Need help on putting 5 month old on a sleeping schedule.?

Question

My 5 month old doesn't sleep. He takes about 2 30min. naps during the day along with 1hour nap. So he sleeps 2 hours out of the day. He won't go to bed until around 9:30 or 10 and then he wakes up at 2, 4 and 6. He has just recently doing the waking up at night thing, but has been on the cat nap thing for like 3 months. I need help. This routine is getting old, fast. He use to sleep from 10 pm to 7 am @ 4months until a week ago. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

First, I would cut one of the 30 minute naps during the day. Make them into two one hour naps instead. Try as much as possible to have him start his nap at the same time everytime. This is easier if you are lucky enough to stay home with the baby, otherwise stress to your caregiver what you are trying to accomplish. Then after an hour get him up. If he is sleeping do this slowly and gently, but get him awake none the less. Once he has his night schedule down you might find he sleeps a little more during these two naps and you can increase them a little over time. I babysit and find that kids up to even a year may still need 2 naps of 1.5 to 2 hours a day. Next, how do you react when he wakes up and doesn't fall back to sleep? Do you rush in to his crib. Does he wake up and want to play or does he wake up screaming? If he wakes up wanting to play I would ignore him for a while. He will likely go back to sleep on his own. If he cries, wait 5 minutes and then go into him with the lights still off in his room and pat his back to try to soothe him back to sleep. Don't stay too long. Leave the room and wait 10 minutes the next time before going back in again. This is hard sometimes if the baby is really carrying on and some parents are convinced that letting the baby cry is abuse......trust me its not. Eventually they will soothe themselves back to sleep. Something else you might want to try is to put a small fan in his room. The noise from the fan is called "white noise" and it tends to block out other disruptive noises in the house that may be waking him up. Also a cooler room is always easier to sleep in than a stuffy one. I think the most important thing to remember is that you set his schedule and keep to it. If you are really persistant with his bedtimes and wake-up times he will eventually get used to it. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

My son is 5 months old and sleeps 10 hrs at night and 3 one hour naps during the day. The thing to remember is to be consistent and don't give up, babies like a routine. My suggestion is the book The Baby whisperer. IT will tell you how to get the baby on a schedule in 3 days as long as you stick with it. This is a great book and i recommend it all of my friends who are expecting. There is also a website you can view online. Good luck the baby and you will be much happier.

www.babywhisperer.com
This is not a gimmic just really good insite for Moms :)

Answer 3

I give my 5 month old daughter cereal right before bed and she goes to bed at about 10 and the earliest she wakes up is 7, sometimes she wakes up at 9- she usually takes a nap ranging from an hour to two hours in the moning and then one in the afternoon.

Good luck

Answer 4

I put my little girl on a schedule at 3 months she now is almost 6 months.You should get a routine before putting him down.I found what works for my baby is about 7:00 I give her a bath (not every night)or put her in her swing to wind down.Then I put her jammies on make sure she has a clean diaper.I read her a baby book.Then I turn the lights off with just the nightlight on I put on her baby einstein c.d & feed her her bottle in the rocking chair in her room.When her bottle is done I burp her,give her kiss,tell I love her & put her in her crib while she is still awake.I have been doing this since she has been 3 months & it only took less than a week for her to get into the routine.She sleeps from 8:00 p.m-7:00a.m without waking up for a feeding in the night.They love routine.

Answer 5

Try to figure out what changed - is it warmer or colder in the house? Was he sick? Did his diet change? If nothing changed, he may just be figuring out that he can keep himself awake and he isn't used to getting himself back to sleep or he may be going through a growth spurt.

You could try calming him in his crib, without taking him out, while reassuring him that you are there. Make sure not to turn on the light or provide too much stimulation (nighttime is boring, daytime is exciting). If you need to feed him, feed him once, for a long time (20-30 minutes) and then the next time he wakes up try calming him in the crib. He shouldn't need to eat again after 2 hours...

Answer 6

If it has only been a week, there is probably a reason for it. It may be a growth spurt. He may be about to do something new (sometimes when babies reach a milestone they do this because they are frustrated or excited) or it may just be a short-lived fluke. I would wait it out atleast another week before worrying about it. If it persists, and you are really concerned, a good book is "healthy sleep habits, happy baby" It is very routine oriented (not my style) but people swear by it. Good luck!

Answer 7

His napping is normal, tho he could even sleep more. At only 5 months i wouldnt' worry too much about the waking at night, but if its a problem talk to your doctor or get what to expect your baby's 1st year. Its a good book as all "what to expect" books are, and they answer many common questions such as yours. Good luck :)

Answer 8

HAs your Dr. started on cereal food yet....
Hard to get them at that age to sleep all night, but if ok with your dr, baby cereal at nigh can help fill them up so they are not waking.
Also make sure your not " entertaining" playing with baby when they do wake.

Answer 9

make sure his naps are all before 6:30 pm. that way he has all that time to wear himself out and will feel more sleepy.

Answer 10

i had the same prob with my son. As hard as it is when you put your child to bed you just need to let them cry, once every 10 mins if they are still crying go back there but do not touch them or talk to them just let them see you so they won;t be so scared. eventually they will go to sleep and will know that when they go back to their room it is bed time. Once you have done that, when you feel it is time for them to go to bed (your schedule) take them back there.

It is hard to ear your child cry believe me i felt bad but it works..after about 3 days he would fall alseep as soon as i out him down at his scheduled time.