Understanding your baby’s body language, sleep habits, and internal signals can make bedtime smoother and naps more predictable. Here’s how to spot when your baby is tired, what might be keeping them up, and how to get sleep back on track.
Is my baby overtired?
If your baby seems wide awake but should be tired, they might actually be overtired.
When babies miss their ideal sleep window, their bodies produce stress hormones (like cortisol and adrenaline) to keep them going — which makes them appear wired, silly, or hyperactive at bedtime.
Common signs of overtiredness:
- Baby seems energetic, giggly, or frantic when they should be sleepy
- Frequent night wakings or short naps Difficulty falling asleep despite a good routine
- Waking up crying or cranky from naps
If your baby is overtired, consider using an earlier bedtime (as early as 5:30pm) for a few nights to recover lost sleep.
What are sleep associations?
A sleep association is anything your baby has learned to rely on to fall asleep — like nursing, rocking, or being held.
If your baby always falls asleep while feeding or in your arms, they may struggle to get back to sleep on their own when they wake at night.
How to gently shift sleep associations:
- Move feeding to earlier in the bedtime routine so it’s not the last thing before sleep
- Feed your baby outside the bedroom, upright, and with some light to help them stay alert
- Focus on placing them in bed when they’re drowsy but still awake, so they can practice falling asleep independently
This helps your baby develop the skill of self-soothing — a big step in sleeping through the night.
What are sleepy cues, and when should I look for them?
Sleepy cues are signs your baby is getting tired and ready for sleep. Watch for them 20–30 minutes before the next scheduled nap or bedtime.
Common sleepy cues include:
- Yawning Rubbing eyes Staring into space or zoning out
- Fussiness or clinging
- Pulling at ears or face
Catching these early and starting the wind-down routine right away helps prevent overtiredness.
The role of the app
The Smart Sleep Coach app helps you align your baby’s sleep schedule with their natural rhythms, so overtiredness becomes less frequent.
Still, no app can see your baby’s face — that’s where sleepy cues come in. Use them alongside your schedule for the best results.