Did you know that there is a small but optimal window of opportunity during which you should try to put your baby or toddler down to sleep? If you do not time this correctly then there is a good chance that your child will not sleep as well or as long.
When I first became a parent I had no idea about this important point. In fact, I was of the belief that the more my exhausted my little one was, the better he would sleep. Unfortunately, I couldn't have been more wrong. In fact it wasn't until I started doing some research that I found out how wrong I actually was.
Can I ask you something? Can you remember times when your little angel has been charging about in a frenzy in the evening just before bed? Well the answer may not be what you had previously expected. What you are witnessing is actually a reaction to overtiredness and your toddler is using the hormone adrenaline to stimulate him or herself.
Believe me, if your little one is hyperactive, cranky and is fussing more than usual, they are probably overtired. At this point, it will be much harder for your child to fall asleep and the quality of sleep that they will get will be that much poorer. If you can recognise the early signs you can prevent them from getting into this state. By recognising the early behaviours that indicate tiredness, you will have a much better chance of getting your little one to sleep at the optimal time.
Watch out for the following signals:
Moving about less
Moving more slowly
Not as chatty
Lessened sucking action
More peaceful
Not interested in the world around him or her
Eyes are less focused
Heavy Eyes
Occasional yawning
If you are unlucky, your child will seem to be permanently tired. If this applies to you, another thing that you can do is take note of how long your child has been awake. Here are some rough guidlines:
Up to 4 months a baby can stay awake for between one and two hours
From 5 Months to 7 Months a baby can stay up for about 2 hours
8-12 month old do best staying up for around 3 hours at a time.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ home-and-family-articles/baby-sleep-problems-and-overtiredness-1601879.html About the Author
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