Cry when Tired?

[YT2095]

a question my Wife wants to know,

 

Why do children Cry when they`re tired and yet fight their sleep, they seem to moan and cry even when presented with the opportunity to Sleep (like being put in bed and tucked in etc..).

 

it seems so Ilogical/Irrational.

 

anyone actualy KNOW the answer to this?

[mr d]

Hello

 

Heard once, TV/Radio, it's because the child wants to stay up regardless of the need for sleep. And when you pick them up and put them in their crib, crying and fussing about helps raise body activity enough for them to fight off sleep for a while.

 

Analogy. Your in your favorite comfy chair late at night kinda half asleep watching the tele. Your wife comes by and says 'Why don't you go to bed.'

 

'Leave me alone I'm watching the show.'

 

'No your sleeping, I'll be back to check on you in a bit.'

 

She leaves and you get up to do a few jumping jacks to help waked you up (notice your child kicking and thrashing when you put them down). Then you sit down and start dozing off again, but want to see the end of the show so you fight to say awake.

 

Now your wife comes by and carries you off to bed and tucks you in (robust wife needed), and you lie there and curse and complain how your not tired right before you pass out.

 

I guess we don't grow up that much after all.

 

Mr D

[GutZ]

My assumption would be a physical factor more then anything. Being over tired is uncomfortable and distracting when you try to go to sleep from my experience atleast.

 

From what I found they mention that.

 

Note the time of night when your toddler begins to show signs of sleepiness, and try establishing this as his or her regular bedtime. And you don't have to force a 2- or 3-year-old child to nap during the day unless yours gets cranky and overly tired.

 

Parents sometimes make the mistake of thinking that keeping a child up will make him or her sleepier for bedtime. In fact, though, kids can have a harder time sleeping if they're overtired.

 

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sleep.html

 

I am sure there are alot of other factors though.

[Atellus]

I remember reading about, and seeing a documentary about the traditional practice in Russia of tightly wrapping babies in swaddling clothes. This restricts the childs movement, but that is not the aim. Research has suggested that the type of physical contact which the very young of many species, especially primates, crave the most is essentially a very tight all embracing hug. The idea is that this satisfies the infants instinctive desire to be held closely to a protective adult and by extension, be kept safe. Apologies for my clumsy way of putting this across, but hopefully you take my meaning.

 

Russian babies so wrapped are observed to stop crying almost immediately. They literally shut up the instant the swaddling blankets are pulled tight. The bound bundle is then placed in it's crib and, according to the footage on the documentary, adopts that ridiculous expression of smug comfort that only a baby can immitate, whereas less than a minute earlier it's face had been one huge open screaming mouth. The footage was quiet impressive. The film was made in an orphanage and one midwife was caring for numerous children in this fashion. There were several cribs lining the room, each containing a silent and satisfied looking infant. They only started crying again when the midwife unwrapped them to check and change their nappies.

 

Anyway, the swaddling clothes would appear to satisfy the child by being tight enough to exert pressure over the whole childs body, thereby reassuring it.

 

So, I suggest that the child only kicks and cries all the more when you place it in it's crib (thinking you are providing the opportunity to sleep which the child then illogically refuses) because you have now removed it from any sensation of contact with a parent. If you wrapped it tightly in a blanket whilst in your arms, perhaps you could woo it to sleep and then place it in the crib?

[Phi for All]

Part of it is there's so many interesting things going on, and the other part is the threshhold for sleep that, when missed, doesn't come back around again for a bit. It could be that an overtired child has more on it's mind, and we all know how that seems to make sleep almost impossible.

[Citizen Zero]

when you put a child to sleep you are often also putting them in a dark place with little sensory input or at the very least less sensory input of emotional signifigance. Just something to consider.