My 5month old baby just won’t sleep right through?

[KLD95]

Hi guys, I’m after a little bit of advice and guidance if possible.
I’m wondering how I encourage my son to sleep through the night as I’m wanting him to be sleeping through before he goes into his own bedroom.
He wakes anything from 6.20am and we get up. He has an hour nap around 8am until 9am. He then has a bottle of 8ozs. He then has a yoghurt/rusk at 11am.
He’ll nap around 12 for about 15-20 mins.
Again he’ll cue for a feed at 1. He’ll have a bottle and some puréed veg.
We’ll play until he’s tired and hungry. He will then nap around 4.30 until 5, hell then have a feed.
We’ll play or go for a walk and bath at 7pm-7.30pm and then I’m trying my hardest to keep him awake past 8pm. We even had him awake past 9 one night this week and he still woke up.
I have tried him with a rusk before bed which seems to help him go that little bit longer but he’s still waking at 3-4.30. I’ll feed him and put him down and then he wakes at 6.

I totally understand that sleeping from anything past 8 until 6 is brilliant but it’s not right through? I don’t mind getting up at 5am if he sleeps right through as I can expect him to sleep for long periods of time. Thanks x

Your expectations are a bit high for the age of your child. As PP said, sleeping through for most children at that age means 11-6 (and even that is good going!)

It's a developmental thing. They reckon babies wake up so much because it's protective against SIDS, which is why breastfeeding (they tend to wake more for feeds) and having them sleep in your room (you disturb them more) is protective.

I also agree with PP, he sounds overtired. They're supposed to have 14 hours of sleep a day at that age, including about four/five hours of daytime sleep, spread across three naps. You've described much less than that. He may need more day time sleep, it's important for development, albeit less convenient for adults. Try to concern yourself less with when he sleeps and more with how much he sleeps.

Everyone has given you good advice. They hardly ever sleep through at 5 months. My first started around 2 years old. My 2nd is 20 months now and last night did 7pm to 12am, had a feed (breast still) then back to sleep until 6am. I was delighted with that !

Doesn't sound like enough day time sleep. My little one was having 3 naps till 7 months. 2 longer 1.5 hour+ and 1 of 30 mins.

She started sleeping through and dropped night feeds at 8.5-9 months.

I wouldn't exact a 5 month old to sleep through.

It’s too early for most babies to sleep through at that age, they will still want a feed during the night. It’s tough, I know, but you will get your sleep back at some point. Right now is just not the time. As a pp said ditch the rusk and don’t keep you’re baby awake longer, it’s really not recommended. Babies wake during the night, often well past 5 months. It’s just something you need to accept. Some babies do sleep through at this age but that tends to have happened naturally, not because it was enforced by the parents.

Is baby ready for all that food? I think the advice is earliest 6 months and when baby is showing all signs of readiness.
I don't know how to say this without sounding super critical but your setting him up for a lifetime of gut problems /food intolerances. I'd recommend focusing on fixing that before you start worrying about rushing him into his own room when he's effectively sleeping through the night anyway.

It's been years since I had a 5 month old but from memory my babies all slept way more than yours during the day, surely a baby needs a good sleep after lunch, a few naps isn't enough for healthy sleep patterns is it?

My little one is 10 months. He still doesn't sleep through - he doesn't want milk he just wants cuddles.

Is there a reason he's having food? Is it just to try and make him sleep for longer?

Your baby sleeps a lot better than my 8 month old At least one wake up a night is normal and expected.

Food is for fun until one!

How it 8pm - 6am not sleeping through the night?! He’s 5 months old. He sleeps better than my 3 year old. None of my 3 have slept through the night before 18 months. My 3 year old is better but not consistant. Your expectations for a 5 month old are completely unrealistic.

And yes, stop feeding him rusks (or any food for a bit, really).

Food is for fun until one!

Maybe that's the latest trendy soundbite but I had my first child when all babies were routinely weaned at 4 months as you yourself probably were, it will be very interesting to see if later weaning makes any future measurable health differences.

That is better sleep that I could have ever dreamed of at that age. Sorry to be blunt, he's a baby and he is sleeping brilliantly. Be grateful.

I agree with all the good advice you've had:

1. lower your expectations
2. baby is overtired, allow more naps and move bedtime earlier
3. ditch the rusks
4. slow your roll on solids and give more milk, that is a LOT of solids and comparatively little milk for a 5mo.

Honestly, one wake up at five months is brilliant. I know it's exhausting but it sounds to me like you have a great sleeper.

Maybe that's the latest trendy soundbite but I had my first child when all babies were routinely weaned at 4 months as you yourself probably were, it will be very interesting to see if later weaning makes any future measurable health differences.

There is an extraordinarily large amount of people with allergies and intolerances, gut problems and years research by experts who know more than you just because you weaned a kid once who have linked earlier weaning to these things.
Research changes our understanding, just like smoking was once said to be good for you.

I would have killed for that with all my kids! Your baby sounds like a really good sleeper and is in an excellent routine.

Food is fun until 1 is nonsense - babies need solid food for nutrition by 6 months.

Also late weaning is linked to allergies - weaning between 4-6 months means less chance of allergies.

Maybe that's the latest trendy soundbite but I had my first child when all babies were routinely weaned at 4 months as you yourself probably were, it will be very interesting to see if later weaning makes any future measurable health differences.

What the 'food is for fun until one' slogan means is that until about age one, most of the nutrition they need comes from milk, rather than food, which is true enough.

However, people often interpret it as meaning that food before one doesn't matter, which is not true, because food after six months is very important for iron content. Also, the learning to chew and swallow bit is quite important too, as is dealing with different textures. There are also other reasons it's important, but I can't remember them.

@CaryStoppins weaning between 4-6 months means less chance of allergies.

Actually this is apparently the reason so many people have allergies and gut problems today. Weaning after 6 months reduces chances

Perhaps reading around development might help you adjust your expectations. It’s very rare for a 5 month old baby to sleep the amount you want them to. Also your baby is still on the young side for the solid food that’s being given. Your baby will sleep through even he/she is developmentally ready.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12180052

There are legitimate arguments on both sides of the weaning-before-six-months debate.

@princesstwinkle no, late weaning does not reduce the chances of allergies, it increases them.
There aren't any health risks associated with weaning between 4 and 6 months.
There are health risks associated with early weaning before 4 months - gut problems, poor nutrition and increased infections - but not higher risk of allergies.
There's plenty of research available online if you want to look it up.

Mine woke roughly every hour and a half to feed at that age. I would have cried with joy if we’d had one night wake!

I would probably put him to bed earlier and try a dream feed between 11 and 12. At this age milk is the most calorie dense and nutritious thing they can be having so I would avoid trying to fill him up on empty carbs like rusks. I don’t think there is any massive issues with weaning a bit early if they are showing signs of readiness but I wouldn’t expect food to be replacing milk and it can actually make them more unsettled as it digests differently.

Food is for fun until one does not mean that it isn’t important. It means that you shouldn’t give too much too soon and milk should be the main source of nutrition

Hardly any babies sleepy through at 5 months, even those who do usually regress at some stage. Of course you here the sorrows of those that do but they stand out as they are rare