# How do YOU get your over-tired baby to sleep?



## kbridi (Mar 16, 2005)

So you missed the sleep cues or just waited to long and now you have a wired, cranky baby. How do you get your over-tired DC to sleep?

I try and change the scenery..go outside, go downstairs, even let him play to calm him down. Because when he's over tired, he cries and whines and yells. Then I try slinging him and nursing him. If that doesn't work, I put him in his jumperoo for a few minutes and then start again with the change of scenery.

Just wondering, because right now I have an over-tired, cranky, goofy, wired baby who won't sleep. I waited too long (about 5 minutes)







: .


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## LEAW (Aug 5, 2004)

dd is only 5 months, so a lot younger than yours - but we try nursing, walking, bouncing, sling her (especially if you can block out visual stimuli), hang in dark boring room w/lights out, sometimes cuddle up with her and pop in the paci (she gets too frustrated to nurse if she's overtired) until she calms enough to nurse, I'll sing and rock her, etc.


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## peaceful_mama (May 27, 2005)

I have an 8 mo. old.....due to BAD NURSING ADVICE, I ended up pumping for him exclusively, so he became a binkie addict for sleep.....so when he's *really* tired, he gets his binki, snuggled up close to me, and his blankie over him, even his little head so all he sees is me.....and we rock. Fast. I have never had this take more than 10 minutes.







(he's adorable too, he'll coo himself to sleep, sometimes he's got to take the binki out and talk to himself for about 5 mins, then he wants it back in and he'll go night-night.)


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## FancyD (Apr 22, 2005)

I've used Camillia by Boiron. Homeopathic chammomile, I believe. It settles ds down just enough to fall asleep.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

When Julia gets over-tired and can't unwind, I turn off all the lights in the house, put her in the sling upright and facing me, and turn on some music-- something that "swings," that's good for slow-dancing. And I dance with her until she gets drowsy enough to sleep. 9 times out of 10, she's out within a half hour.

When that doesn't work, I take her outside and walk around and around the block in the dark, real briskly. That's usually a sure cure.


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## IansMommy (Jun 14, 2005)

My ds is just 6 weeks old. When he is overtired, he won't nurse -- so I put in the pacifier and snuggle him close. I was nervous at first that this would interfere with nursing, but he seems to know the difference and has no problem!







Mommy to Ian







: and Julia


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## mandalamama (Sep 1, 2004)

Willow used to love to be swaddled and it really helped her until she outgrew it at just before 6 months. if i've missed her cues and she's overtired, i lay down in bed with her spooned in front of me, we get comfy, then i tuck the covers (or a sheet in hot weather) around her and sort-of-swaddle her that way. she calms herself with quiet babble or whispers until she falls asleep, i either nap with her or slip out quietly.

did he like to be swaddled? i mean, is there anything that worked when he was younger that you can repeat now? i think babies regress naturally, they take a few steps back when they're teething or overtired or sick, so it's ok to go back to newborn-ish stuff if it works.


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## Sailmom (Sep 23, 2004)

Funny, I just had that problem tonight. Dh let her take a 45 minute nap at 7:00 that she wanted, and needed, but when 9:30 rolled around (normal bed time), she was crazy wired. And very tired. But she is teething and she has really gotten the walking thing down, never crawls anymore - so I figure, new skills, tooth pain. We rocked, sang, read stories, listened to music in the dark, swayed, walked in the yard, and finally we put her in the car and went for a drive. Totally did the trick. Not a great precedent, but after 2 hours of trying EVERYTHING else, it worked like a charm.


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## AugustineM (Mar 21, 2005)

Loud white noise has always helped my DS. Like, the bathroom fan, or a humidifier right by the bed, or me or DH "SHHHHSHHHHSHHHing" really loud by his ear. This was one of the only things that helped when he was very tired and crying. He's 9 mo. and all those things still work. And really fast rocking.


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## green betty (Jun 13, 2004)

Charlie ALWAYS used to nurse to sleep, but recently he'll nurse, nurse, nurse at bedtime--and then still be awake, tired, and cranky. What works for us is for me to spoon him and sing his favorite song softly.

Only downside is that sometimes I fall asleep with him! Like at 7:30. I wake up at midnight and wonder what happened!


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## mamabohl (May 21, 2005)

Think I'm going to save all the ideas in this thread! My 8 mo is ALWAYS overtired! It's so hard to get him to sleep, it has to be dark and silent (except for his white noise, which he can't sleep without) and i have to nurse him to sleep, standing up while pacing the room and singing. *sigh* VERY hard with a 3 yo who is afraid to be in any room without me because of our bug issues. It's gotten even more complicated since I started watching a 2 yo girl 3 days a week! Anyways, ds doesn't like the sling or wrap much, so those don't work....usually my fall-back for when he really overtired is to put him in the stroller and walk up and down our driveway.


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## wardermom (Jan 31, 2002)

I stick her up on my back in a wrap or mei tai, and she conks right out.


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

EnviroBaby likes to listen to the Sisters of Mercy or Jane's Addiction.







I hold him in my arms and bounce him in time to loud music. Interestingly, it seems to help if I have something else to think about--if I don't have anything on my mind, I get one of my books of house-plans or something like that to stare at hands-free. I'm not sure if that helps because it calms my irritation with his crankiness, or because when I'm paying less attention I bounce him in a more repetitive way instead of "dancing". Anyway, the real trick is not to set him down too soon; he needs to be really zonked out or he'll wake up when laid down. I usually play an entire album if I'm not too exhausted myself.

Staying near him after he's lying down helps to keep him from waking up again. This is much more important when he's been cranky and had trouble getting to sleep than it is normally.


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## jdlobe (Jan 13, 2005)

Books! We always read books when she gets sleepy, and even when she's really overtired/frantic she'll calm down when we read. Sometimes I'll read for over half an hour until she's really settled and then bring her to bed. She's even fallen asleep while reading before.


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## jocmtl (Nov 13, 2002)

Hi there,

Little one sometimes just has to be be given the space to cry when that happens; that's extreme, and the crying lasts less than a minute. Then he's out like a light.

Other tricks that work before we go down this road: swaddling, lowering the lights, changing rooms, making everything quiet and calm. He also has a favorite CD, the Putamayo South Pacific CD, that he loves to be danced to. The first two songs work like a sleeping potion! (tragically, the third song starts off with a bang and will wake him up; needless to say, we've often had to race to the CD player to turn it off before it's too late!)


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