Your baby's 'tired signs'
As your baby grows, they will begin having more alert or wakeful periods after their feed times and nappy changes. Initially, these will be rather short, becoming longer in duration as they get older. Generally, following a wakeful period, your baby will start to become tired and begin to show you signs that they are ready for sleep. Learning how to recognise these signs may take a little while, as they are generally quite subtle and can be easily overlooked.
If you try and keep your baby awake when they are tired, they will only become irritated and overstimulated, taking much longer to wind down and fall asleep. Trying to distract a tired baby usually only ends with upsetting them further. From your baby's perspective, they will not appreciate having a toy jangled in their face, or being passed from person to person, when they are feeling overtired - just as you would not!
Being able to recognise your baby's tired signs, and then acting on them before they become overtired, can help them 'wind down' with a minimum of fuss, and eventually fall asleep. Some signs that your baby may be getting tired can include: