Sleep Training an Overtired Baby vs. Undertired Baby

After reading comments from various forums and dozen of blog articles about sleep training an overtired baby vs. undertired baby, do you find yourself more confused than before?

If yes, then you’re at the right place!

When it comes to sleep training overtired and under tired babies, the mantra you should live by is ‘sleep begets sleep’. This means that baby should not be exhausted if he has to fall asleep.

In fact, drifting off to dreamland becomes a piece of cake when the baby is neither overtired nor undertired.

Let’s get to the bottom of sleep training overtired and undertired babies, and look at some of the best tips.

Signs of an overtired and undertired baby

Sleepy-time cues of overtired babies

Before you begin sleep training an overtired baby or an under-tired baby, it’s imperative to know the group your little one belongs to. To determine the classification of your baby, you should look out for some subtle bodily signs.

If your baby is overtired, you will realize he has a difficult time settling down for sleep. Even if he falls asleep, it is mostly catnaps and the required full-blown slumbers.

This results in the baby being cranky, fussy, and more prone to meltdowns. You may also observe your little one drifting off to sleep at random times during the day in random places like on the chair while eating the meal.

Sleepy-time cues of undertired babies

When it comes to pinpointing the not-so-obvious signs of undertired baby, you will realize that most symptoms are very much like the ones in the former category. From crying to waking a lot at night, the signs are pretty much the same.

You can look out for signs like eye rubbing, crankiness, yawning, and even ear or hair-pulling to know that the baby is tired and ready to sleep. If you try to put your baby to bed too soon before seeing these sleepy-time cues, you will come to know that the baby is not tired.

No matter what you do, the baby will resist sleeping. And lack of adequate sleeping hours is significantly detrimental to the baby’s growth. Therefore, it is important to master the art of sleep training an overtired baby vs. undertired baby.

You can go through one of our posts to know more about what sleep training is.

Sleep training tips

The bedtime routine

As an adult, you must have noticed that if you are more tired, you fall asleep faster. You might have been thinking that overtired baby’s sleep routine works the same.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t! Instead, the baby finds it difficult to relax and seamlessly shift between different sleep cycles.

The primary key to sleep train both an overtired and undertired baby is to set a well-thought-of bedtime routine, so the baby enjoys good, consolidated night sleep.

While the bedtime routine shouldn’t be too stimulating for the overtired baby, for the undertired baby, it can be a tad bit stimulating to tire them out. However, keep in mind that it should be gently stimulating, like picking them up and putting him down.

The regimental pattern helps the baby to know that it is time to doze off and call it a day. From nursing and feeding to gently rocking and snuggling, having a routine signals the baby’s body to feel drowsy.

Also, remember to put your baby in the crib when he’s drowsy and not after he’s asleep in your arms.

While this may be a Herculean task for overtired as well as undertired babies, consistently incorporating it will start to show the positive transformation.

Pro Tip: Did you know that babies thrive on having a simple yet reliable pattern to the entire day and night?

Figure out the nap

You must crack the nap code if you are committed to sleep-training an overtired baby or undertired baby. Fostering good sleep habits starts from aiming to have your baby do at least one nap a day in his crib or bed.

The overtired babies are poor nappers, so when it’s bedtime, they are fatigued. This leads to sleep resistance attempts. In the case of the undertired babies, they have too much daytime sleep, and they fight going to sleep.

Therefore, scheduling their nap hours can help you unveil the fact if the baby is overtired or undertired. If the baby has poor nap quality, you can encourage more daytime naps by drawing the curtains and playing white noise.

You can browse through some of the best sound machines, so your baby enjoys a relaxing environment.

For the babies who nap too much, you can entertain them with some physical activities in the daytime to cut down on their nap time. This does not mean that you don’t let them nap as it is necessary for a baby’s healthy growth.

In both cases when babies are resisting sleep, you can swaddle your little one or even feed him until he is drowsy. You can also use additional calming techniques like using a mild humidifier to moisten the air to create a sleep-conducive ambiance.

No more eye contact

You may love gazing into those innocent eyes of your little one all day, all night. But, avoid maintaining those affectionate eye contacts when trying your best to put your overtired little one to sleep.

The reason for this is prolonged eye contact is very stimulating for babies. Your baby should be calm, relaxed, and under-stumulated to go to sleep.

Also, the tiniest bit of excitement in your voice and short gaze can hint your little one that it is time to play. Staying low-key by singing a soothing lullaby and speaking in hushed tones can help your overtired baby to doze off. This again has to be done regularly, so the baby gets into the routine and knows that it’s time to sleep.

The bottom line

Having a beautiful baby is undoubtedly a blissful experience. Raising the little one can be an equally fantastic journey if you are well-informed about the baby’s needs and understand them. And sleep is one of the important things a baby needs for his healthy growth. After all, sleep-deprivation is the last thing you would want for your little one.

Originally published at https://thesleepycub.us on June 11, 2020.