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Sleep

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Original poster

5 mth old still not sleeping through the night

23 replies

scecdc · 05/03/2007 22:35

Hi my 5 month old is still waking between 4 and 5am for a small feed we have tried several methods but no luck have you any ideas?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Frizbe · 05/03/2007 22:38

Can you try/have you tried a dream feed at say 11pm, to see if this works instead?

Tinker · 05/03/2007 22:39

I'd feed him/her. It's very normal (although very tiring )

moondog · 05/03/2007 22:39

What's the problem?
They are little and need feeding,that is all there is to it.

Gingeme · 05/03/2007 22:54

True moondog. None of mine did till they were atleast 6-7 months old. My lo is 4.5 months and most nights wakes about 4 am for a feed. Sorry but you'll just have to persivere

SaucyMoo · 05/03/2007 22:55

5 month is not that old....i would chill if i was you!

EliSpence · 05/03/2007 22:59

Have you tried waking them for a 11pm/midnight feed...just so you get at least 6 hours or so? That worked for me and then eventually phased it out. My 5.5 month old now sleeps from 7pm til 6.30 ish ( well for the moment) !!!!

mumfor1standfinaltime · 05/03/2007 23:00

Sounds like your little one is doing well to wake at this time, eventually the time will stretch to 6am/7am which feels more like morning!
Ds slept through from 6 weeks - from 7 til about 4 to 5am, I do remember that I used to get up at this time and 'act like it was morning'.
This made him have a nice long nap during the day! (and me too!)
Personally I wouldn't do a dream feed, have never done one, doesn't feel right to partially wake a baby to feed it - just sleep when you can, go to bed earlier and tape your fave tv!

katelyle · 05/03/2007 23:10

He's 5 months old - he's got a tiny tummy - he needs to be fed.

hillary · 05/03/2007 23:38

Yes he obviously still needs his early feed, you cannot deniy him of it! He'l let you know when its time to stop.

I used to do the 5am feed put my dd back to bed and stay up myself, get dressed have cup of tea etc.. then you can be out and about by 9 at the latest!

Get an early night

kama · 05/03/2007 23:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Spidermama · 05/03/2007 23:45

Yes I agree with moondog, just for a change,

Mine didn't really sleep through 'til they were around the 12 month mark on average. I had them in bed with me so that I could just feed them without having to properly wake up.

It gets you down though, with your sleep being interupted every night. Could you try to force yourself to go to bed earlier or have a daytime forty winks?

colditz · 05/03/2007 23:46

my method would be to feed him

milkymill · 06/03/2007 10:37

Hi there, it's obviously a problem for you otherwise you wouldn't be posting here for advice! It may well just be a habit at this age, is your lo weaned yet? Does he/she have a dummy?

DetentionGrrrl · 06/03/2007 10:41

if he's not waking before that time, i'd say count your blessings! he is still small.

DS is 8 and half mths, and has slept through to 5am 3 times in the last fortnight- but is now having a hard time with a new tooth, and is waking twice again

yomellamoHelly · 06/03/2007 10:54

Depends what your approach has been and for how long, I think, With ds1 I did't even know he was meant to be capable of sleeping through til he was 4 months and I was psyching myself up for weaning. Took another 5 months to break the habit. With ds2 I had this as a goal from the start and he slept through (excl. dreamfeed) from just over 6 weeks. With both I would try and settle them by some other means (shush/pat, cuddle, dummy, cbw) twice and if I had to get up a third time I would then feed. I would also leave it a few minutes to see if they settled themselves before going in. Think you just have to persevere with whichever approach you choose. My aim was always to try and extend the time between feeds and make the 7 am feed a biggie.

Original poster

scecdc · 10/03/2007 13:34

hi thanks every one i have tried all ideas really i wake her at 11pm for a feed but struggle to get her to drink it at 5 she has about 50ml max and then hardly any when she wakes at 7 i'd never deprive her of the feed if she's hungry i'll give it to her as she is small for her age and not a big drinker either,she is on 3 small solid feeds a day now, just hard as all my friends with babies the same age have slept through from 3 months one even from 3 weeks!

OP posts:

cruisemum1 · 10/03/2007 13:47

scecdc - oh Blah to those friends babies. I bet they aren't as gorgeous as yours

Boco · 10/03/2007 13:49

My dd2 still doesn't sleep through the night and she's 2! At 5 months she was waking every 3 hours, so your baby sounds amazing!

Original poster

scecdc · 10/03/2007 18:53

thanks for that its comforting to hear that we're not the only one EC is my first, im qualified and experienced in child care but nothing prepares you for feeling like a failure and that you think you're doing everything wrong when those particular health visitors say 'she shouldn't have any night feeds! no baby should feed in the night from 6 months' I know thats obviously nonsense now and i won't expect i'll listern to her next time!

OP posts:

bighug · 20/03/2007 21:13

Mine is 5months on Friday and waking 2 or 3 times in night before 7am. My HV yesterday advised me NOT to try and get rid of night feeds until at least six months. I was psyching myself up to try and eliminate night feeds this week and then saw her yesterday and now have decided to accept it for a little while longer. DS2 only weighs 13lbs at 21 weeks so perhaps still needs the milk round the clock.
It is hard when all your friend's babies are doing it though - that happened with my first baby and I just felt so jealous!! But every baby is different and for every baby who sleeps through at 6 weeks (none of mine!) there will be ones that still wake for feeds at 12months.

margo1974 · 20/03/2007 21:22

Is s/he waking for a long time?

My little one has had a few nights where she has gone straight through but is waking up again. Personally, if they don't keep you awake too long, then it wouldn't bother me.

At the moment she is awake 15-20 mins to feed and does this about twice a night.

I have also stopped giving formula as a top up to b/f. One of the reasons why she is not getting so full.

CaptainCaveman · 20/03/2007 21:25

Poor you, I guess you don't want to hear how many of our babies still don't sleep through the night......
However, it will get better in time and I promise you'll hardly remember the constant knackeredness

margo1974 · 20/03/2007 21:27

I also made a point of not saying when my DD2 first slept through the night, as I can remember how deflated I felt when 2 other mums were crowing at how well their LOs slept at 6 weeks.

It doesn't have any bearing on how they will sleep later on. DD1 is very good now at going to bed (8-8) and if she's inclined to go to sleep on a daytime nap, I have to wake her otherwise she'd sleep late into the evening

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