Insider mom tip: One of the best ways to set your little one up for better sleep is to learn and respond to their unique sleep cues. Babies and toddlers often communicate their readiness for sleep through the most subtle of signs, and it’s our job as mamas to try and be attuned to these clues because they can make all the difference in creating smoother transitions to naps and bedtime.
So, while every child is different, let’s explore the most common sleep cues you should know about in babies and toddlers, why recognizing them is so important, and how responding to these cues can help foster healthy sleep habits for your little one.
Struggling with your baby’s sleep? I’m here to help. Join my affordable holistic sleep membership, the Gentle Sleep Society, for expert guidance, practical tips, and a supportive community. Use code GENTLESLEEP to save $10 today and start your journey to better sleep!
Why Recognizing Sleep Cues Is Crucial
Babies and toddlers can’t tell us when they’re tired in words, but their bodies and behaviors often signal their need for rest. Truthfully, they may not exactly understand the feeling they’re experiencing when they’re tired, so they communicate discomfort in the only way they can — naturally. By giving us subtle sleep cues that we can pick up on.
When these sleep cues are missed, children can become overtired, making it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Recognizing your child’s sleep cues early allows you to:
- Avoid Overtiredness: An overtired child often becomes fussy, overstimulated, and more resistant to sleep.
- Create Easier Sleep Transitions: Responding to sleep cues when they first appear can lead to smoother and faster sleep routines, ensuring less frustration for both mom and baby.
- Encourage Healthy Sleep Patterns: Regularly honoring your child’s natural rhythms encourages better long-term sleep habits, and… more sleep! It’s true: sleep begets sleep, and the best way to ensure this is to help your little one sleep according to their body’s natural rhythms.
- Reduce Parental Stress: Knowing when your baby or toddler is ready for sleep can significantly your reduce frustration and all the guesswork associated with putting your child down for a nap when they aren’t tired. (Can you imagine someone trying to make you nap when you aren’t tired? It doesn’t usually work!)
Common Sleep Cues in Babies
Babies typically have short wake windows in which they can comfortably stay awake before needing another nap or going to bed for the evening so it’s crucial to recognize your baby’s sleep cues to know they’re ready for rest. Often, it’s sooner than you might expect!
Babies rely on subtle, nonverbal signals to communicate their needs, and these cues often indicate that it’s time to wind down. By paying close attention to these behaviors, you can help your baby avoid overtiredness and transition more smoothly into sleep. Here are some of the most common:
Baby Sleep Cue #1 — Yawning:
One of the most obvious signs of tiredness in a baby, yawning often indicates that it’s time to start winding down.
Baby Sleep Cue #2 — Eye Rubbing or Ear Tugging:
Babies often rub their eyes or tug at their ears as a way of signaling fatigue.
Baby Sleep Cue #3 — Red Eyebrows:
This one takes the cake for being the cutest and quirkiest baby sleep cue! Babies will often develop red around their eyebrows when they’re tired. Have you ever noticed this on your baby? If so, it’s time to swoop them up from playtime and start the nap routine.
Baby Sleep Cue #4 — Decreased Activity:
A tired baby may stop engaging with their surroundings, turning their head away from toys or people. While it’s easy to confuse this for fussiness, it can actually be a sign that your little one is overstimulated or just signaling that they are tired.
Baby Sleep Cue #5 — Zoning Out:
When babies become quiet and stare off into the distance, it’s often a sign that they’re ready for sleep. This is a subtle cue, but if you’re paying attention, you can often notice when your baby starts slowing down and maybe even staring for a couple of seconds.
Baby Sleep Cue #6 — Fussing or Whining:
Crying, whining, or increased fussiness can also be an indicator that your baby is tired; if these behaviors escalate quickly, it can signal that they are overtired and might have missed their nap window.
Baby Sleep Cue #7 — A Change in Facial Expressions:
A sleepy baby may furrow their brow, frown, or otherwise appear less engaged.
Common Sleep Cues in Toddlers
As your baby grows into toddlerhood, their sleep cues can become more nuanced, but they’re still present if you know what to look for. While their signals might be less subtle than those of a baby, remember that they are still relying on their parent or caregiver to get them to sleep (even if they fight it). So keep paying attention to your toddler’s cues to help you address tiredness before it turns into frustration or overstimulation.
I know that some of these toddler sleep cues might just sound like toddlers being toddlers, but they can signal that your toddler or young child actually is ready for sleep. (Trust me — I still see these signs in my boys who are in elementary school at the time of writing this article.)
Toddler Sleep Cue #1 — Clinginess:
Have you ever noticed your toddler get cuddly and clingy out of nowhere? A tired toddler may suddenly seek more physical closeness and reassurance from caregivers when they feel sleepy.
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Toddler Sleep Cue #3 — Increased Irritability:
Tantrums, frustration, or difficulty coping with small challenges often signal tiredness (or overstimulation, or both). Have you ever noticed your toddler overreacting to something and it just seems out of character? For example, they throw a fit because you cut their banana for them, but they always want you to cut their banana. Again, this might be normal toddler behavior sometimes, but it often is a sign they’re just tired and don’t know how to deal with it. (So many big emotions, right!?)
Toddler Sleep Cue #3 — Hyperactivity:
In what may be surprising news, some toddlers become more energetic and hyperactive when they’re overtired, making it harder to wind down. I’ve seen this behavior in my kids and it is always a signal that I’ve missed their sleep cues and need to get them to sleep ASAP.
Look for a sudden shift in their mood and energy level to know that this hyperactivity is a cry for sleep.
Toddler Sleep Cue #4 — Difficulty Focusing:
A tired toddler may struggle to engage with their toys, their mama, or follow simple instructions. It will almost seem like their behavior doesn’t make sense… so be on the lookout for a lack of focus as a sign that your toddler is tired.
Toddler Sleep Cue #5 — Rubbing Eyes or Face:
Like babies, toddlers may rub their eyes or face when they’re sleepy. This is almost a universal “I’m tired” sleep cue.
Toddler Sleep Cue #6 — Frequent Meltdowns:
If your toddler is having more frequent emotional outbursts, it may be a sign they’re not getting enough rest and might need to go to bed earlier that night. There are times when my toddlers were in bed before 6pm simply because I knew they weren’t getting enough sleep.
These are also some of the times when I would give them a good, long contact nap because I knew that would help them catch up on their sleep.
How to Respond to Your Child’s Sleep Cues
So what do you do if your little one is giving you a sleep cue? The answer is simple — start their sleep routine! And keep it brief if needed. Recognizing and responding to sleep cues promptly can help your little one sleep better and fall asleep faster.
1. Provide a Calm Environment
The first thing to do is to minimize noise, bright lights, and overstimulating activities when your child shows signs of tiredness. Removing stimulants and moving them to a more peaceful environment supports their natural ability to wind down and helps prevent overtiredness.
2. Start the Wind-Down Process
Once you notice early signs of tiredness, begin your baby or toddler’s bedtime or naptime routine. This might include reading a bedtime story or singing a lullaby. (If you need some ideas, check out my article on creating a bedtime routine for your baby.)
Babies and toddlers thrive on consistency. A regular nap and bedtime routine helps them know what to expect, making transitions easier. When you notice your child’s sleep cues, adjust the nap or bedtime routine as needed; for example, if they’re giving you signs that they’re overtired, shorten the sleep routine to help get them to bed faster. Always remain flexible when it comes to your child’s sleep routines because the goal is to help your little one get to sleep (not to execute the perfect 5-step sleep routine).
For toddlers who resist sleep, gentle reassurance—like sitting beside them or giving a favorite lovey—can help them settle more easily, especially if they are in an overtired state.
3. Adjust Their Wake Windows if Needed
You might need to adjust their nap routine once you start paying attention to their sleep cues. You can do this by ensuring your child’s wake windows are age-appropriate to prevent overtiredness. Younger babies often need shorter wake times, while toddlers can handle longer periods of activity. By paying attention to their sleep cues and pairing it with age-appropriate wake times, you are surely setting up your little one for sleep success!
Knowing Your Child’s Sleep Cues is Key to Better Sleep
Understanding and responding to your baby or toddler’s sleep cues is one of the most effective ways to help everyone get more sleep. By recognizing these signals and acting promptly, you can create a more peaceful sleep transition for your little one (and that benefits the whole family!
Remember, every child is unique, so take time to observe and learn your little one’s specific cues. Sleep doesn’t have to be a battle, I promise! While every child is different, and every phase is different, a little extra attention to your child’s sleep cues can make a world of difference. The goal is to respond to their sleep cues, create a sleep-friendly environment, and develop healthy sleep habits that will last a lifetime.
Struggling with your baby’s sleep? I’m here to help. Join my affordable holistic sleep membership, the Gentle Sleep Society, for expert guidance, practical tips, and a supportive community. Use code GENTLESLEEP to save $10 today and start your journey to better sleep!
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Parenting is a journey, and sleep is just one part of it. With Gentle Sleep Society, you’ll find the resources, support, and encouragement you need to embrace your baby’s unique sleep journey with confidence and compassion. Join Now and take the first step toward more restful days and nights!
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