When we feel tired we doze off in the armchair, sofa or comfy computer chair …right? Either that or we go to bed. Our bodies tell us they are tired so we go to sleep.

So why is it that when babies or young children get tired they don’t do that? Instead they grizzle or whinge and get all touchy. When that happens most people look at the child and say, "Oh (S)he’s just tired". I say, "OK, so why not go to sleep then!?"

Why is there a difference in the way we behave when we are tired and way babies do when they are?

Signed, TW (who just spent a, none to peaceful, Sunday afternoon surrounded by children)

Very small ones will fall asleep when in their normal environment but when visitors are there they won't want to miss anything, hence the refusal to sleep. If we are deprived of sleep we get ratty too, don't you remember feeling ratty when your babies kept you awake?

Don't talk to me about dozing off in the chair, I must have slept for hours this evening when I intended watching telly, now if anyone can tell me what happened in William and Mary I would be grateful... still, I did mow the lawn this afternoon (the first of the year) and hack back some shrubs. That is my excuse for the nap, not my age.:)

Funnily enough Paul and I were talking about this last night. Alex had a bit of trouble settling and Paul wondered why he was so grizzly. I said that he was tired and Paul said "why doesn't he just go to sleep then?" I said that he doesn't know he's tired, he's nine months old, he can't rationalise something like that. All he knows is that he feels rotten, so he cries. Sue's also right though, terrified they're going to miss something, and while mum and dad are still there they'll want to laugh and play. Alex tends to drop off on his own if you leave him, but while you're still in the room there's no chance.

I've also discovered Lupetta's trick after helping look after babies most of my life ....

...my theory is that infants are just getting used to stimulus and have their senses working overtime (...and all the XTC fans just had a bit of a chuckle ....), and even though they are tired, are still in awe of it all...

..both of my nephews in particular would not sleep if anyone so much as looked at them. If they had something to do, they'd do it rather than go to sleep (despute how tired they were). I found if I turned off the tv and pretended to read a book or something, they'd lie down of their own accord and drift off....:)

...My niece was a different story all together, but she was a horror of a baby! (But I loved her dearly and love her dearly still )