How can i get my 5 month old to sleep thru the night? Or at least wake up less in the middle of the night?

Question

My 5month old is starting to wake up more often at night. I put her down at 8 and she gets up at 2 and then again at 5. Sometimes i am able to get her to get back to sleep. I don't pick her up right away, but if 15 min goes buy and she doesn't fall back asleep i feed her and she seems sooo hungry that i am glad that i picked her up. A few weeks ago she was only waking up once a night. She is not on solids yet and i nurse her. I have been having problems finding a formula that suites her, but i don't mind nursing her. Do you think once she is on solids she will sleep better thru the night?

Answer 1

My midwife told me to put my son on solids between 17 and 20 weeks old. so she might be ready to eat solids.

You only give it to them gradually, starting with a few spoonfuls a day. A great idea, is to give them a farley (rusk) in their bottle mixed with milk before bed. You can express milk or use formula. It fills them up and makes them go alot longer untill the next feed. She will eventually start sleeping all night then.

Get more help and advise from your health visitor, they will give you all the help you need. Good luck!

Answer 2

Please ignore those who advise you to give her solids. Solids are LESS filling then formula or breastmilk as they have far less calories. Also, early solid feeding is an allergen risk. At any rate, you don't have a hunger issue, you have a night waking issue. I strongly recommend reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It was a life saver for me! A five month old still needs to be fed on demand but you should continue to wait 15 or 20 minutes before feeding her at night and try not to speak to her during any night feedings so your baby doesn't stay awake for the pleasure of your company. She could be going through a growth spurt and that is why she needs more feedings. Again, let me stress that solids are NOT going to help. Even when you do begin solids at 6 months, they will not be for nutrition but mostly for 'practice'. Solids don't really become important until 9 months or older. Good luck!

Answer 3

I personally think that it's the age because at that age my daughter did the EXACT same thing. She is also breastfed. Finally at about 8 1/2 months she started sleeping her regular 13 hour nights that she had been sleeping since she was itty bitty. I really think it's just the age. All I can say is hang in there. I felt like there were some nights my daughter never took my boob out of her mouth, she was waking up and falling asleep so frequently. It does stop though! Good luck! Edit: I have never let my baby cry at night. She has done just fine without me making her cry. Sometimes she sleeps with me and sometimes in her crib, but she has never had an issue with not being able to sleep without me. I personally do not think it's necessary.

Answer 4

Yes, she will sleep better with solids, if she's not on them yet at her age I'm not suprised she's waking up. She m ust be starving. Feed her up really well before bed with cereal, put her down, and then DON'T GO BACK till morning even if she cries. In addition to having a full tummy, she must also be assisted in breaking her newly established HABIT of waking in the night. Only letting her cry will accomplish that.

Answer 5

She might sleep better once she's on solids. But let me tell you, babies will do this: sleep well for a while then wake up lots. This can be caused by growth spurts, other developmental growth (my kids' sleep patterns changed just before teething or accomplishing some developmental thing like crawling, sitting up, etc.) or stress--yes, stress caused by changes during the day.

And to be honest, if a baby sleeps 6 hours straight, she IS considered to have slept through the night. Most pediatricians would not expect more than that.

Answer 6

Saw a television program yesterday - do not feed solids until 6 months old ! Research indicates that feeding solids too early can lead to food allergies, asthma & other health problems. Also, don't start with fruit or cereal, go straight to veggies. (Dr. Phil talking to "Sears group of pediatricians - there is a book apparently - program was aired January 19th).

Try formula instead of breast milk last thing before bed. You may not have enough breast milk to last her through the night. Worth a try & she will still get her cuddles while you are feeding her. Or, try putting her to bed a little later & see what happens. Then you can gradually work back to 8 oclock.

Answer 7

Actually that's not a bad schedule. My son didn't sleep all night till he was 12 months. You can start giving cereal at 4 months. Mix a little w/ her milk or with a little juice and give it to her 3 times a day. You can start trying something like gerber fruit, and veggies. If you want to stop nursing or combine and it's harsh on her tummy, try one of the soy based formulas. I got my son off formula about 2 weeks brfore he turned 12 mo. Started giving him a sippy cup but didn't really try to force it at first. Just to let him get used to the idea. I helped him and showed him how to do it. He picked it up fast. Then when he turned 12 months I told him "no more baba's" he laughed but I was serious. It was difficult for about a week at night I just gave him his sippy cup instead of a bottle and then he started sleeping all night. Of course by the time he was 12 months I had on things like mashed potatoes, mashed up sweet potates, I would bake squash and mash it up.Anything you can think of mash it up and let them try it. My son has totally been off the bottle and baby food since he was 12 months. It was like heaven to sleep all night. Once you start giving him more big people food just offer food to him thru out the day.

Answer 8

Hi, I had the same problem with my infant. She would wake every four hours when we put her down at night. It is very frustrating, I know! I started putting rice cereal in my daughter's bottle at least 3 times per day when she was 4 months old. I started out with 1-2 tablespoons per bottle initially. Once she was comfortable with the cereal (after a week), I began to introduce solids to her. I started with one per day (she would only eat a small amount per feeding). She is now 8 mos old and she has 1-2 solids per feeding. I had problems with formula as well. My pediatrician recommended Similac Alimentum (which is very expensive) because it is hypoallergenic. I used it until she was 7 mos old and then we switched to Similac Advance (she is tolerating it well). My daughter is sleeping better through the night, however, she is now going through separation anxiety and wakes 1-2 times per night but she gets herself back to sleep as long as she has her little blanky. Hope this helps!

Answer 9

I was told that the best way to resolve problems like these, is to try to keep them up during the day, or take it one step at a time, and play with them when they are supposed to take their nap. The sleepiness will accumulate as the day progresses, and they will eventually sleep longer through the night. You don't need to give her any solids in order to let her sleep through the night. That is just a myth.

Answer 10

Around 5-6 months, my son would wake up at least once a night. I put him to bed around 8-9. Also, I fed him solids. He was hungry and the formula just wasn't doing it for him. My pediatrician told me to do the following:

Breakfast:
1 small jar of oatmeal or rice cereal w/fruit allready mixed in
4-6 ounces of formula (or in your case, breast milk)

Lunch & Supper:
1 small jar of veggies (or if you think too much, half it)
1 small jar of fruit (or if you think too much, half it)
4-6 ounces of formula or breast milk

Bedtime snack:
4-6 ounces of formula or breast milk (only if necessary)

Anyhow, whatever you do, I hope it works for you. I know this worked for my son, and he's perfectly healthy. Good luck!