how do i get my five month old to sleep through the night?

Question

ok. This is my first child and everyone tells me he should be sleeping through the night. He wakes up two to three times a night, not wide awake, just sleepy crying, i give him a bottle and its back to bed. He eats cereal before bed so i know he has a good full tummy and he is a big boy, like 22 pounds. I havent tried to get him to sleep through the night i thought they did it on their own in time but is their a method that i can teach him so he knows night time is sleepy time??

Answer 1

Start a bedtime routine...of course it's not going to be like magic and work the first time. You have to make sure he's staying up during the day...try only one nap a day...or 2 shorter ones. And make sure your not sleeping in LATE. Wake up early...8am latest..This is what I do:

8am: Wake up/ Feed
9am: Play
10am: Play...Feed if needed...
11am: Play
12:00: Lunch: Rice Cereal/milk/baby food
1pm: Nap for 2 hours..or wait until 2pm
2pm:Sleep
3pm: Feed
4pm Play
5pm: Play Nurse if you need to
6pm: Dada comes home play with baby
7pm: Family Dinner
8pm: Give bath
8:30: Give Rice cereal
9:00: Bed time...Nurse him to sleep or Give bottle.

Sometimes the routine is slightly different for example he might not get to sleep until 10pm...BUT its all up to you...get a lined paper out and schedule out the day...and STICK to it...

My son is turning 6 months in 1 week...and we've been doing this for a while...sometimes he still only sleeps 2 hours before waking up and others 6 hours! *(those are the nights you wish for)* When he wakes up let him cry a LITTLE while...then when you are ready go comfort him and he'll be back to sleep before you know it.

This works, I can even put him to sleep right after he gets the cereal...he will lay in his crib and fall asleep himself. Of course he doesn't sleep all night in his crib...as soon as I go to bed I go pick him up and bring him in my room...if he wakes up I nurse him back to sleep...and if he doesnt I just put him in his bed next to mine.

Answer 2

I would start by giving her a bath at the same time every night. Then a bottle. I would put my daughter to sleep with very little light with a lullaby playing. I would sit next to her crib and pat her back or rock her. After she fell asleep I would leave her if she woke up I would go in and pat her back but never pick her up. Eventually I stopped going in there. I would wait 5 minutes then 10 minutes etc. Eventually she would sleep. She may wake up but after a minute or so of fussing she goes back to sleep. I would definitely stop giving him so many bottles throughout the night. He's really old enough to sleep without one. If you continue to do that he will expect it and he doesn't really need it.

Answer 3

If you put him to bed Early that might be why he wakes up my daughter is 7mos now and she sleeps through the night but if she goes to sleep to Early like 7 or 8 she wakes back up again and won't go to sleep till 10 or 11 so maybe for awhile try to play and read with him to keep him awake longer then put him to bed. things will change as they get older. Maybe try more food at night with the cereal he still could be hungry and needs a little more Try a little fruit or veg if you haven't yet but talk to your doctor first if he thinks he should start it.

Answer 4

Dont Let Him Take Long Naps Through out The Day
And He Will Sleep Through The Night Or Rub His Head Gently It can Relax Facial Muscles and Comfort The Infant Smiling at The infant with teeth showing can cause stimulation A sweet grin with no teeth showing can also relax infants

Answer 5

You don't. many 5 months old dont sleep through the night. their little tummies aren't big enough to hold them through the night.
you run the risk of an insecure baby if you try to force the issue.
letting them cry it out, ignoring them, letting them be hungry is just plain cruel.
you have a small person that has only known love and security and all of a sudden you with hold some of the most basic needs of existance.
It wont last forever. one day you will wake up and realize he slept all night.
enjoy the 2 am feedings and cuddles, sing to him, talk to him, love him.

Answer 6

He will do it and i mean it will happen and all but you cantry to feed later and put something soothing noise and all and also you can put him down in the crib before he goes to sllep so he can get to sleep how he wants to and all mine wont slle p through the night unless he rolls over and gets to play in his crib or just look at the mobile before he goes to slee p and he is 4 months old and he rolls around and just falls asleep and sleeps from 10 pm to 6 am int he mourning then gets a bottle and goes right back to slle how much ounces i give like seven with ceral in bottle and all.

Answer 7

Read a wonderful book called HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. It is amazing. His method really works. I have several friends and family members who also used it successfully. It is worth buying. My daughter was colicky until age 6 months. I sleep trained her using this method and it took one night! She has slept through the night ever since (unless she's sick). Now she's 5. I know my brother said he "can't let his kids cry," but now they are from age newborn to age 8 1/2 and they have never had one night of solid sleep. I'd rather take one night of 30 minutes of crying vs. 8 1/2 YEARS of nights of crying! So don't give up hope. Read the book and stick with it. It works! Good luck!

Answer 8

If he is eating and going back to sleep and you don't have a problem with it THEN THERE IS NO PROBLEM:

[Edit to add... also frequent night wakings are PROTECTIVE. Babies can not wake from a deep sleep if they are cold, hot, wet, hungry, in pain, having difficulty breathing, etc. So they have more frequent shorter periods of deep sleep. This is safest for the baby. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070200.asp ]

"Should my baby be sleeping through the night?
It's so common for mothers to worry when their babies don't sleep through the night. After all, everyone knows they're "supposed to." Some doctors recommend nighttime weaning and "cry it out" methods if your baby is not sleeping through the night by 6 months or even earlier. Even when the mom herself has no problems with baby nursing at night, she still worries that this is a problem, since American society seem to consider it one. There are books all over the bookstores with advice on solving so-called "sleep problems."

First, please ignore what everyone else says about your baby's sleep habits and what is "normal." These people are not living with you or your baby. Unless your doctor sleeps in the next room and your baby is keeping him awake every night, he has no reason to question a healthy baby's sleep habits. If you and your baby enjoy nighttime feedings, then why not continue? It's a great way to have time with her, particularly if you are apart during the day.

Every baby is different, and some sleep through the night earlier than others (schedules or food usually have nothing to do with this). Your baby may be hungry (keep in mind that breastmilk digests in less than 2 hours) or she may just want time with you. Babies whose mothers work during the week often nurse more at night and on weekends, perhaps to reconnect with mom. "
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If you resent it, change, if not realise that it is perfectly normal. I have attatched some more studies on normal infant sleep. It is normal/average not to sleep through the night. It is normal to require parental interventions for going back to sleep until age 2.

Honestly honey, my 30 year old husband very rarely sleeps through the night. Why would I expect my 9 month old too?

Also my baby started prefering to put himself to sleep at 6 months, all on his own. Instead of nursing and cuddling. But for the last month with the teething and 2 head colds he is back needing me, but your baby will get there on his own. Don't listen to the people that say crying it out is the only way babies learn to self-soothe.

Answer 9

I have four children. This may be difficult, but do not pick him up or feed him during the middle of the night. Go into his room, talk softly to him and caress his face and then leave the room. Let him cry. This isn't mean, but by going into the room and feeding him, you are creating the thought to the baby that "if i cry in the middle of the night, i'll get fed."

Believe me, you don't want to be doing this for years. The crying will typically stop within 15-30 minutes. After a few nights, he'll sleep through the night!

Good luck

Answer 10

I have heard that babies do not sometimes sleep through the night until they are past 6 months old and sometimes closer to the year. My son still gets up once during the night and he is 13 months. Babies are all different and will do it when they are ready to.