Does your baby have an awful nighttime? And is it getting worse every day?

Then, he has probably been having overtiredness. It does not perform any serious consequence at present. However, if that continues in the long term, your baby might be endangered. Therefore, it is best to protect him before anything bad happens.

I’m Jane, a pediatrician and a mother of a 5-year-old kid. Today, I will tell you all of my secrets about how to get an overtired baby to sleep.

How to Get Your Overtired Baby to Sleep

Put him to bed on time

It is the very first thing that you can do. A bedtime routine is incredibly important when you want to put your baby to bed. It will create not only healthy sleeping habit for your kid but also bring various benefits when you have to go to work after maternity leave. Besides, your baby will never be overtired anymore if he already knows what is going to come next.

I started teaching my son this routine when he was 3 months old, a perfect time for beginning. Also, you can try introducing the right bedtime for your kid from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm. The period has been proven by many pediatricians as the appropriate time for children to go to bed.

Moreover, one thing that you should bear in mind is that the shorter time for your baby to fall asleep, the less overtired he will be. 20 to 30 minutes are perfect.

Turn Down the Light

A lot of mothers often leave the light on their children’s room so that it will be convenient to soothe them when they cry in the middle of the night. This action is, sadly, one of the fundamental reasons leading to overtiredness.

According to human’s biological mechanism, darkness is an essential element for a qualified sleep. I only realized this fact when my son cried all the time and often covered his eyes with his hands when I was trying to lull him. Therefore, if you want to put an overtired baby to bed, turn down the light to the maximum. It will signal him that it’s time to rest. And he will fall asleep soon.

A Warm Bath Before Bedtime

Some parents don’t want to give their baby a bath before bedtime because they are afraid that he might get cold. In my opinion, that can never occur if you soak him in a warm tub.

A baby’s temperature often reduces within 2 hours before bedtime and drops to the bottom at 4 am, or 5 am. When you don’t get him to sleep at the right time, the fallen temperature will make him feel tired and irritated. Therefore, if you give him a warm bath before putting him to bed, his body condition will get better, and your baby will calm down.

As a result, he sleeps better. And if you can put some lavender-scented shower cream in his bathtub, he may even have sweet dreams.

Singing Songs for Him

Lullabies have been considered a great method for children to develop. They provide better conditions for toddlers to grow up, form a self-controlled character in them, and especially, take away their tension and put them into a deep sleep.

Therefore, when your baby cries and feels overtired, singing for him will be a fantastic solution. Your voice will ease your child’s emotions and soothe his irritation. One tip that I often do along with singing is to pat my son in his bottom, which will help him fall asleep quicker. Try it if you want.

Rock Him

Rocking a baby often shows him a sign that “mommy is here, mommy’s gotcha.” And after 2 years raising my kid, I know that babies like being rocked because they feel safe and secured.

You can either stand or sit to rock your baby. It will be even more wonderful if you buy a glider chair as my family does. Sitting on it and pushing the chair back and forth while holding your baby will make him feel warm and protected. Soothing him to will be much easier.

What you should remember when using this method is that you should quickly place him on his bed before he ultimately falls asleep. If he already sleeps tight and you put him down, he may cry again. And there are many chances that you will have to hold him all night long. I used to make that mistake; and honestly, that night was exhausted.

Feed Your Baby

If all of the above methods do not work and your child’s weight is lower than 12 pounds, you should try feeding him. It will help his stomach warmer. As a result, the temperature of his body will rise; even just a little. And he will feel more comfortable inside.

I applied this method to my son sometimes when he was 2 months old, and it often showed a great consequence. He slept very well and gained weight regularly. However, when your kid is heavier than 12 pounds, and you still feed him at nighttime, it will become a harmful habit, and he will equate bedtime with feeding time. So, do avoid it!

Conclusion

Regardless, thank you for reading my article, and I hope your child will have the nicest sleep from now on. If you have any comments or opinions, do send me. I would love to hear from you.

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