A 4-month-old baby has become one of the world's youngest social media stars for his perfect reaction as his mom despaired he wouldn't sleep.
Tina Yazdani, a journalist from Toronto, Canada, is the mother to a 3-year-old as well as a 4-month-old son, who is still learning his sleeping schedule.
And when his grandparents looked after him as a favor to his mom on New Year's Eve, that tentative routine broke down entirely.
"We've all been there with grandparents who don't follow the nap and bedtime routines, and leave us with overtired babies and toddlers," Yazdani told Newsweek, adding she is still "extremely grateful" to her parents for babysitting.
"It makes a huge difference for us to be able to still see friends and go on date nights, and get those much-needed breaks. I know not everyone has that kind of support."
That said, there can still be minor frustrations—as captured in a brilliant viral video shared to her TikTok account @tinayazdani in January, which has over 3 million views.
In the clip, an exhausted-looking Yazdani holds her baby son while on the phone to her parents, telling them: "No, he's wide awake. He's not going to sleep."
As she speaks, her friend, recording the video, slowly zooms in on the baby's face—who catches her eye and gives a large, knowing smile.
"Baby was ready to party on NYE," Yazdani wrote in the caption and over the video. "When the grandparents failed bedtime."
And TikTok users were in stitches, commenting on the short clip in their hundreds.
One user laughed "It's the smile for me," as another joked: "He's like: 'That is correct. I am so far away from sleep.'"
"That's when they have a sleepover at grandma and grandpa's house and it becomes their adventure," one wrote, as another admitted: "I don't think I've ever seen a more awake baby."
Another shared "My toddler's sleep schedule has been turned upside down over the holiday and I'm scared for daycare on Monday," but Yazdani reassured her: "I know holidays tend to do that but don't worry it will all reset!"
At 4 months old, babies are usually becoming more active and generally don't sleep as much as they used to, according to the What To Expect website. However, some can experience "sleep regression," where a routine breaks down and they sleep as erratically as a newborn. A typical 4-month-old may get between 12 and 17 hours sleep a day, including nighttime sleep and naps.
Yazdani said she "laughed out loud" when she first saw the video, pointing out how she looks "so visibly frustrated as my 4-month-old gives that mischievous little smile."
"My friend did a great job at capturing that moment and the slow zoom in was hilarious."
While it took over an hour to finally get her son down to sleep, he did doze off before the stroke of midnight and the welcoming of New Year's Day.
"I didn't expect the clip to blow up like this, but it clearly struck a nerve with exhausted parents who live by the sleep schedule," she added.
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