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Babies: 3 - 6 Months
stewz
member
5 month old sleep ?
stewz
member
Ds isn't sleeping through the night. Which is ok, i'm just not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
We do bath, bottle, and in bed/asleep by 7. He then was waking up around 11:30-12 to eat, then again around 4-4:30 and then again around 6:30 up for the day. So, we were like maybe if we dream feed him earlier he'll sleep longer. So, the past 2-3 nights DH is dream feeding him around 10. Which now he's waking up for. Then waking up at 3 and then like 5 he gets a little restless and is pretty much awake at 6. So, here's the thing. When he wakes up he's starving. He sucks down all 6 ounces so I don't necessarily think it's habit but I just don't see dropping a feeding b/c he's so hungry.
He's also flipping himself over on his stomach and waking up b/c it makes him mad. Any ideas or suggestions (not cry it out) on how to get this little man to sleep a little longer b/c i'm feeling pretty worn out.
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Re: 5 month old sleep ?
Really it is normal for a 5 month old to not STTN. Sorry the dream feed didn't work how you had planned. Maybe cut that out again, and see if your LO goes back to the previous sleep schedule. Also, if he is flipping onto his stomach, maybe try laying him down onto his stomach to sleep? I know you said he wakes up when he flips, but he might just the motion of flipping that is waking him up, not the actual tummy sleep?
This is our schedule too, except DS is taking enough formula during the day to now make it from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. without eating. He still wakes between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. for a diaper change, but he goes right back to sleep. He is also rolling and scooting all over the place, so he does tend to wake up if he bumps his head or puts a hand/foot through the slats of his crib.
Quite honestly, from everything I have read and from what lots of people have told me, this is a pretty good reality for this age range. I know it stinks, and we all want more sleep time, but you do have it pretty good with that schedule.
In terms of eliminating the feeding at 4:00, I would try bumping up DS's intake at 11:00 and see if you can get in an extra ounce or so. You'll know pretty quickly if (a) he will take the extra milk, and (b) if he still really needs to eat at the 4:00 time slot. If he really still needs to eat, and it kind of sounds like you think he does, then I would keep on the schedule you established.
Then I would invest in a high powered coffee pot!
Good luck from another sleepy momma!!!!
DD is very similar. She goes to bed at 8, up at 11 and 4 and up for the day around 7. I would stop the dream feed, it doesn't work for every baby and know that 2 MOTN feedings really isn't bad. He'll figure out to stop rolling soon, DD only did it once an it seems like she scared herself enough to not do it!
I'm sorry, it's rough! I haven't had more than 6 hours straight of sleep since before she was born but I know it'll happen sometime! I hear a lot of women have luck right around 6 months, maybe it's the solids or just the age where sleep comes a little easier but we're close!
DD is doing the tummy flipping too and she used to STTN but now her schedule is a lot like your DS. I don't dream feed and you can try to stop doing that. I know your tired mama, but understand that this is completely normal. It sounds like you are doing everything right and keep up on feeding him when he is hungry. Remember that this only temporary and soon he will be a teenager and you will not be able to get him to STOP sleeping.
This is about 4 month wakefuls, but I think it would be a useful read for you:
https://kellymom.com/parenting/nighttime/4mo-sleep/
Our 5 month old just started sleeping better and dropped from 2 MOTN feedings (12/1ish and 4/5ish) to 1 feeding, which is now more of an early morning feeding (around 5am).
I think a few things helped us. I read Ferber, and used some of the ideas, but ultimately was not comfortable doing CIO.
1) We opted for "fuss it out," and discovered the our LO would fuss for 10-15 min at the first MOTN feeding time, but would never reach a full on cry, and go back to sleep.
2) We switched up our bedtime routine. LO was good at going to sleep when put down drowsy, but often fell asleep while having his last bottle. I worked on keeping him awake and then singing him a song and reading a book before putting him down, so he didn't suck to sleep. I also phased out the swaddle (one arm, then no arms), stopped giving him his paci, and stopped using his soother light. It took a few weeks to get rid of it all, and there was some crying. But I knew he could go to sleep on his own, so I was comfortable with this. I do think it helped him learn how to go to sleep on his own, without sleep "props" and helped him be able to go back to sleep for night wake ups without us.
3) We cut his MOTN feeding down to 5 oz, then 4 oz. We were prepared to keep cutting it, but he dropped the feeding on his own before we needed to. We now are doing the same for his 5am feeding, since we get him up at 7am anyway and feed him. Eventually, I'm hoping he'll decide he doesn't want the 5am feed either, but we'll see...
My son started sleeping through the night every night right about 5 months. Prior to that, he was down at 7:30 and awake for a full feeding (starving, like yours) around 3:30, and then asleep again until maybe 7. Then suddenly, he just stopped needing that feeding. Knock on wood, but it's been maybe a week and a half with STTN from 7:30 to 7:30.
My advice is just to wait...sorry, I know it's hard, but he will get there eventually.
Or else, when you hear him start fussing, give him a little time to settle down...wait until he is definitely for sure starting to cry before going in. He might just wake up, talk to himself for a while, then fall back asleep. This is what PP referred to as "fuss it out." My son did this this past weekend...I let him softly fuss for about 20 minutes, then he fell asleep and slept another several hours like an angel.