Babies need a lot of sleep. Even when they grow into toddlerhood, they need regular naps and bedtime. Your newborn will likely sleep about 18 hours out of 24, whereas your 6 or 9 month old will take a few naps during the day. Gradually your baby will start to stay awake for longer stretches during the day. It is important for your baby to get enough day naps otherwise she will be sleep deprived and be harder to soothe. Some people nap by the clock while others put baby down for a nap when she seems sleepy.

Here are some sleepy cues to look for:

• Yawning
• Staring into space or averting her gaze when you try to make eye contact
• Rubbing eyes, ears, head or scratching her face
• Slowing down, become less active
• Loses interest in toys
• Buries her face in your chest, leans head on your shoulder
• Arching back or leaning backwards

Crying or fussing is a LATE indicator of sleepiness. So pay attention to your baby and catch onto her sleepy cues so that you can put her to sleep hopefully before she begins crying.

NOTE: Many people believe that if they keep an infant awake during the day or make them stay up longer, they will be more tired and will sleep better during the night. This is far from the truth. Babies who do not get enough day sleep or stay up late are often overtired. Their bodies produce adrenaline to fight the tiredness - so an overtired baby can appear very hyper and wanting to play! Overtired babies have a harder time getting to sleep and often have disturbed nights.

If you would like to know more about your baby's cry, do read the other articles in this series.

"Interpreting your baby's cry: Hunger"
"Interpreting your baby's cry: Gas"
"Interpreting your baby's cry: Other Discomfort"