If your baby is struggling to go to sleep at bedtime, even when they should be tired, it’s not a problem you’re likely dealing with alone. There are plenty of parents who find themselves in a similar position when trying to get their baby to rest in the evening.

The resistance to bedtime often occurs when there’s insufficient sleep pressure in babies, as well as the influence of developmental milestones like crawling and talking.

Unfortunately, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to achieving a full night’s sleep without interruption. There are a variety of factors that all play into your child’s ability to fall asleep and to stay asleep, too.

With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why your baby isn’t tired at bedtime and how you can best try to resolve the problem.

The primary reasons why your baby isn’t tired

There are a number of primary reasons as to why your baby isn’t tired, and knowing these can hopefully help you fix whatever is causing them, or to manage them as best as possible.

Under-tired

If the daytime naps your baby is having are too long or too late, then your baby hasn’t built up enough of the chemical (adenosine) that makes them sleepy. As a result, you’ll find that your baby is struggling to fall asleep or to remain asleep throughout the night.

This lack of sleep pressure is something that we can all suffer from, which makes it challenging to drift off.

Overtiredness

At the same time, a baby who misses their sleep window will experience a rush of adrenaline and cortisol, acting hyper, rather than feeling sleepy. That can equally be frustrating when trying to get your little one to settle at night.

Developmental milestones

Milestones like crawling, walking and talking are all developmental milestones that can make a baby struggle to fall asleep or wake up intermittently throughout the night.

The baby may want to practice these skills or may be thinking subconsciously about them as they’re trying to fall into a deep sleep. This can be what’s called a sleep regression, and it can happen at multiple intervals through the first year of their growth.

Separation anxiety

This begins around six to nine months, when your baby realises that you and they are two separate people. As such, that need for connection with you will ultimately intensify and lead them to fear being alone and will fight bedtime to keep you nearby.

Improper sleep schedule

An improper sleep schedule can be a problem when trying to get your little one to sleep. They may need to drop a nap or lengthen their ‘wake windows,’ which is the time in between sleep, as a result to fall asleep more easily.

It can often prove difficult to get a sleep schedule when there are so many varying factors that throw it into chaos.

Teething or illness

Physical discomfort from teething to having a cold can prevent your baby from settling, something that is often unavoidable.

Tips to help your baby sleep better

To help your baby sleep better, some steps may help in getting them sleep more peacefully at night.

1. Establish a bedtime routine

First and foremost, a consistent bedtime routine is necessary. You’ll want to have a routine that lasts around 15-30 minutes. That’s a bath, a story, and soothing to sleep. These signals are helpful to have for a baby or toddler so that they know it’s time to go to bed.

2. Make sure they’re drowsy but awake

When you’re putting your baby to sleep, in particular, settling them in their cot is best when they’re drowsy but still conscious.

This helps your baby to learn how to fall asleep on their own, rather than being in their arms.

3. Differentiate between day and night

It’s helpful to expose babies to natural light during the day and to keep nighttime both dark and quiet, as this helps to develop their circadian rhythms.

Even after that’s been established, the sleep environment is important to get right when it comes to helping your little one fall asleep more successfully.

4. Recognise their tired cues

Recognising tired cues is certainly a good way of knowing when your baby is ready for a nap.

Look for tell-tale signs like when they rub their eyes, a fussiness to their attitude or yawning. As soon as these signs show themselves, you should look at starting the sleep process before they become overtired.

5. Create a safe sleep environment

A safe sleep environment is peace of mind to any parent who worries about SIDS and how something as simple as their sleep setup can be life-changing.

Always place your baby on their back when sleeping and make sure they’re on a firm and flat surface. This should be a place that’s free from blankets, toys, and pillows.

6. Swaddling can be a great help

While it doesn’t work for all babies, swaddling can be useful for wrapping them up and helping prevent the startle reflex, which often wakes them up.

7. Wait before responding to their cries

It can be hard as a parent to hear your baby cry, especially when they learn how to say mummy or daddy. Despite that, though, you have to remain strong and allow your baby to settle themselves to sleep, especially when they’re merely stirring and perhaps not actually awake.

You may want to wait a few minutes, or more if you can manage it, to help them learn to self-soothe.

8. Keep night feeds calm

When you’re feeding or changing nappies in the night, minimise the conversations and any bright light to keep your baby in that sleepy state they need to be in.

Sometimes, your baby may struggle at bedtime, and that’s to be expected. Not every bedtime will be easy, so it’s important to be aware of what to look out for and how to manage your baby’s sleep routine to get it where it needs to be.

Main Image – Photo by Vicki Yde: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-mother-holding-a-baby-5961616/ | 2nd Image – Photo by Enrique: https://www.pexels.com/photo/baby-sleeping-on-bed-9656795/