How can I get my baby to relax and sleep longer?

Question

Hello, My baby is almost 5 months old and he cat naps about 3-4 times during the day, ranging anywhere from 20 minutes to and an hour. At night, he wakes up frequently (every 1-3 hours). When I feed him, he only eats about 5-10 minutes and then he's finished. He is still in a bassinet in my room, but I think I should put him in his crib soon, since he is crawling a little bit now. Is there anyway I can get him to relax better and sleep longer? Any suggestions?! Thanks, Millie

Also, when he wakes up during the night, he has rolled over on his belly and crawled to the corner of the crib. I think this might be the reason he's waking up, because he's uncomfortable? Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

Babies goes through phases.
When you write that he only eats for 5-10 min...is it because he is full or because he is distracted? I used to try to feed my babies a full bottle (around 6-8 oz) when it came to feeding time. It took alot of patience to hold them and relax and coax them to feed. It sounds like your son may not be eating enough in one setting. Also he seems to be napping an awful lot during the day. If you can, try to establish a napping routine. Lay him down at certain time you know he will want to nap and let him nap for an hour and then gently wake him up. Maybe 2 naps a day for an hour or so each nap. Give him lots of floor time so he can work his little muscles. At nights, I would lay him down when he usually goes to sleep. Turn on a mobile for him and let him watch the mobile and listen to soothing music. If he cries you can check on him and make sure he is ok, but gently pat him and leave the room. Sometimes it is very hard to do that, but if they are just fussing, not hungry or do not have a full diaper, it's ok to let them fuss, as long as they are not crying their little hearts out. establish a feeding routine at nights. If you can get him to drink at least 6-8 oz or nurse for about 20-30 min, he should be more content. You could also try a little rice cereal during the day. try to give him a couple small tsps at first and see how he reacts. Each day, give him a little more. I would also switch him to a crib so he has more room to maneuver around in.
As I have stated before, babies go through so many stages in their little lives because they are growing at a rapid pace.
Good luck to you!

Answer 2

If he wakes up and only eats for 5-10 minutes, he's probably not hungry. He only needs to suckle to soothe himself to sleep. A pacifier will do the trick.

A full tummy will help him sleep better. So for peace of mind, you might try this: feed him at 6pm then again 8pm. Put him to bed, then do one more 'dream' feed when you go to bed a couple hours later. For the dream feed, don't even wake him but give him the breast or bottle. You can lay him back down without even burping him because he will be so relaxed that he will not swallow air.

Also, you might try swaddling him (but leave one arm out so he can find his fingers to suckle) so he is less likely to get himself stuck in a corner of the bassinet.

In order to reduce catnapping and possibly getting his days and nights turned around, you might consider following a flexible scheudle. I highly recommend Secrets of the Baby Whisperer which addresses many of the concerns you've raised.

Good luck with your little one.

Answer 3

You might be right about him being uncomfortable, he's growing out of the bassinet. As to getting him to relax better, the best thing to do is start a routine for him every night before bed. It doesn't matter what the routine is, but if you do the same thing every night, he will know it is time for bed. I read to my daughter every night before bed (yes, you can read to a five month old) and sang a song and then we have a certain phrase we said every night. She is 12 now and I still say the same thing every night.

Answer 4

Encourage activity during the day. When your baby is awake, engage him or her by talking, singing and playing. Surround your baby with light and normal household noises. Such stimulation during the day can help promote better sleep at night.
Monitor your baby's naps. Regular naps are important — but sleeping for large chunks of time during the day may leave your baby wide awake at bedtime.
Follow a consistent bedtime routine. Try relaxing favorites such as bathing, cuddling, singing or reading. Soon your baby will associate these activities with sleep.
Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake. This will help your baby associate bed with the process of falling asleep. Remember to place your baby to sleep on his or her back, and clear the crib or bassinet of blankets and other soft items.
Give your baby time to settle down. Your baby may fuss or cry before finding a comfortable position and falling asleep. If the crying doesn't stop, speak to your baby calmly and stroke his or her back. Your reassuring presence may be all your baby needs to fall asleep.
Consider a pacifier. If your baby has trouble settling down, a pacifier might do the trick. In fact, a pacifier at naptime and bedtime may help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But there are pitfalls, too. If your baby uses a pacifier to sleep, you may face frequent middle-of-the-night crying spells when the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth.
Expect frequent stirring at night. Babies often wriggle, squirm and twitch in their sleep. They can be noisy, too. Sometimes, fussing or crying is simply a sign of settling down. Unless you suspect that your baby is hungry or uncomfortable, it's OK to wait a few minutes to see what happens.
Keep nighttime care low-key. When your baby needs care or feeding during the night, use dim lights, a soft voice and calm movements. This will tell your baby that it's time to sleep — not play.
Respect your baby's preferences. Whether your baby is a night owl or an early bird, adjust routines and schedules based on these natural patterns.

Answer 5

My little 4 month old was exactly the same now she sleeps 2 -3 hours 3 times a day and seven hours through the night and lets me sleep extra four hours after that -what a dream come true! All I did was every second bottle feed i'd put rice cerial in it and give her one serving of vanilla custard (baby) and a bath after lunch every day... beautiful!

Answer 6

It worked for my daughter for particularly it sluggish. i might bathe her staggering until eventually now mattress and he or she might sleep contained in the path of the night. regrettably in basic terms these days that stopped and it takes her 2+ hours to pass to sleep after being positioned down now. She's now 7 months.

Answer 7

When my son was that age he loved to have a bedtime massage. I would massage baby lotion onto his back, arms, legs, and feet. It totally relaxed him.

Answer 8

try baby massage with some special baby oil with lavender