5 month old waking frequently through the night

[Keeny1]

Hello, I wondered if anyone had any advice. My little boy has just started waking more frequently during the night. It takes a few goes to get him down at the start of the night with him waking evey 30 mins or so. Then he wakes every few hours. Its exhausting! I constantly feel tired. I wondered if this might improve?

How does he go from awake to asleep at bedtime?

What are his daytime naps usually like?

This exact thing happened to me at 5 months and I figured the 4 month regression hit me late - it will pass but I know it’s tough x

I have a bedtime routine which involves a bath then breast feeding him in a dark room. He just seems to fall asleep and wake not long after.🤦🏻‍♀️

Thanks that reassuring to know!

My 5 month old is doing the exact same thing. I also want to try and stop her breastfeeding to sleep as only I can get her to sleep at the moment.

@user1508013898 just a word of warning, a friend of mine stopped feeding to sleep because she wanted others to put her baby to bed but her baby still wanted her to put her to bed regardless! So then she had to make more effort getting the baby to sleep. Sometimes they just want mum when they’re that young (obviously not on all cases). Good luck x

Yep tried leaving her the other night and she wasn't for settling. It's not so I can out as such it's so I can spend some time with my 3 year old at bedtime too. I know this phase will pass but my 3 year old would only settle to sleep breast feeding until she was gone 2. I don't want this to happen again

Oh of course! Plenty of reasons why people might want to stop feeding to sleep, some will want the odd evening out too and that is totally ok IMO! It’s so hard when they’re so reliant on you for bedtime so totally know how you feel (except I don’t have the 3 year old as well!)

I have a bedtime routine which involves a bath then breast feeding him in a dark room. He just seems to fall asleep and wake not long after

Are you putting baby in the cot already asleep? If so, that's likely to be a large part of the reason for frequent wakes. You want baby to go to sleep where he stays asleep. It's why feeding to sleep and cosleeping go together, because baby goes to sleep cuddles close to you and stays cuddles close all night. If you want baby staying asleep in the cot, you could do with teaching baby to go to sleep in there. Have you tried a dummy?

I am in the exact same position. My lo was 5 months yesterday and has been going through what I presume is the 4 month sleep regression for the past 3 weeks.

She has never been a good sleeper as she would always wake every 2-3 hours prior to this phase, but as I bf I always took it as part of the deal. However since the regression hit she on average wakes between every 40-90 mins, 6-10 times a night after the dream feed at 11pm

I've ruled out hunger as she rarely shows an interest in feeding before 4-5am, and I'm pretty much convinced the issue is her dummy addiction. I wish I'd never given it to her.

We tried to go cold turkey a week ago as I literally threw it across the room after the 20th+ time of putting it back in. I swear to god the hysterics we endured over that 24 hours were nothing short of rediculous and in the end we had to cave slightly just so that she would get some sleep. She doesnt even have it outside of bedtime, but she just will not settle without it

I've started trying to sleep coach her in putting her to sleep "sleepy but not asleep", which is completely hit and miss. Sometimes she will do it, others she fights it in a downward spiral. I've also started pulling the dummy out as she drifts off in hopes that she will become less dependant over time, but to be honest I'm clutching at straws now!

I just feel like such a failure at times, that I'm not giving her the right tools to be able to settle herself. I will keep persevering but I don't know how much longer my sanity will hold out!

If anyone has any tips I would also be grateful to here them, or share a bottle of gin!

My DS started waking frequently from 5 months old. I figure it was the 4 month regression hitting a month late. I wish I had known about this website/blog at the time:
www.babysleepscience.com/single-post/2014/03/12/The-Four-Month-Sleep-Regression-What-is-it-and-What-can-be-Done-About-it
They have a downloadable advice guide which is $10 I think. But also lots of free advice on their blog.