Having a new baby in the house can be a beautiful disaster. Although becoming a new parent can be one of the best feelings out there, getting acclimated to a continuously crying baby can be nerve wracking. As my sister often tells me, one of the toughest things about parenting is pinpointing exactly why your baby cries every time and, usually, it just ends up becoming a guessing game. Although this may definitely be true, the endless crying from your baby could be one of the signs your baby needs to nap more.
One thing I've learned from being a new aunt is that many of the negative reactions from a baby can be attributed to lack of sleep. Sure, a need for food or attention can be the cause. But most of the time, a baby's tears and screams are their way of saying they little more time to rest their growing bodies. Even if they've taken a few naps already, it's important to notice when it may be time to have another.
So, if you've been experiencing a cranky baby lately or are just not sure that your little one is getting enough sleep, these seven signs can be a way for you to figure it out.
1
They Are Always Cranky
When your baby becomes cranky, my older sister has told me that it can be for a number of reasons. One reason that they could be cranky is their need to sleep more. Keep this in mind the next time your baby shows their frustration.
2
They Aren't Alert
According to Baby Center, an unalert baby likely needs a nap. The site suggested keeping a record of your baby's sleep signals and patterns to be able to see if more sleep is needed.
3
They Throw A Tantrum During Feeding Time
Today's Parent noted that a tired child will throw tantrums during feeding time. When children who are still in the napping phase miss their scheduled time to sleep, they begin to cry or throw a tantrum over the smallest things.
4
They Haven't Hit Their Number Of Hours Needed To Sleep
The Baby Sleep Site revealed that each age bracket that your child enters requires a different amount of sleep. So, if you have a newborn, you should expect them to sleep for a total of 15 to 18 hours, while 1 month to 3 year olds sleep between 12 and 16 hour.
5
They Keep Rubbing Their Eyes
According to Parents, if your baby continuously rubs their eyes, they need more sleep. They could also tug on their eyes, too.
6
They Don't "Naturally" Wake Up
Once you put your baby down for a nap, if they are awakened by a loud noise, the dog barking or anything that causes them to not wake up on their own, there is a chance that they could still need to sleep.
7
They Don't Want To Take A Nap
WebMD noted that if your baby doesn't want to take a nap, that's a sign that they need to nap more. The site revealed that this could actually just mean that they are overtired.
