Baby and Toddler Body Language: All About Sleep

For a parent, it is important to be able to read the moods of your child, despite the fact he may not be able to express them verbally. By watching and remembering the telltale clues, you should be able to predict his patterns and therefore settle him more easily into a routine. Learning to tell when he is tired is extremely  important because a baby denied sleep for too long will become fussy, making all the more difficult to get him to sleep. Drooping eyelids, blinking slowly, and - often - stiff, errantic movements are classic signals of fatiguein babies. When children get slightly older; they may become irritable or overexcited. They usually rub their eyes a lot, and often exhibit clinginess.

It is almost impossible to communicate well with a tired child. Babies are much more recptive to you while alert. Choose a time of day when your child will be bright and active, and talk to him quietly and rhythmically using lots of facial expressions and sounds. He will watch and learn from everything you do and will soon try to respond.

One of the most indicative signs that your baby is tired is when she starts rubbing her eyes. Most babies will scrunch up their eyes and rub their curled fists over their eyelids when sleepy. It is a universal signal that it is time for a nap. When eye rubbing in particular? As babies get tired, the muscle in their eyes become sore, and just too much  like when an adult uses a particular muscle too much it will become tender. Rubbing relieves this discomfort. It also encourages the tear ducts to begin producing moisture as tired eyes are often hot and dry.

Whether firstborn or six months old, most children will go through a difficult phase of resisting sleep. This is a grueling time for sleep-deprieved parents as their bundle of joy forces himself to stay awake despite the late hour. Babies resist going to sleep for two main reasons: The first is that now they are in this exciting, sensory-rich world, they do not want to leave it for something as dull as sleep. The second reason is they do not want to be parted from their parents.

Babies in cultures where children ad parents sleep together are rarely upset or resist bedtime. They go to bed calmly and lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sound of a nearby adult's breathing.

Many young children become overattached to objects such as security blanket, a favorite plush toy, or a pacifier. Sometimes the attachment is so strong that the child becomes upset if parted from it, and is then unable to sleep. These objects are acting as a replacement for physical contact with parents. These "security objects" provide the child with a constant and readily available companion who is always ready to receive, and in their own way, give affection. There has been much discussion as to whether these items are good for children or should be avoided. The most important point should be the comfort of the child. If for some reason it is impossible for the parents to give as much physical contact as the baby requires, the apperance of a security object can be a welcome relief.

Tests have shown that children who have not bonded well with their mothers but who have a security blanket deal much better with stressful and anxious situations than those without a security blanket.