How can I get my 5 months old daughter to sleep through the night?

Question

My daughter wakes up every couple of hours and nothing my wife and I do to get her to fall asleep again works. We try singing to her and rocking her and giving her the pacifier which she refuses. The only thing that works night after night is giving her a bottle. Last night she drank two and we hardly got any sleep. She used to wake up screaming when she was a month old because, as it turned out, she is lactose intolerant. But she started sleeping through the night once we switched her formula. Later she would wake up when she lost her pacifier and fall back asleep once we put it back in, but this started about a month ago.

Answer 1

I agree with MJ. Please do not put cereal in a bottle. This is highly inadvisable! They used to recommend it years ago, but doctors are against it now. Also, your daughter may not be ready for cereal yet. If she has not had cereal before, I would not suggest giving it to her right before bed. She may have a reaction to it. Please bring up your sleep concerns with your baby's doctor. They will have ideas that may help!

Answer 2

I know it is hard I was very lucky my little girl slept through from being 9 weeks old and just have the odd occasions now when she's teething and calpol does the trick.

If you have started giving her solids you are making sure there are no milk products them, you must be extra care-full sometimes it doesn't say milk but will say whey on the label. My little sister has the same problem and she can't eat loads of food you wouldn't think had milk in it.

If it's not that that's the problem the other thing you could try is not giving her a bottle if she knows you will give her one she will wake up. It's hard at first but after a week or two she will realize you aren't going to give her anything and eventually will stop. Obviously don't leave her screaming the house down just go into the room reassure her that everything is OK don't get her out of bed and just persevere its hard but you can do it and it does/will get better.

I have just read some of the other answerer's and i must say DO NOT PUT FOOD IN YOUR BABY'S BOTTLE THEY MAY CHOCK on it ask your doctor and they will advise you that this is not a good idea.

Answer 3

I know this is going to be an unpopular answer, but your baby is not as hungry as the others are asserting. Especially if she used to sleep through the night and only wakes to have her pacifier replaced. After my first, my Pediatrician told me that if I could get through one night of crying (2hrs-3hrs max) then my child would sleep all night. I did this at 2 months because my child woke up only once during the nights and usually around 2am and ate maybe 1oz. I made it through and my child slept through the night ever since. Talk to your Doc. They will probably tell you the same thing. I did this with my second child as well. They are both healthy and well adjusted children.

Answer 4

I have said it before and I will say it again. Babies are hard wired to be awake from sun up to sun down. You can not expect them to sleep all the way through the night because they will get hungry once or twice during the night. unless the child falls asleep by itself during the daytime do not force naps upon him/her. Change your childs times of awake to sun up sun down and make sure the child has a completely dark room for sleep. We humans went for milleniums before having only the sun as a clock. Only in the last century have we had artificial light that comes close to daytime illumination.

Answer 5

She's probably going through a growth spurt and needs to eat more often. Incidentally, most babies need to eat during the night until they are at lest 6 months old, and some much longer. I would continue to feed her if that is what she wants, and wait a few months. She will learn to sleep through the night eventually.

Answer 6

There is an OUTSTANDING book by Dr. Richard Ferber that you need. Over 20 years ago he wrote "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" and has recently updated the information into a new book called "Sweet Dreams". Check out the website: www.childrenshospital.org and keyword search Dr. Ferber for loads of info or you may also view Amazon for many reviews on his older book. This book has been a lifesaver for my sister who has dealt with partial awakenings, scheduling naps, etc...... her daughter is now 19 months and she still references this book when needed.

Answer 7

If she was sleeping through and then stopped, I'd say she is hungry. Is she taking cereal or any food yet? My son is 4 and half months old and I stuff him with cereal before bed. Then I feed him as I am rocking him to sleep in his room - dark and quiet. It's the only thing that will keep him down longer than 3-4 hours! Good Luck!

Answer 8

My son did this. And then my Grandmother gave me the answer. He was hungry.
I know he seems young for this but I started at 4 months and he was fine.
Get some baby cereal (he liked the banana flavored one). Add warm formula until you have a runny cereal concoction. It has to be thin enough to go through a bottle nipple - but cut a larger hole in the nipple.
Then let him drink this.
It's one of those stick to your ribs things.
The first time I gave it to him he slept for 6-hours straight. I felt like I won the gold ring.

Answer 9

This is what my sister in law does for her 5 month old daughter. When you give her, her bottle, put some cereal in the formula. She will have a full stomach after drinking her bottle.

Answer 10

as long as she is eating enough during the day, and her weight and growth is ok, you might have to just let her cry herself back to sleep...she is used to waking up and having you do something to put her back to sleep...she has not learned to go back to sleep on her own...talk to your doctor, we did this with our daughter, the first night is the hardest on you....she cried, screamed for 20 min before falling back asleep..we were laying in our bed crying too..the second night she cried for 10 min, the third night we heard nothing, I woke up and checked on her, she was asleep..it was hardest on us, but she slept thru the night after that....