Early tired signs at 6 months?

[Aunty Vi]

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone can give me any pointers/reminders on how to spot when LO is ready for sleep around the 6-month mark?  Our DS's sleepy signs seem to have totally changed as he got older, he used to yawn which was a nice easy way to spot it, but now we don't always get yawning or we get it at other times (like soon after a nap) so it's no longer a reliable sign. I think sometimes we are letting him go a bit past the ideal moment and only putting him down when he's already getting a bit fretful, but am finding him harder to read in this respect lately. He sometimes rubs his face into my shoulder but I think that is also when he is already a bit OT.  Also sometimes when I think he must be getting tired he seems at his most wide-awake and happy, so I feel like surely he won't sleep then!  How do/did you tell when your LOs are getting sleepy at this age?
Thanks muchly!

[brenda2]

as they get older sleep cues become more unreliable.  at about the 6 mo mark i became quite the clock watcher!  are you getting nice long naps or are they short?  if he's still doing long naps for you then i'd say you have the A time and sleepy cues right.  if they are short you may need a tweak to your routine and A time.

my LO always became fussy adn when i'd change her scene if she was still fussy then i knew she was tired.  but yawns stopped before 6 mo and eye rubbing just happens all the time or when she is really OT.

[gpmom]

Does your lo have a lovey?  I know my dd is tired when I hand her her bear and she lies down with it.  It is adorable, and a good sign.  I also watch the clock but I always have had to as she was a by the clock girl!
Good lock.

[marensmama]

Clock watching is the norm around here too now that the sleepy cues aren't as obvious.  However, my LO does become a bit fussy as nap time is approaching.  If I'm trying to stretch her A time, I just watch her and once she gets a bit fussy (but not outright upset, then that's too late for us), I put her down.

[annegaelle]

Igor is 6 months old, he's not quite on EASY but I try to follow an easy routine, and watch the clock. I pretty much put him down a little bit 1h30min his next feed, and it seems to work wonders...at least for the morning. I completely failled this afternoon though so it was a bit of a mess. It's 4pm and he's sleeping..instead of 2pm. Oh well.

[Aunty Vi]

Oh well sounds it is not just me then which is reassuring!  I don't think we can be getting it too far wrong as most of the time his naps are pretty good (at least an hour), only a few times I think he has got a bit OT and shouted or sang for a long time before going to sleep.  His night sleep is pretty good too (he has even started to sleep through till 7 occasionally or to go back to sleep if he has an early waking, not sure why but very pleased!), though occasionally it takes him a while to go asleep at bedtime and he does seem to be waking up late in the evening (a little while before his dreamfeed) quite often lately, not sure why that is.  So hopefully that means his total day sleep is reasonably close to what he needs.  It seems to me he can manage around 2 1/2 hours awake time or maybe a bit more if we haven't been rushing around too much before he needs a nap, does that sound about standard for this age?  So at the moment we are still doing 3 naps though they are starting to get gradually later so eventually I think the third one will go.

[dsokos]

Hello,
My DD is nearly 5 mo and I'm noticing that her sleepy cues are changing. With her, I notice that if she's just sitting/lying very quietly and not moving very much, she's tired and it's time to attempt a nap.  If I wait to see rubbing eyes or nose,,,forget it, she's OT and the nap meltdown begins!  I'm new to all of this, but thought I would chime in.