5 month old whimpering at night - can I leave him??

[xbx13]

So my DS is 5 months old and whimpers several times during the night. I have up until this point been getting up to comfort him every time he whimpers but I'm finding that he is now waking every hour. I feel like he may have learnt that his whimpers bring me into the room... But that actually my being there isn't always necessary. His whimpers are very light and he in no way appears distressed. More fidgety and irritable. Last night for the first time I left him to whimper expecting him to eventually start crying when I didn't comfort him... But he actually ended falling back asleep each time himself. Now I'm worrying that not seeing to him is a bit cruel?!! Has anyone else had this experience and is leaving him to whimper okay??? Any advice would be much appreciated :)

I do what you do. We all have deep and light sleep, briefly wake and let out a groan and go back to sleep.

I did the same as you, full blown crying I’d go, but another squeak groans or whimpering I left

I’ve got baby twins and someone advised me that one survival tip is to ignore every sound that isn’t a cry. I’m having to ignore a fair bit anyway if I’m already sorting one baby and can’t get to the other one if they stir. It doesn’t seem to be doing them any harm!

I would definitely leave a slightly noisy but not unhappy baby.

Thank you all so much for your comments it makes me feel so much better about leaving him when he is not in distress :) think I was just wanting the reassurance that I wasn't doing anything wrong!!