5 month old sleep

[Abi138]

Hi all,

I’m hoping you can give me some advice in relation to my 5 month (almost 6) baby boy’s sleep.

At around 14 weeks he was sleeping well and started sleeping through the night (5 hours then a feed then another 5 hours)

However, since we hit the 4 month sleep regression, he hasn’t been sleeping well at all. To begin with he was waking every hour or two hours throughout the whole night wanting milk. So I started the pick up, put down method I read about online. When he cries I pick him up and rock him until he stops and then put him down again. Unless he needs milk which was around every 4 hours. This was working really well and within 5 minutes he was asleep again.

In the last week or so, he wakes up and screams much more loudly than normal and trying to resettle him in this way can go on for more than 20 minutes some times. He also is wanting milk more like every two hours throughout the night. What is a normal amount of time for an almost 6 month old to go without milk in the night?

My husband tries to help, but the majority of the time the baby just screams louder when DH tries to settle him during the night.

I should add that he sleeps in a completely dark room, in a sleep bag, in a next to me crib with white noise playing.

I’m exhausted. Does anyone have any advice please?

In my experience 5 months is a terrible time for sleep. Babies go through a big growth spurt plus tend to be developing at lightning speed in terms of becoming mobile, improving motor skills, babbling more etc. All of which means they are very hungry and their brains are working over-time! I don't think you say if you formula feed or breastfeed (sorry if I missed it) but if you bf then it's totally normal to still be doing night feeds, especially as you build up to a growth spurt since your baby will be upping supply again. All being well, especially as he was a good sleeper before, you will find this phase does pass. It is rubbish when you're in it though!

Hi Katniss,

Sorry should have said. I am breastfeeding. Thanks for your advice. Fingers crossed it passes soon then.

Sorry I’ve not got any useful advice but my 5 month old is the same; @KatnissK has given me some reassurance tho

@Abi138 4-5m was the worst, then it improved at 6m and now (9m) it is starting to be bearable. Still BF 3-4x at night though, but no screaming. Eat, sleep on. Good luck!

@ZooKeeper19 - thanks for sharing. It’s good to hear others have similar experiences and that there is light at the end of the tunnel! I’m glad it improved for you

@user1493413286 fingers crossed it improves soon for both of us. Sleep deprivation sucks! Yes I agree. What @KatnissK said was definitely reassuring. Just have to remember after what feels like the hundredth wake of the evening that he is just so tiny still. Hope it improves for you soon.

I'm glad it was reassuring! Honestly found that stage harder than newborn- you expect a newborn to wake up all the time but by 5 months you feel like your baby should be close to sleeping through, if not sleeping through consistently. I had a rubbish sleeper and a good sleeper and they both went through this. It's tough. I realise I didn't actually offer any advice so mine would be: for you, lots of cake and nap when/if you can and with your baby just keep being consistent about nighttime, which I'm sure you're doing anyway, and hopefully it will pass soon!