Bedtime Struggles

[Adesola]

Is it just me, or do babies and toddlers somehow sense our energy?

At bedtime, if I’m lying next to her thinking “why isn’t she asleep yet?” or feeling impatient, it seems to take forever. But on nights when I tell myself “I’ll just lie here quietly, it’ll take as long as it takes,” she settles much faster.

I can’t tell if it’s coincidence or if they really do pick up on how we’re feeling.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Yep. It's one of the reasons sleep training emphasises low key, "boring" interventions rather than elaborate pantomimes and cuddles. If the baby recognises that bedtime is sleep time, not playtime or Mummy-baby time, then they'll settle so much faster.

The same applies for when you're anxious. The baby picks up that "something" is wrong and that heightened sense of stress releases more cortisol, which keeps them awake for longer.