The Key to understanding your baby, starts with the ability to recognise and respond to their different states of sleepiness and wakefulness.

When we think about understanding babies, it’s easy to focus just on their cues — the little signs like turning their head, sucking their hands, or crying. These cues are indeed how your baby communicates specific needs in the moment.

But before cues even make sense, it helps to understand your baby’s behavioural state. This is the overall condition of alertness or arousal your baby is in. You can think of it as the “background setting” that shapes how ready your baby is to interact, feed, rest, or be soothed.

Behavioural States

Babies cycle through six behavioural states of sleep and wakefulness, first described by researchers like Prechtl (1974) and later refined in infant behavioural studies. These states help us understand their arousal, responsiveness, and readiness to engage or rest:

1. Deep Sleep (Quiet Sleep)
  • Regular breathing, very still with little body movement, occasional startles.
  • Eyes are closed, and if moved, the baby is difficult to wake.
  • This is the stage where restorative brain and body growth occurs.
2. Light Sleep (Active Sleep/REM)
  • Irregular breathing, twitching or small movements, facial expressions, fluttering eyelids (REM).
  • Easier to wake than in deep sleep.
  • Critical for brain development and memory processing.
3. Drowsy
  • Transition state between sleep and wake.
  • Baby appears sleepy — eyes may open and close, movements are slow, smooth but limited.
  • Baby may drift either back to sleep or wakefulness depending on stimulation.
4. Quiet Alert
  • Baby is awake with eyes open and bright, face focused, body still.
  • Baby is most attentive and ready for learning, interaction, and bonding.
  • Best state for feeding, play, and social interaction.
5. Active Alert (or Fussing)
  • Baby is restless, may whimper or make small noises, make more movement, possible facial grimacing/fussing.
  • Less focused than quiet alert.
  • Often indicates that baby may need a feed, change or to move away from the stimuli.
  • Baby may become overstimulated easily in this state.
6. Crying
  • Active crying, intense vocalisation, body thrashing, flushed face.
  • Signals distress, hunger, discomfort, or need for regulation/attention.
  • This is a late communication signal and the facial/body language will often indicate baby’s needs.
  • Hardest state for learning or soothing — baby must first be calmed back toward quieter states.
  • Regular breathing, very still with little body movement, occasional startles.
  • Eyes are closed, and if moved, the baby is difficult to wake.
  • This is the stage where restorative brain and body growth occurs.
  • Irregular breathing, twitching or small movements, facial expressions, fluttering eyelids (REM).
  • Easier to wake than in deep sleep.
  • Critical for brain development and memory processing.
  • Transition state between sleep and wake.
  • Baby appears sleepy — eyes may open and close, movements are slow, smooth but limited.
  • Baby may drift either back to sleep or wakefulness depending on stimulation.
  • Baby is awake with eyes open and bright, face focused, body still.
  • Baby is most attentive and ready for learning, interaction, and bonding.
  • Best state for feeding, play, and social interaction.
  • Baby is restless, may whimper or make small noises, make more movement, possible facial grimacing/fussing.
  • Less focused than quiet alert.
  • Often indicates that baby may need a feed, change or to move away from the stimuli.
  • Baby may become overstimulated easily in this state.
  • Active crying, intense vocalisation, body thrashing, flushed face.
  • Signals distress, hunger, discomfort, or need for regulation/attention.
  • This is a late communication signal and the facial/body language will often indicate baby’s needs.
  • Hardest state for learning or soothing — baby must first be calmed back toward quieter states.

Understanding these states helps you see when your baby is most ready for different kinds of interaction. For example, quiet alert is the perfect time for eye contact and play, while active alert may signal the need for feeding or comfort.

Understanding Baby Cues

Once you’ve noticed the state your baby is in, the next step is tuning into their cues — the moment-to-moment signs that tell you what they need. Cues are your baby’s language before they have words.

Babies use a wide range of cues, and these can be grouped into two broad types:

  • Engagement cues (invitations) – signs your baby is ready to interact, such as looking at you, cooing, smiling, or reaching out.

  • Disengagement cues (I need a break) – signs your baby needs rest or support, such as turning their head away, arching their back, grimacing, yawning, or crying.

By pairing states with cues, you get a clearer picture:

  • A baby in quiet alert who is making eye contact and cooing is saying, “I’m ready to play!”

  • A baby in active alert who is turning away or fussing is saying, “I need a break before I can handle more.”

✨ Key takeaway: Behavioural states set the scene; cues give the detail. Together, they create a roadmap that helps you understand your baby’s needs with more confidence and strengthen your bond.