredness
• Be more un-cooperative
• Become quickly frustrated
• Have more frequent temper tantrums
• Have increased activity

Day Time Sleeps

It is important to know that cutting out your child’s day time sleep will not help them sleep better at night. Doing this may actually make your child more overtired and difficult to settle at night.

Is my child bored or tired?

Sometimes you may think your child is just bored and when you give him something to do the crying stops and the signs of tiredness stop. Watch and see if the grizzly crying and tired signs start again in a few minutes.

Babies and small children are easily distracted from their feeling of tiredness and this is why they get overtired so quickly. Overtired babies and children are more difficult to get to sleep.

For more information refer to: "Secrets of Good Sleepers: a guide to sleep for families of children 0-5 years" Ngala 2010.  This is available for order online.

Download the Secrets of Good Sleepers Chart.

Controlled Crying

Controlled crying or controlled comforting is one way that is sometimes used to teach children not to cry at night. This stresses babies. It is advisable not to use any method that stresses or distresses babies and young children. Babies develop secure attachments by being responded to when they cry whether it is day time or night time.

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