5 Month Old Still Not Sleeping Through Night.

If you are bottle feeding, have you tried adding cereal to her bottle? I have 3 kids and had to bottle feed them all. They all had cereal in their bottle...my oldest slept through @ 3 weeks old, then my son and my youngest at about 2 months old.

Good luck!

~ S.

My daughter never slept for more than an hour at a time until she was 15 months old. At 18 months should progressed to 2 hours at a time.

Now at 3, she only wakes 1-2 times a night.

Some kids just don't sleep, some do.

I really recommend "the no cry sleep solution" book. It has great advice for teaching the babies how to self soothe... in a gentle, non crying manner. It did wonders for us in getting DD to fall asleep again without nursing.

hi V.. I read some of the other responses and im not sure i agree with the not adding cereal to the bottle. My doctor advised me to do it with my first son because the formula it self wasnt holding him over and he wanted to eat every 2 hours so when i finally did he slept 7 to 8 hours a night. IF that isnt something your comfortable with thats ok. Try maybe gettin some more formula in during the day. Not letting her sleep that long without eating. I hope this advice helps

Have you tried the devices that are out there that have sounds that resemble the womb.

Hi. Infants are not born fully neurologically developed. The only way this happens is by human touch. It's painful for a young infant to be away from mommy for that long. Don't you prefer to sleep next to someone (rather than alone)? If you do this when they're very young they'll be more independent when they're older. I slept with my son until he was nearly 2. As soon as I got him his own bed he loved it and never looked back.

Also, my son only recently started sleeping through the night at 3 YEARS old. Some kids are just light sleepers, or get legitimately hungry in the middle of the night. I hope this helps. :)

Babies sleep through the night when their brains are chemically ready. Some will sleep 6-8 hrs at night at 6 weeks, others won't do it for 3 years!

So your problem is that she wants to sleep with you? Is that really so bad? This time of their life is so short, they grow up so fast and soon enough won't need you at all! I say bring her to bed with you if that helps her sleep longer. She is still so young and needs to feel secure while she sleeps. I know some kids sleep fine on their own, but others don't. You have to know what your child needs. When she's sleeping longer you can try moving her to a crib. Try putting her crib right up next to your bed with the rail down so it is an extention to your side of the bed. Sounds like you might be nursing and you can easily nurse and swaddle her up and move her to the crib if you don't want her next to you. If you are not nursing, putting cereal in their bottle does not make them sleep longer. They only sleep longer when they are ready. When they are ready but having trouble, you can help them learn to fall back asleep when they wake up, but for the first year or so, if they need to eat, they should eat.

My son has always slept with us and still does. He woke up for night nursing several times a night until he was 21-22 mos old. I believe this is longer than most kids go, but we waited it out. Then he stopped on his own and started sleeping through the night! On his own schedule. Now at 29 mos he sleeps 8-9 hours at night and naps 2-3 hrs in the afternoon.

from: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-sleep.html

Will giving formula or solids at night help baby to sleep better?

The idea that solids will help your baby sleep is an old wives' tale that has been disproven by medical studies. Feeding your baby solids or formula in an attempt to make baby sleep longer is not a good idea for several reasons:

There's no evidence that it will help. Some babies will sleep worse, due to reactions to the formula or solids (tummy ache, etc. are not uncommon), particularly if baby is younger than around 6 months. Two studies have indicated that adding solids to the diet does not cause babies to sleep longer. These studies found no difference in the sleep patterns of babies who received solids before bedtime when compared to babies who were not given solids. Here are the two studies:

Macknin ML, Medendorp SV, Maier MC. Infant sleep and bedtime cereal. Am J Dis Child. 1989 Sep;143(9):1066-8.

Keane V, et al. Do solids help baby sleep through the night? Am J Dis Child 1988; 142: 404-05.

Formula requires a baby's digestive system to work overtime as baby tries to digest something not specific to the human body. Formula is harder to digest than human milk; thus formula-fed babies tend to go longer between feedings. While this may seem like a benefit, it's probably not something we want for our babies' bodies unless there are no other alternatives. There are also risks to formula use (see What should I know about infant formula?). It certainly has a place in infant feeding but probably shouldn't be used whenever mom's milk - either directly from the source or expressed - is available.

Early introduction of solids (before six months) carries its own set of risks.

Recent research suggests that longer stretches of deep sleep are associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and babies who sleep longer/deeper may be more vulnerable to SIDS (see in particular the research of James McKenna, PhD). Some scientists are saying that it appears that long sleep stretches are not "natural" for human infants and that sleep interruptions in the early months may provide a protective factor against SIDS. More research is needed on this subject, but parents might want to think twice about significantly manipulating baby's natural sleep pattern in the early months.

A little more about feeding baby cereal from a bottle...

Doctors and other experts recommend that you never give baby cereal in a bottle unless recommended by baby's doctor for a specific medical condition. Here are some of their reasons:

* It is a choking hazard.
* The cereal takes away from the amount of milk in the bottle (adds carbohydrates and dilutes the nutrient density), and baby may not get adequate milk volume for proper growth and development.
* Baby is being given a higher concentration of calories without being able to regulate her own intake. This can lead to weight problems in the future.

If baby’s doctor suggests thickened feedings for reflux, consider asking about alternatives, as many doctors question this practice and it has the potential to cause more harm than good.
Additional information

Cereal in a Bottle? by Lynn M. Johnson. "While many continue to believe this practice will buy parent's some sleep, studies show it simply doesn't work that way."

I have heard different reviews about putting cereal in the bottle of an infant. Is it safe? by Dr. Alan Greene

Will using formula for the last before-bed feed help my baby sleep better? by Kathy Kuhn, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Will my baby sleep better if I add cereal to her bottle at night? by Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC

Adding rice cereal to infant formula to increase energy density from Pediatric Nutrition Consultation Online

Sleeping through the night @

Other sleep articles @

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-diabetes....
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

I also have a 5 month old son. Sometimes he sleeps through the night sometimes not. I have his crib in are bedroom and he does really in there. Just something to try if you have room. Good luck

Have you tried putting her in a bassinet next to your bed? Perhaps if she is close to you in that way she will start getting used to her own space.

My son (he's almost 6 mths) hated his crib for the first 3 mths of his life. He ended up in our room but in his own bassinet. That seemed to help transition him and he sleeps all night now in his crib.

HTH

Hello V.,
My boy did not sleep throught the night until he was 7 months old.So i know what you mean. I got him a bear that had a heart beat to it then he sleep all night along.I hope that is helps you out.
From,
N.

My daugther was a light-sleeper. She woke up anywhere from 3-6 times a night, until she was 15 mo. and night weaned. Now she'll wake up some nights, not others, but she still sleeps in bed with us regardless.

Since she sleeps with me, so it wasn't a big deal either, as I'd just nurse her back to sleep. Sometimes, it got on my nerves that she'd wake up often, and as soon as I'd try to unlatch her, she'd wake up again. But most nights were "uneventful". I would think your daugther is just in need of company. Perhaps putting a basinet(as mentioned) next to your bed, or a co-sleeper? I don't have much experience with that, because we've chosen to keep her in bed with us until she shows signs of wanting her own space.

I guess all I can say is that 1) sleeping through the night, physically and emotionally doesn't happen for most infants until WAY later. and 2) it's not so uncommon to have your child sleep with you. The biggest thing I guess, is that it works for YOU, and if it doesn't, then a happy medium must be acheived.

It sounds like you and your daughter have gotten into a routine of her falling asleep in bed. The same had happened to me and my son. It took over a week of doing this but it worked. I made sure that all my sons needs were met, put him back in the crib and then left the room. I let him cry for 3 mins. then went into the room, said your ok, laid him back down and left the room. Then I let him cry for 5 mins. and then did the same. Left the room, let him cry for 10 mins. and then did the same. Left the room, let him cry for 15 mins. and then did the same. From then on, I did the same every 15 mins. I always made sure nothing was really wrong with him, made sure he's real needs were met and by going in the room like I did, I felt I let him know that if something was really wrong I would be there no matter what but that it was time to go to sleep. It worked like a charm but like I said, it took over 1 week of doing this. My son is now 23, in the Army, Good head on his shoulders, a very good young man, I get compliments on the way he treats people and he's a well adjusted man. Basically what I'm saying is, I have not seen any bad effects from what I did. I hope this helps you. Happy Holidays! K. W

DO NOT ADD CEREAL TO HER BOTTLE!! As one mother suggested. It can cause early juvinille diabetes in children, in fact the longer you put off solid foods the better. According to research, there is NO tye between cereal and sleeping better, she is not waking beacuse she is hungry.

As one lady below suggested, and was correct, the chemicals in the brain will adjust to get her into a less nocturnal schedule someday. Putting her in bed with you is WONDERFUL for her, it "keeps the spirit" as some scientists say. She is at the age where she is discovering the world around her and she still needs to know you are there. She may be spending all her time doing other things like playing and observing she forgets to spend time with you, and needs that security.

And for the record, 5 days out of 7, my 2 1/2 year old STILL ends up in bed with us....LOL All in due time.....

When my 2nd was born, I didn't want to move him into the same room with his brother because I was afraid he would wake him up everytime he cried. It seemd like he was never going to sleep through the night. Finally I realized that no matter how quiet I was in my room, having him there was not working out. He woke up everytime he heard me. I moved him to share a room with his brother and he started sleeping through the night. As long as the baby shares a room with you, the longer it is before they learn to put themselves back to sleep. Your baby knows that you will pick her up and hold her so she expects it everytime she wakes up.

hi V. from a mom who has got it down i have 3 kids all under the age of 3 and they all sleep through the night and here is what i do.
1. get a cd player and put on babys tunes no words just music lightly played this helps them get use to noise so the little bumps in the night dont wake them.
2. feed the baby just before bed time.
3. if they wake up dont pick her up go to the crib put the pacifer back in her mouth and place your hand on her tummy just to let her know your there.dont talk stimulation wakes them all the way up about 3 nights of this and you should be fine i have been sleeping through the night for a long time 8pm-7am good luck
A.

My son didnt sleep through the night till he was six weeks old and his pediatrician said age is really not the factor. Cereal would not have helped. What she told me is that most babies will not sleep through the night until they hit double their birth wieght. My son didnt gain wieght as fast as some babies and so he took longer. If your child has reached this milestone then you could try a few different approaches. When baby wakes up try offering water instead of milk and she may not be as interested and may stop waking for it or you could try the other methods suggested. Does she let you put her back in her crib from your bed when she falls asleep? Well good luck and I hope you find a solution that works for you.

Well, mydaughter started sleeping through the night about 5 months, but it was a long road. The Pediatrician said not to give her formula at night, because when she starts getting her teeth in, it stays and pools around her teeth and gums, well, anyway, she didn't like the pacifier, didn't like water and would just cry and cry until I had her lay down with me in bed. One day, she decided she liked the pacifier and when she'd get up at night, I'd put it back in her mouth and that was that, course I was getting up almost all the time, when it fell out, but it was still better than having to sleep with her in my bed every night. She's a year old now and her first tooth is coming in, so she wakes up several times through out the night, but I'm sure she'll go back to sleeping all night when her teeth are done bugging her. I know I haven't given any real advice, but maybe something from my story can help you, if not, well, sorry. Hope things work out for you.

I for got to mention, that I eventually, after having checked on her, making sure nothing was wrong, just let her cry herself back to sleep. If after 15-20 minutes she hadn't gone back to sleep, then I'd go pick her up and rock her for a little bit and she eventually fell asleep and I could lay her back down in her cribb.