5 Month Old Sleep Time Habit

You can't spoil a 5 month old. None of my children, all breastfed, slept through the night at that age. He will eventually. I would just enjoy this time with him as before you know it, he will be all grown up and you will miss when he was just a baby.

Have you tried using a pacifier? He may just be looking for comfort, or waking up because it is a habit. Try letting him cry for a little while... he may fall back asleep. Letting him cry a little and learn to fall back asleep on his own won't hurt him. By 6 mos. babies should be able to sleep through the night no problem as long as they are eating enough during the day. Once he starts eating solids, that may help too. Good luck.

I totally get that you need sleep but are you sure that you would qualify this a "problem"? This sounds totally normal for a breastfed (good for you) 5 month old. Studies show that formula or cereal won't make babies sleep any better or longer. He is where he is developmentally and there isn't much you can do to change that. So, what can you change? It sounds like you want to change his association with your breast as the only way to get to sleep. Try adding, gently, different sleep associations to your routine; like music, sound machine, massage even being held and rocked to sleep (you can change this association later on). Perhaps your husband can help with this one. If you are staring to resent something, it's time for a change but please don't think that you've done anything wrong. It's perfectly natural to nurse a baby to sleep and it's perfectly (unfortunately) normal for a 5 month old to wake every 2-3 hours out of hunger. Does your older child sleep through the night? Remind yourself that this one will too when he is ready.

I was in the same situation with my daughter..We let her cry for 2 nights and she was pretty much sleeping through the night after that. My doctor assured us that she did not NEED to eat when she woke up at night. I believe that was at her 6month check up actually. We would let her cry for a few minutes, go in and just rub her back and try to calm her. Do not pick him/her up though! And we used the pacifier as well. Would just put it in her mouth and it would usually sooth her. Then she was waking up for the paci. So I would put a bunch in her crib at night so she could find it when she woke up. After a few days she was mostly sleeping through the night! And so were we : ) It is hard to listen to them cry and you want to go in pick them up. Just be strong. And like I said after like 5 min you can go in and check on them. Try to sooth them. Good Luck!

Z.,

You are not doing anything wrong! It sounds like you are a very attentive and concerned mother, which is exactly what your baby needs. Most babies don't sleep through the night. Most babies need to be comforted by the one they love and trust to get to sleep. This is all normal.

I would suggest the book, The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley as a reference, but it sounds like you are already on the right track.

Good luck,
R.

5 months old isn't very old! if your child is successfully nursing that is a good thing and you two are a great team.
o.k. conventional wisdom (this now includes some pediatricians)is that you can't give an infant too much love. giving a child what he or she needs isn't spoiling so you have mothered your children well, not spoiled them. a 5-month old is still making the adjustment to this life. breast milk is crucial to the transition. the american academy of pediatrics now suggests breastfeeding for the first year for optimal health. maybe you can make adjustments to your schedule so you feel you have the time you need to give your baby the breastfeeding he needs. at 5 months a child can still needs to feel the comfort of being close to mom to fall asleep or to deal with any difficulty during the day.also a 5 month old is still growing by leaps and bounds which includes growth spurts, requiring more feeding.
your breast is never his pacifier. not the same at all. remember, a pacifier provides no nutrition only comfort. breastfeeding does both! there are many good breastfeeding books and having one or two of them around to support you might be very good. also seek out LaLeche League meetings--i think the closest one is in wall twp. this is a group of breastfeeding mothers who can offer support, suggestions and helpful tips. don't give up and don't think of formula as a way to help get you over the hump. i think you are doing a great job--having breastfeed both your children. some information and support will be a good thing. stay the course. you are stronger and wiser than you give yourself credit for. much love.

Well, my 5-month-old gets up at night every 2 to 3 hours to nurse too. He is breastfed but will take formula in a bottle if I step out.

I had to be on medicine for my sinuses for 15 days (and he had only formula then), and his sleeping was no different.

I think he needs to nurse to get back to sleep, probably, to some extent. We're in the same situation! With my daughter I just stopped nursing at 15 months, and then she slept. But, 5 months is so young. I'll just continue feeding him on demand for now. My son (3) eventually stopped needing milk at night, all on his own, somewhere over a year.

You are doing nothing wrong! This is normal. When you introdce solids at 6 months (no earlier!) the baby may go a little longer between feedings. Good luck!

This is always a hard question & I don't have an answer. I have a 6 month old & we are in the same boat.
I've been doing tons of research & getting conflicting advice. The only thing I've learned is that it comes down to what you can deal with. I couldn't sleep train -can't listen to crying for more then 5 mins. And I've been told babies who are breast feed aren't supposed to sleep through the night!
One resource I love is dr weissbluths book; happy baby, healthy sleep ( or something like that!)
It's insightful & I've gone from having a babe that wouldn't nap to a babe who does!
Hope that helps!

Best, J