Does Being overtired cause babies to be really restless?

[Jrolph]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if when a baby is overtired do they become extremely restless while they are settiling into sleep???  I think that my DS is really overtired even from the time that he wakes up in the morning.  He get really cranky even by his first nap and is really restless when he goes down for all of his naps.  His nap schedule is like this:

a little before 9:00 start wind down for nap, he is usually sleeping by around 9:15 and he sleeps until 10:30or 11:00

Start wind down for second nap around 1:30 usually asleep by 1:50 and sleeps until 4:00

Starts getting really fussy at 6:30 don't know the reason for this.  He usually has a bath around 7:00 pj's cuddles and into bed by 7:30.  He will roll around and be extremely restless in his crib until around 8:15 when he will finally fall asleep.

I don't know what the reason for this restlessness would be but I would like to figure that out.  Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jen

[Isom'smom]

Insight? Pobably not, but I have a theory.  They work their little bodies sooooo hard during the day, that when they lay down and start to relax, their muscles just spaz for a while until sleep takes over.  Happened to us right before he started scooting.

[jennc123]

wow, thats interesting, my bella has been really kinda restless but definitly tired, having a harder time getting to sleep at night, when she usually sleeps great at night.  she is definitly trying to crawl and so forth, maybe that has something to do with it, more of a developmental phase.

[Aarismom]

Here's what I've found through research and other reading:

It's sort of complicated and a lot is going on, but here's the short short version. As your lo loses sleep day to day, that sleep loss accumulates. So, lets say that for 3 or 4 days, your lo got 9 hours of sleep a night instead of 10, and you had trouble making it up during nap time. Finally you get a good day in, but your child still seems tired. This is because over time, sleep loss accumulates and you feel tired all the time even though you're better rested...adults do it too. It takes a few days to make up that sleep and feel more awake.

There's also the biorhythm to consider. Most baby sleep cycles seem pretty restless unless you get them down at the right time exactly, I think. Babies can fall asleep other times other than that window, but if you get the window, they get a less restless nap because their little bodies are in sync exactly with the biorhythm. I watched my DD's 30-60 min REM/Light sleep cycle this morn, and she jolted once that I could tell, as opposed to jolting 6 or 7 times during that period normally. That told me she was going to sleep a good 2 hours...she usually does if I get it right on. She's going on 2 hours now.

Oh, and as for the overtired stage...when babies become overtired, they release a chemical called Cortisol. This chemical helps to keep the child awake, making it harder for them to go to sleep (this is often where the "second wind" comes in, keeping them up for an hour or 2 past nap/bed time). Even when they do get to sleep, the body shuts off production, but the chemical is still present in the system, making them seem restless. I'm sure a lot more goes on, but I think this is the main problem.

Again, a lot of this info comes from research, and I could be off or have a few holes in my understanding. If anyone has had any type of schooling in this stuff, please feel free to correct. Biorhythm logic still throws me off (because there's more than one rhythm), but I understand it enough I think.

Hope this helps in understanding a little.

*HUGS*
Sonya =P

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Fascinating!  :shock:

[Colesmom]

...does your little one "swim" in the crib?

My DS did that last night...he moved his one arm up down up down up down up down for about 5 minutes while settling!  he so wants to crawl :wink:

Traci

[Jrolph]

My son, is just everywhere in the crib.  I usually find him balled up side ways in one of the corners.  Its very difficult when all they want to do is be actvie all the time.