5 Month Old Teething and No Longer Sleeping Through the Night

I'm going through the same thing - although my baby is 15 months now and still no teeth! (But definitely teething!)My daughter starts out in her crib, but wakes up and I bring her into bed with my husband and I. Sometimes after she goes back to sleep, I put her back in her crib - sometimes I don't and she wakes up with us.

I think as long as your little boy is capable of still falling asleep in his crib, you are not starting any habit except comforting him when he is in pain - which is hardly spoiling him.

You aren't sleeping with him in your bed during his naptimes (at least not usually) and he is sleeping for 4-8 hrs a night in his crib, so ask your husband to think about it - how long is he really sleeping with you two instead of in his crib? 2 hrs maybe? Compared with the approx 12 hrs he sleeps every day in his crib alone? I don't think he needs to worry just yet.

Take care and good luck!

Well, L. I am in the same boat. 5 month old, teething, waking through the night in the struggle between having her sleep with us and getting some sleep myself or being up with her all night. I think a good question for both of us is why isn't dad going in sometimes and getting up? I know for me I wake up easier and am more inclined to not want her to cry it out..and if I hear her crying I cannot sleep anyway....but if your husband does not want your baby in the bed perhaps he should get up and comfort him once in a while too. Maybe trade off nights so you each get some sleep. Best of luck! You are in good company!

Try some baby orajel nighttime formula. It worked great for my son when he was teething. He would start to cry and I would grab the tube of orajel. As soon as he felt the gel on his gums he would go right back to sleep in his crib. He would get 2-3 teeth coming in at the same time and the Orajel did the trick. Anyway, good luck.

Doing things to sooth the gums will soothe the baby. Many mothers prefer not to give their babies Tylenol or Motrin for tooth ache pain but it does work. However it takes 30 minutes to kick in. Cold teething rings help and so does Baby Oragel or Baby Anbesol. You will also get some wonderful advice on other products through mamasource which are also helpful. You have to find out which combination will work for your little one and and what time. Things change you know.

Try not to bring to the baby to bed with you for that is a tremendously hard habit to break. Your husband would be more helpful in getting up to do some of this floor walking.

Remember this baby isn't going to get any lighter. So figure out things you can do that will work when he is heavier than he is now and bigger.

Hang in there because it may seem like it is lasting forever but it is not.

Teething is a hard time for sleep. His mouth hurts! You can try anbesol (sp?) and tylenol to make him feel bettter when he's hurting. Also, you should mention to your husband that he is also capable of getting up with the baby and if you take turns no one needs to go completely without sleep.

Hi
I am a mom of an almost 4 month old and he sleeps w/ me in bed. That was the only way I could get sleep in the beginning and now its all he knows. Switching to a crib will be a challange and I have read so many boolks on sleep to prepare. So my advice is to nip it in the bud. If you dont want your son to get used to sleeping w/ you dont do it. It will only become a habit and he will crave it. I would bring him back to his room and comfort him there so he has his sleep assosicated with his room. Its also what books say. For me the co-sleeping has worked and my son and I are addicted to having each other there but I do need to break it for my husband and me. It only takes 3 nights of you letting him sleep w/ you to become a habit for your boy.

You can read what sleep expert Dr. Marc Weissbluth has to say:
http://billiediscoverytoys.blogspot.com/2009/07/healthy-h...

I would just pat him on his back and fomfort him best you can. Bringing him into bed is a big mistake. Better
to not start the habit because it is one of the hardest to
break.

Hi L.
I DO NOT think you are forming bad habits by giving comfort to your baby boy.
If he were 2 years old and starting this behavior THEN I would say, "Get him out of your bed".
He is probably starting to teeth and he is in pain.
At his young age, you will not spoil him. And this phase may only last a week or two....(as will all other "Phases").
He obviously finds great comfort in being close to you.
It wasn't that long ago that he was snuggled inside you and not aware of all he would be experiencing in this big world.
I am sure you have tried a pacifier also. My daughter was one that was soothed right back to sleep with a bottle....and she did wake multiple times during the night as does your little guy, when she was his age.
Please don't listen to your husband.
Sorry, my opinion is that "most" men haven't a clue when it comes to caring for a baby.
I know there are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, they seem to have "all the answers", but are never available to give you a hand when it comes to enforcing "their" solutions.
Much like how he tells "you" to walk the floors with your baby! Maybe he would like to get up and walk the floors for a few hours so you can sleep??

Do what your heart tells you L..
You need to provide that safe and loving feeling for your boy, or he will never feel comforted and you will never get any sleep.
And if you have found that solution, then stick to it.

I do not believe that you can ever "spoil" a child with Love and comfort.

Good luck to you!
P. :)

If you don't want to form habits (let's not call them "bad", because cosleeping is not "bad" and in fact is preferred by the majority of people worldwide) of sleeping together, you may have to go back to newborn mode for a little while- little ones always have periods of regression, especially right before they reach big developmental milestones (like new teeth!) but these periods don't last!

If you stay at home, can you take naps when he does? If you work, then why can't your husband get up sometimes too (since he seems so worried about it).

Have you used homeopathic teething tablets? Work wonders for my kids.

If he doesn't want to nurse, just comfort or even a bottle, make dad go in. My daughter would wake up just to see me and nurse but she wasn't really hungry ( She was also a lot older though). Sending Dad in solved several problems....I got the sleep I needed, Dad learned to appreciate what it is like getting up several times a night, and the baby learned to sleep through the night. At first, my husband wouldn't wake up on his own, and I had to wake him, but eventually he got himself trained and now he wakes whenever our daughter cries.
Good Luck!

I have a six month old and our stories are identical I mean to the minute! I put him in bed with me too. My son starts off in the crib then by 430 500 he's with us . The Tylenol works but no motrin till after 6 months, to hard on the belly . The ambasol works too. My dr told me they don't develop habit until after 9 months and as long as napping is done in his crib an the majority of night sleeping is done in crib, you'll be ok. You need rest too!! Happy mom, happy baby!! I'm a first time mom also with 8 nice and nephews!! Your doing great!--

R. from Seymour ct