The good news is that when your baby is tired, he will show you this in many different ways. The not-so-good news is that it may take you some time and a lot of practice to learn how to understand the signals.
Watch for common sleepy signs
While your baby will present you with a very individualized language, there are many similarities among babies. Some signals, like losing interest in people or toys, yawning, or fussing are nearly universal sleep-indicators for newborns.
A baby cannot put himself to bed, nor can he understand his own sleep needs. Yet a baby who is encouraged to stay awake when his body is craving sleep is typically a very unhappy baby. Over time, this pattern develops into sleep deprivation, which creates more disjointed sleep and further complicates your baby’s developing sleep maturity. However, when you learn to read your baby’s sleepy signals and respond to them instantly your newborn will absolutely sleep better.
Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing from The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Newborns. (McGraw-Hill, 2016). elizabeth@pantley.com
Elizabeth Pantley is a mother of four, grandmother, and author of the bestselling book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution plus 8 other books in the No-Cry Solution Series which helps Mums and Dads through all key stages of parenting. Visit her at nocrysolution.com.
