"Drowsy but Awake" Demystified

It can be so hard to determine at what point your little one is still awake BUT relaxed enough to be laid down for sleep.

You’ve probably heard to put baby down to sleep when s/he’s "drowsy but awake" BUT that’s easier said than done if you don’t know that means!

Wouldn't it be nice to see first hand what it looks like?!

Well, this week's video will SHOW you just that! I am excited to debut the first short video in my new series "What does it look like?" on my YouTube channel.

Here are signs babies show when they are getting drowsy:

💗 Flutter their eyes before they drift off.

💗 One to two long slow blinks.

💗 A sigh that they let out.

💗 Feeling heavy and relaxed in your arms.

The baby in this video is showing the first two signs: fluttering eyes and long slow blinks.

Why is "drowsy but awake" important?

Ideally what you want your baby to learn is to fall asleep IN their sleep space from a drowsy state. Then over time, once they get accustomed to being laid down drowsy, you can lay them down less and less drowsy as they begin to know how to settle themselves to sleep separate from you. That way they do not get habituated to being held, fed, rocked to sleep and then transferred to a sleep space.

It is a practice and it often doesn’t happen overnight but if you put the practice in at an early age, you will see the payoff when they are older.

As a parent your job is to discover what your unique baby does to display that drowsy but awake state. You may even find that there are certain times of day when the signs are clear and laying him/her down is easier.

Up Next: The Low Cry Technique 

In this video I demonstrate my "Low Cry technique" for sleep training in real life!

Watch me at work and see how baby responds so you have a mental picture of exactly what to do with your own baby.

Subscribe so you don't miss a thing.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Sarah. As a mother of two, I quickly learned that sleep is influenced by a variety of factors and there is not one RIGHT way to help baby sleep. Both of my daughters had unique temperaments and struggles, and I was humbled to learn that newborns are complicated and parenting in a world of information overload is stressful. Now, I partner with parents to create a tailored plan using an evidence-based and multidimensional approach to sleep. I take great care in co-creating a plan that takes into account all of the factors that makes each family unique, including parenting philosophies, infant temperament and readiness, age, weight gain, health and development and much more. To date, I have helped over 2,000 families. If you’re ready to get your family’s sleep back on track, contact me.