Getting 5 month old to sleep earlier

[EMILYSSTAR]

Hi all, so looking for some advice or tips on how to get my 5 almost 6 month old to go to sleep earlier.

Currently he wakens about 8am, naps around 10.30 and again around 2.30. He is the bathed and taken straight to bed, read a book, fed and put down normally about 7.30. However he then only sleeps for around 30-40mons and wakens up totally awake until around 10om when he will finally go down for the night (all be it with multiple feeds)

Any advice on how to get him to stay down at 7.30. I should note he is EBF and we ahve just started to introduce sime solids in the last few days

I think it’s pretty normal for them to still wake for night-feeds at that age. I think one wake up a night is pretty good going and expecting him to sleep straight through for 12 hours at 5 months old is possibly unrealistic.

But am so right in understanding that he’s awake for 2 hours during that wake up? That must be very frustrating! What do you do when he wakes up? I find it’s easier to get DD back to sleep quickly if I make sure there is minimal stimulation when she wakes in the night, so no lights, no talking, minimal eye contact, etc. And then when she wakes in the morning I make a big show of turning the lights on and saying good morning etc so she gets the distinction.

Sorry don't think I have bee. Very clear.

He still wakes multiple times during the night which I don't mind as he is still small and will grow out of it.

What I am trying to tmstoo is when I out him down at night ariu f 7.30ish he only really has a 30 min nap and is then wide awake until around 10. I ahve payed about with putting him down slightly later to see if that helps but doesn't make a difference.

When he wakens at this time I have tried just going in and shushing, have tried leaving him to see. If he will go back to sleep but he just plays with his dummy and then cries eventually and I have tried nursing him but he just won't go back down until 10pm ish.

Ah, sorry I didn’t read your OP properly!

I’m guessing really but maybe he’s just not properly tired enough to go to bed at 7:30pm. You could maybe try waking him up a bit earlier in the mornings or reducing his nap times in the day to see if he’ll sleep longer at night. I think you might have to decide if you want a lie in or your evening to yourself and try to adjust his bedtime/wake up time accordingly.

If it’s any consolation, my DDs sleep was terrible from around 4-6 months but then it gradually got much easier as she went into her own room and started eating more solids, she’s 9 months now and most nights she wakes up either once or not at all.

Thank you for your advice. I will give either gettinhg him up earlier or shortening the afternoon nap a bit to see if it helps.

Hoping going on to solids might help a bit too

Fingers crossed! The lack of sleep is really hard I know, but it won’t last forever I promise.

Out of interest how long is his 2.30 afternoon nap?

Afternoon nap is around 1.5-2hours, morning nap is around 30 mins

10pm to 8am is a reasonable length of time at night (I realise he is waking for feeds). Mine were often doing 8-6 (with feeds) so similar. I think if you want tp change it you need to gradually wake earlier in the morning and shift the whole routine, as he thinks 7.30 is nap 3. Friends have said good things about Huckleberry app for sleep routines, although mine were always more random.

When my little one was your boy's age those wake times would have been far far too long. Many (not all) people find that too long a wake window leads to worse sleep at night.

Mine is 8 months this week and her max wake time is 2 hours 45 and that is the evening time before bed. She usually is awake 2 hours in the morning then nap at 9/9.30 (45 minutes). Then 2 hours 15 awake before lunchtime nap around 12/12.30 (1-2 hours). Then 2 hours 15 awake before afternoon nap about 4pm(ish) (45 minutes) then bed by 7.30/8. She will then sleep most nights until 7am.

When she was 5/6 months, those wake times would be around 1 hr 45 and 2 hours max.

You would have nothing to lose by trying decreasing his wake time between naps and see if that makes any difference.

Agree with PP who mentioned the huckleberry app, we found it really useful to help get into a routine and to get the ‘awake windows’ right

Thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated