How Do I Know If My Baby Is Getting Enough Sleep?

A well rested child will generally be happy and a pleasure to be around. They will also wake up happy while a tired baby will often wake up grumpy and crying. A newborn will appear to be calm and alert. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child believes that a difficult temperament at 4 months is the sign of a tired baby while a easy temperament is the sign of a
well rested baby. I absolutely agree with this. Obviously there are some babies that have an easier temperament than others, but I have never seen a well rested baby with a difficult temperament. Maybe not an extremely easy one, but certainly not difficult. There is a big difference. There is a night and day difference with my son Joshua when he is well rested and when he is tired. He simply does not do well without sleep. Some babies do much better than others without adequate sleep, but they still will be at their best with optimum sleep.

Generally a pre-teen will not sleep longer than he needs. This seems to be a common worry of parents and most likely is due to the fact that they simply don't realize how much sleep babies and young children need. If your child seems to be sleeping much more than the recommended amount, you should of course check with your doctor if you have concerns.

If you are having to wake your child up every morning then he is probably not getting enough sleep and you should start putting your child to sleep a little earlier.

You may also want to see the post Signs of Sleep Deprivation