Seeking Advice on Sleep Habits

try puttting her to bed earlier. It sounds counterintuitive, but it worked for me. My daughter used to go to between 8-9pm as well. As she got older, I started putting her down earlier and she miracuolously slept better all night. Now, we read books between 6:30-7 and she is fast asleep by 7 and doesn't wake up all night.

While I'm a big fan of teaching babies to soothe themselves, I think that an hour of crying is too long for a 5 month old. It sounds like teething and/or developmental milestones. Tooth buds can really hurt, a little before teeth show up. And learning to roll over and sit up are two HUGE wake up times for babies, and she's right in the middle of that! For those situations, usually doctors don't recommend leaving babies to cry for a long time. Quick soothing techniques, and nursing/feeding as well, with help with both of them.

Teeth hurt, and nursing makes them feel a little better. And learning to do new stuff is scary, and being with mom or dad makes a baby feel more secure. As our little ones go through new stages, they sleep horribly sometimes! She'll get back on track soon. (And then back off again later!) When my son learned to roll over, I had to go in and turn him back on his back at least 10 times a night for 2 straight weeks! And we had already allowed him to cry it out a little before that. But letting kids cry it out goes hand in hand with listening carefully and choosing when you do need to help. (Like at Thanksgiving for you- that space was just what she needed, right?)

All that being said, I think it's totally fine to wait through a little grumpy fussing most of the time. That's different than crying for a long time!

Also, consider letting her sleep in the morning. I know you are missing her terribly, and want to nurse nurse nurse. But for now, maybe a bottle of breast milk will be better for her. Don't forget to pump though. She'll probably rearrange her schedule as she gets older, and want that nursing time again! And I really agree with the mom who said to put her to bed earlier! My son is almost a year old, and still goes to bed before 7 each night. And he sleeps over 12 hours, without waking up! (Except for teeth and milestones...) Putting her to be earlier with also help her wake up for that nursing time with you.

Mine are about the age. Could she be teething? My son started screaming at the top of his lungs (while still asleep) 2 x per night, and I just continued the same routine of not picking him up (unless he couldn't breathe or was sopping) and he stopped. He was also waking himself up due to rolling over and not being able to get back. now he can, so he sleeps through. good luck!
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It sounds like a growth spurt. She could just need the extra to help increase your milk supply. Also, have you tried giving her a binky. She just may need to suck on something to get back down. I wouldn't let her use you for that. That is a habit you don't want to start. I would continue to nurse her before work. It could help her and you. But definitely try a pacifier. Both my kids were breastfed and lived for their binkies.

Hi J.,

As you have probably read a million times on the requests babies sleep patterns will change many times over their first year. As you said it could be a number of things, but since it started when you went back to work it could be separation. As you have probably read sometimes an early bedtime is much more restful then a late bedtime. When babies become overtired they have a much more restless sleep. First, is she having cereal in the evening or in the mornings or both? I would try cereal around dinner time and then nurse her before bed. I would try to move her bedtime to much earlier then 9 around 7 or so. Try to put her down awake because when babies are put to sleep a certain way other then on their own,when they wake during the night they usually look for the same process to put them back to sleep (rocking, nursing, etc). If you are interested in sleep training the secret is not to let them cry for an hour only checking on them once. You should put her in awake and when she begins to cry you can rub her back for a minute then leave the room. You should go in and check her every five minutes telling her you are there and you love her and try to use the same words like night night and leave. Continue to check and reassure her every five minutes or so until she falls asleep on her own. When you let them cry for an hour and then go in to get them the only message they will receive is if I keep this up long enough eventually she will give in and get me. This will make the crying go on even longer. I think that is probably the biggest problem parents face when they say crying it out doesn't work because they eventually can't stand the crying, give in, and pick the baby up. When you sleep train it is important that your baby knows that you are there and not abandoning them. I know your probably going to get many responses telling you not to make them cry it is harmful, however I did it with my kids and I know many parents who have and their kids are perfectly fine, well adjusted, children and in my case adults. I must tell you it is not an easy process it is very difficult to listen to your baby cry and it is truly personal choice but it does work. I always looked at it as a gift of teaching your child to rely on themselves for comfort and to sleep independently. Trust me they will not hate you in the morning. If sleep training is done properly it should be over in three nights and by the fourth night you should be able to kiss your precious baby girl goodnight and have her fall asleep on her own. Also, make sure you have the same routine each night, children are creatures of habit, they crave consistency so doing the same routine at night really helps. Good luck I hope this helps. Have a happy holiday.

I think you said it yourself. It's probably a combo of missing you, growing(so maybe being hungry), teething and any number of other normal things.
Maybe I'm not the best to respond since I didn't have to get up and go to work, but at five months I still nursed and did pretty much anything and everthing else on demand, even if it was in the middle of the night.
Since about 11 months (she's 20 months now) my daughter has been a great, sleeps 12 hours straight at night, sleeper.
No matter what you do (let cry, rock, nurse, etc.) you won't ruin her forever. She might just need you a little more right now for whatever reason and she can eventually get back on a easier schedule for you. Before you no it she'll want to do everthing on her own, so enjoy her needing you now.

J.,

I have almost the same issue. My daugher is 5 1/2 months old, and she also recently started crying really hard after she realized that she was in crib alone. It could be to do with teething, or separation anxiety. She also started to recognize mom, and became very upset(crying) if I left her with strangers for long. My husband and I both works, so I have given up trying to get her to sleep in her crib, and let her sleep with us now. We are both not the Let-her-cry-and-learn-to-sooth-herself type. And there are times I think I am spoiling her for letting her co-sleep with us, but she is so little and helpless when she feels lonely.

I hope this phase will pass, and we will try to use the Christmas/New Year break to get her to sleep in her crib. I used to be so proud of her as she could sleep on her own from 8 to 8 with only one feeding.

S.

Both of my boys did this when I went back to work. The pediatrician said it was just their way of getting to spend time with me. It ended up that I could put them to bed at 10 or 11 when I went to bed, and then the first time they woke up, we would go and sleep in the guest room (I nursed). If they woke up again I could just feed them. Then my husband would wake me up in the morning (ideally without waking the baby).
I can't remember how long this went on, but it was a couple months at least.
Good luck to you!
Good luck to you.

Hi J.

I have a 7 month old boy and have encountered much of the same. I am finding that he is a creature of habit - Once he does something for a few days in a row, thats his new schedule....
I have found that the trick is to get him back to sleep as fast as possible by what ever means necessary. If this means nursing in the middle of the night, so be it, after one or two days of this he sleeps through the night again. Letting him stay up to scream just keeps him up at night so that he has to catch up on his sleep during the day which gives him the energy to stay up screaming the next night. Creates a vicious cycle.

Also, make sure you reconnect with her every night when you get home from work. Spend at least 1/2 an hour concentrating on just her so that she doesn't feel that she has to scream in the middle of the night to get some cuddles. (Not saying that she's lacking for cuddles, just give her extra special cuddle time! :)

I would contine to wake her at 6:30 for a feeding because this is the schedule you want her to keep, so keep that up, the rest of her schedule will need to adjust to that.

As far as sleeping in the crib, my son would definately prefer to sleep on my bed and if he falls asleep there, I have to make sure that he is really asleep before transferring him to his crib. However, I can get him to fall asleep in his crib as long as he's tired and full with a little back rubbing and as long as he knows I'm there. I'm still working on that myself. Luckily, once he's asleep in there he rarely wakes up.

Good luck!!

She is only 5 months old. Feed her! It is absolutely normal for a baby this age to wake up once or twice at night for a feeding. And babies go through cycles where their sleeping habits change. What you are describing often happens around this age. It's a transitional time when babies often start waking up again. Sometimes they need to eat again at night, even if they have previously been sleeping all night. Just go to her and feed her when she wakes up at 3 am (or whenever it is). It's totally normal. My son is 10 months and sometimes he wakes up once at night if he is teething. Your daughter is old enough for teething to start. She may have some teething pain or be going through a growth spurt and genuinely be hungry. Either way, breastfeeding once or twice at night is only going to do her good.
Also, try putting her to bed earlier. I have been putting my 10 month old son to bed at 7 since he was about 4 or 5 months old, and that seems to work well for us. For whatever reason, babies sleep longer the earlier they go to sleep.
And don't wake her up early in the morning either. She needs her sleep and it sounds like she is overtired and that is why she is having trouble napping. If she is not awake, pump some milk for her and then she can drink that when she wakes up.
She is also a little young for sleep training. You should not let her cry for so long. She is too young and it will only make things worse at this age. My son has never been a good napper either and it took me a lot longer to get him to nap on his own than it did to get him to fall asleep on his own at night. Just be patient and let her grow up a little more before you try letting her cry.