I have a 5 month old son. At about 9 weeks old he started sleeping through the night. He would sleep for about 10+ hours straight. When he was 3 months old we moved to a new house and he would get up 5 times a night. This went on for about 5 weeks or so. When I asked the doctor about it they said it was normal for them to wake up when they have moved, it takes awhile to readjust to their new home. At four months we have started him on cereal just before bed and he still gets up 2-3 times a night. This has been going on for over a month now. Help. He is not hungry, and I have tried to let him cry, it doesn't work. His naps during the day are the same and he is up by 4:30 pm and doesn't nap again until time for bed. Any thoughts?
2006-09-20 07:41:27 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
He is strictly breastfed with the exception of cereal. We give him this before bed because that is when the doctor said to do it. He usually eats his cereal at about 7:30pm and is sleeping by 9pm. I have a wedge and it doesn't do any good!
2006-09-20 08:25:55 · update #1
Here's some pieces of advice from different "experts", c/o babycenter.com. This advice is especially for the concern of a 3-6 month old who "won't stay asleep":
Mindell's view
As long as you are putting your baby to sleep on his own at bedtime, it is all right to do what you think will help him go back to sleep, such as rocking him or pacing the floor until he falls asleep. As long as his bedtime routine is consistent, and he is falling asleep on his own, night waking should diminish in a few weeks. If this doesn't work, you'll have to resort to a checking routine: Stay in your baby's room for a brief time, keep contact neutral, and don't pick him up. Leave and return in five-minute intervals, gradually increasing the time you are gone.
Ferber's view
It's important to put your baby down when he's awake so he'll learn to settle himself to sleep both when you first put him down and if he wakes up during the night. If you're not doing this, consider changing your nighttime ritual. If your baby won't stay asleep and is at least 5 months old, try letting him cry for progressively longer intervals of time, starting at five minutes, increasing to ten, and so on. Between intervals, you can spend about two to three minutes with your baby, reassuring him by talking to him and possibly patting him. Don't pick him up or rock him.
The AAP's view
If your baby isn't sleeping eight hours at a stretch by now, keep him awake longer and play with him in the afternoon and early evening. This, plus increasing the amount of his before-bed feeding, should help him stay asleep for longer periods.
Brazelton's view
If your baby wakes up after only a few hours, let him find his own way back to sleep using self-comforting techniques such as thumbsucking. To help signal "bedtime" to your baby, develop a supportive bedtime ritual that includes things like a bath, a bedtime story, and a lullaby. When he wakes up, don't feed him or jump up and go to him at his first cry.
Sears' view
Be flexible. Don't let your baby cry it out; instead, try to find the source of his wakefulness (such as a dirty diaper, hunger, upset routines during the day, a stuffy nose, or even irritating pajamas). Increase his daytime attachment to you and let dad play the role of nighttime co-comforter so both parents can help the baby fall back to sleep.
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Read more on the website below. :)
Hope this helps!
-AskYourQ
2006-09-20 07:48:25 · answer #1 · answered by askyourq 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My son is 5 months old too. He is also doing the same thing. I was told alot of different reasons for it. He could be going into a growth spurt and wanting to eat more, or maybe something changed in his routine. Or even cutting teeth. I still really haven't figured out why my son sleeps all night one night and then wakes up every three hours the next.
2016-03-17 23:18:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe your baby has heartburn. Buy awedge for the baby's crib. This didn't work for my son(who is 4.5 half months old) so I let him sleep in his bouncy seat. You can try changing his formula, or change some things that you are eating if you are breastfeeding. I also found that my son falls asleep if I put in a relaxing tape.
2006-09-20 07:47:53 · answer #3 · answered by Rosey55 D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
all these answers are so perfect!! I can't think of anything else but don't let him cry, just hold him close to you until he relaxes, somehow, someway. Well, this is a great answer huh? sorry. But I do hope things get better at home, you both need your sleep!
2006-09-20 08:02:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why do you feed your son cereal at night? He might not be ready for solids yet, or it might be that he's getting a belly ache or heartburn. I would try giving him his cereal in the morning and just a bottle at night. Also, I bought a crib wedge that had side pads so my daughter could still lay on her back, but she was able to sleep on an incline and the side pads kept her from rolling off the pad. I think she liked it and felt like she was being held. Sleeping on an incline is good for people who have acid indigestion and heartburn because it keeps whatever is in your stomach from backing up into your esophagus.
2006-09-20 08:00:40 · answer #5 · answered by Melissa B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!
1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.
2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.
The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.
After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net
Ohhh..and Good Luck!
2014-09-17 04:19:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
oh, honey, i feel for you! the same story of my live! i've been trying to make may daughter sleep through the night again, she did for a few weeks and then for a reason that i dont understand, she started waking up! first once, then 2-3 times.... last night she woke up like 6 times! im exausted! i think your son might be teething, mi baby is teething, and it makes it worse... i dont know what to tell you, except if you can't stand to hear him cry, like in my case, you're gonna be waking up a lot! something that seems to comfort my daughter is i put a stuffed animal that i used to sleep with, in her crib, they say it's dangerous to put things in the crib with them, but it's a desperate measure... a pacifier might work, i use it too... but if it's teeth, i think we may just have to wait!
2006-09-20 07:51:41 · answer #7 · answered by Feed the models! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
every baby is different. my baby was very spoiled. he never napped or slept unless he was being held. it was very frustrating but he finally grew out of it. keep trying.something will work.
2006-09-20 07:50:53 · answer #8 · answered by browneyedmom 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
let him sleep in your bed next to you. It will soothe him and make him feel safe allowing him to sleep longer
2006-09-20 07:50:41 · answer #9 · answered by apple1821 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋