How to get overtired baby to sleep - help!

[Stripeyshirts2450]

Our baby is just 8 weeks and is normally a lovely, content little boy but for the last 1-2 weeks we've struggled with this most nights! It was a bit different with Christmas with all the visitors but even then we tried to manage it that he wasn't overstimulated and passed around too much, taking him to a quiet room and being antisocial as we wanted him to not get overtired.

But even now when there is way less distraction he will give us tired cues throughout the day e.g. yawning, rubbing ears, eye and back of head, eyes staring blanky. As soon as we see see anything like this we put him into his bed and try to make things quiet, make gentle shushijg nosies etc. Sometimes he will fall asleep but only for a bit then wake up screaming(!!) often for a nappy change. Often though he won't even sleep but keep looking around, then get all excited and keep wanting to play despite having been yawning!! Walking in the pram used to make him sleep but now he's just staring everywhere!

If we're lucky then during the day we get the odd couple of naps in but they're so short. I feel like we're trying so hard but somehow keep failing him. :( as a newborn he slept through anything and now he'll be cooing away!

Then in the evening anything from 6-9pm he'll be so exhausted he starts screaming and the more he screams the harder it is for him to stop. We feel awful and obviously want to stop this - more for him if anything as he seems so upset :(

When my daughter got like this, I just let her fall asleep on me. I found it the best way to get her to catch up on her sleep before starting back with independent sleeping.

Maybe try a dummy or swaddling? If you think he needs a bit more comfort.

Hope it gets better soon.

I doubt your baby is waking up for a nappy change

Have you tried white noise? And a dummy... my DD is now 4 months but can become inconsolable if she’s over tired for naps. When she is like this for naps movement helps her, pram for a walk or rocking motion.

She has since born though gone up to bed for around 6.30pm before my DS goes up to bed. She has a good bedtime routine which we introduced when she was born and is put down to sleep awake.

During the day she naps around us, ie sofa or pram but with white noise.

If my baby is overtired, the only way to settle him is rocking and shushing. He doesnt really do the whole putting down thing either. I just let him sleep on me otherwise he is a stroppy nightmare. Have you tried a sling/carrier. That is a sure fire way to send my boy to sleep. I just walk about and he goes right off.

Also silent reflux / colic can start around this age so have a read up re those to see if there are any signs....

I second white noise, I blast it on YouTube in the living room when she's having day time naps. We have Ewan the Sheep for nights and it works really well too.

(Although you could just play YouTube on your phone, most videos have black screens to save your battery life!)

I feel for you though OP!

White noise, but when it’s really bad I take them for a drive. The car journey makes them sleep and breaks the cycle of over tired ness. And it’s a little break for you I put my music and heating on and drive and they are sleep before I get out of the estate.

At that age I'd let mine sleep on me or with me until I wanted to go to bed. Like the PP, if the crying was too much DH would take them out for a drive.

Swaddling and white noise worked for both my son and daughter.
I feel for you, it’s awful when they just won’t settle.
I hope it improves soon for you all x

I think you've.nailed the problem yourself OP. By the time you see the yawning it's too late. Most babies have a similar schedule each day at this age, so if you know baby starts yawning usually at 9am for first nap for example, you need to get baby ready for nap before this so you skip the overtired bit.

I play Spem in Alium to babies at work. My colleagues laugh at me but it really works!

Buggy next to tumble drier. Warm fleece on buggy. Low lights. Leave and ignore cries for 5 minutes ?

Sorry as this is at night and you wint want to transfer to cot from buggy I recommend swaddling and White noise too.

I used to let my DS fall sleep on me and then transfer him into basket/cot if I could or else I'd settle down with Netflix/MN and let him snooze (or go back to bed with him for a nap).

At that age mine lived in a sling as was attached to me, however some children aren’t natural nappers (mine included). He has never napped for more than a couple of hours in the day

8 weeks is still a newborn in my eyes. How is he feeding? At that age I think he needs more than one or two naps per day- none of mine could manage awake time of more than an hour. Are you in a routine? Something like EASY (eat,activity, sleep, your time) might help you to not miss tiredness cues. Mine didn't normally wake at that age for nappy change either- usually hunger! Nappy was also changed at each feed.

Mine was very similar (she's now 16 weeks).

By trial and error we figured out the window when she finds it easiest to nap in the morning - she has to nap on her carrier, and we have to go out of the house for that nap about 10-10.30. The pram is usually too exciting, but the carrier kind of blocks her view and helps her drift off. Once we got that sorted it improved the rest of the day.

We never quite cracked the evening screaming, apart from by slowly creeping bedtime earlier and earlier over time. She really needs darkness to drop off too. Good luck!

@thorn90 what couod it be then? He'll suddenly wake up crying and his nappy will be wet. I've heard.it may be they can't get back to sleep after a cycle has finished though so maybe that.

Also I only have him in the pram when walkon, not inside.

I'll try letting him sleep on me more maybe. How often should they be asleep and awake at this stage do you think?

By the time he is this overtired things like a dummy and swaddling he acts like they're torture! When he's just a bit tired it csn help though.