5 1/2 Month Old All the Sudden Waking up at at 2-3Am.

Unfortunalty this is just part of motherhood. Kids will change their sleep patterns if they are teething, growing just about anything. You have been very fortunate that he was sleeping so good up till now. Just try to keep him on a routine. He will start sleeping through the night again soon. You may even try a sleepytime mobile that will help him stay interested but also put him to sleep. Good Luck

When my daughter was first born she slept thru the whole night and I was also breastfeeding. She started waking up because she was hungry so I would but rice or oatmeal in the bottle and lay her down in her crib. Try not to bring her to lay down with you in the bed or she will want to sleep there.

Hi Jes,
I'm a first-time mom to a 5 1/2 mo little girl (weaned to formula at 4 mos - I pumped full time until returning to work - eating some rice cereal, just intro'd carrots, has had tummy issues/constipation since starting formula.) The sleep issue has been very interesting. We thought we were home-free when she began sleeping 10pm-7am at 3 1/2 mo. She was sleeping swaddled at night, but once she began rolling over that had to stop and we spent 2 weeks up again twice per night while her little flailing arms kept waking her up! :)

Like you wrote, I gave her a bottle thinking that's what she wanted. She was always happy and smiling, not crying - so I started trying not to feed her and just rock/sway her back to sleep. Sometimes this worked, but sometimes the minute I put her down she opened her eyes and it started all over again. On those nights she ended up in bed with me - the only way she'd sleep through until morning.

At first I was very nervous I would roll over on her, or she'd be smothered by my pillow, (or I'd never get her out of my bed until she turned 18), but it's turned out to be an easy, safe solution. Not one I use every night, but as a working-mom, a real life-saver in this first year.

Starting three nights ago, she began sleeping through again 10pm-7am! We are delighted, but taking nothing for granted. I don't have a solution for you, but I do have empathy. And, I wanted to chime in because I think for new moms "Mommasource" can get a bit overwhelming with advice from veterans - which is so appreciated - but sometimes you have to just tune in to your baby and go with your gut.

I don't know anything about anything, but I do know I am not prepared to let my daughter cry for more than 5 mins about anything without me taking some sort of action. Not in this first year. If that's a huge mistake, I'm sure I'll find out and pay for it later! But, it's something I feel confident about (maybe the only thing!) on this new adventure of motherhood.

I've been meaning to buy "The No Cry Sleep Solution", which has been highly recommended, but until I get around to it I'm just gonna choose a positive attitude about this whole sleep thing and enjoy every smile my daughter gives me (10am or 2am.)

Sending love,
J.

Do you have parents that are passed away, or a close relative who has died, and might have the birthday or aniversary on the time your baby is awking, babys are very sensative to ghosts, ( thats if you believe in them ) its not uncommon for them to wake in the middle of the night and babble as if they are talking to somebody, ( just a thought )

Yes....If you are weening him off breast milk,formula will be more difficult for him to digest.I understand, you wanting to give him some cerial before bedtime, to hold him over,but...Rice cerial is also hard for his little tummy to digest. You can still give him cerial before bedtime, but give him oatmeal or barley instead of the rice. The waking up, is probably because his tummy is tied up, and you may even notice,hes a bit constipated.Stay away from apples and bananas in the evening to...They are hard to digest as well.Keep those fruits for when he suffers from diarea. Hope this helps Jes Best to you and your Baby Boy.

Oh my gosh.. I'm in the same boat. My daughter who is 7 1/2 months has always slept thru the night until recently and have no idea why. I put her to bed between 7-8 and she is up by 2-3 every night??? I'm curious to here what's going on.

Dear Jes,
Perhaps your son isn't ready to be weaned. Natural instink is to build the milk by nursing getting more special contact with you. It's a growth spert time. He's a little confused about the decrease in special time. I would nurse mine, then fill the tub with water and sing and play before they went to bed. (I nursed one for 13 mo and one for 6 mo. I wasn't ready to stop but that's what happened. I'm very sorry that others were rude about your decision. It's a personal decision between you and your husband.) Thank goodness he wasn't a music critic. But this always gave us a little more time. It's a great time to add reading at bedtime for more comfort. Also, you could try changing to oatmeal.

It is very common for babies to revert to waking int he middle of the night at this age. If he doesn't like rice cereal at dinner give him oatmeal. My girls preferred oatmeal. Keep Chance out of your bed unless you don't mind him being there for the next 4 years! As for giving him that bottle at 2 a.m. he will never let you forget it... my 4 year old did it until she was 24 months and stopped because I stopped getting up while 8 mos. pregnant with baby #2. Let him cry a little... turn on some soothing sleep music and go to sleep yourself! Good luck!

Hi Jes,

Your baby could be teething and this could be waking him up. Babies get their first teeth aroudn 6 or 7 months. Also, it could just be a temporary thing - your son will go through lots of temporary behavior changes over the years. You may have to adjust his nap or bedtime to help him sleep through the night.

However, if he is happy in his crib, I would just leave him alone and he may fall back to sleep on his own. Feeding him each time (especially if he's not really hungry) only starts a new bad habit with him that is not good for you. He needs to be able to be alone in his crib and go back to sleep on his own.

My son is now 5 years old and he still sleeps with me (I had feet in my side and face all last night) so if you can keep him away from your bed, it will definitely benefit you.

Good luck!

L.

Hi Jes,

Sounds like your little one might be going through a little growth spurt. Also, sounds like he his not ready to eat. If possible, continuing to nurse would be so beneficial. Your baby will have such a strong immune system and reduces the chance of having food allergies.
I wouldn't listen to someone who says to absolutely not let your baby sleep with you. YOU have to follow your instincts and do what is best for you and your baby. Co-sleeping with your baby is actually a positive thing. Although not for everyone. There are alot of articles on this if you are interested. Personally I could not let my baby "cry it out" my son is only 6 months old and all he is wanting is some love and comfort and if I can provide this for him then this feels right to me. Please do what feels right to you.

Best to you,
M. V

My son wasn't very interested in solid foods until 6 months and he didn't really like rice cereal. So it's nothing to worry about- especially since you are still nursing him. If he's just babbling and cooing in his bed- leave him alone. Maybe he will babble and coo his way back to sleep. It will be good for him to learn how to fall back asleep on his own. Also- he may be teething...that tends to disrupt their sleep patterns.

First of all, you are LUCKY to have a 2 month old sleep through the night. That's pretty rare. But I think it depends on the baby. A routine does help, but I've also seen 'Baby Wise' mothers get SOOO frustrated that their child wasn't sleeping through the night early because the book expressed that they will sleep if you do A, B, and C. Some babies do well with that method, others don't. I think it's really normal to change sleeping patterns as they are growing and teething...so many factors. My pediatrician said to stay away from rice cereal because it's one of the hardest to digest...maybe that's something with your son. If you are weaning and don't want to nurse, your husband can go in (you represent milk/foood!) and firmly say, 'No, it's time to sleep now'. It may take several nights of some crying, but that may take care of it. My daughter for the most part has been a good sleeper and we've done the whole night routine thing, but it seems like the minute I think I've got it all figured out, she changes her sleep habit or nap time, etc. I think it's pretty normal and they're still trying to figure it all out! Good luck!

Hi Jes
I read this book that literally saved me and confirmed everything I was doing already. It is called "BABY WISE" It is awesome. It talks about sleep pattens, routine, feeding, everything. MY son who is 3 1/2 now slept through the night at just 4 or 6 weeks old because we had him on a routine. As soon as we could feed him rice cereal we did and it helped keep their tummy full. You are doing the right thing, just get him on the same routing every night, playing, feeding, bath, feeding, nite nite. We played classical music every night, and had this star thing in the ceiling. He would wake up early, but at least he slept for like 6 or 7 hours at a time, which is huge for us mothers. I hope that helps. I know what you mean about the sleeping in bed. I was afraid I would smoosh him, but my husband liked to sleep with him. It was cute, but I didn't like it. It stopped really quickly. I hope this helps and God Bless your little Chance.

I'm a mom of 4. No child should eat any food before they are 6 months at the earliest! Weaning before 1 year is just a bad idea. Why wouldn't you want to have your baby sleep with you? My advice...

Sleep with him in your bed, let him nurse until he is AT LEAST a year old and wait to try solids until about 9 months.

That sounds like a growth spurt to me. I have moms take extra calcium (a good kind - NOT calcium carbonate or oyster shell) at night and if breastfeeding, it helps them all sleep. If BFing has dwindled then sometimes 1/2 teaspoon of liquid calcium given to the older baby (not a newborn) allows them to sleep through the night. Calcium is a natural nervous system and muscle relaxant. It's worked like a charm with both of my boys and countless other children.

The calcium that seems to go over best is LifeTime or Blue Bonnett in the blueberry flavor.

I have no advice, but felt the need to share that I feel your pain. My just-turned five month old has started waking every two to three hours again. I'm hoping that it's just a growth-spurt and he'll revert back any day now. I haven't started solids yet; am trying to wait until 6 months per my doctor's instructions. I was hoping starting solids would help him sleep better, but it sounds like from your experience, I better not count on that. Hang in there and just know that there are others of us out there at 2 a.m. :-)

KEEP BREASTFEEDING!!!
some of baby's benefits:
- brighter brains
- better vision
- increased immunity
- healthier growth
- fewer ear infections
- better dental alignment
- healthier hearts
- fewer respiratory infections
- IMPROVED DIGESTION
- fewer intestinal infections
- less constipation
- leaner bodies (in a country where obesity is an epidemic!!)
- less diabetes
- healthier skin

some of mom's benefits;
- faster postpardum weight loss!!
- relaxation
- less depression/baby blues
- less osteoporosis
- less breast, uterine, & ovarian cancer

This is straight from Dr Sears! Breastmilk has 100% of what your baby needs (and craves!) until 6 months. From 6 months to a year, solids are just for getting used to textures (as they have been getting used to difft tastes all along thru your milk), and NOT for nutritional needs!! If someone tells you baby needs cereal for iron, you can politely tell them they are mistaken, and that iron-fort'ed cereals where designed for formula babies, as BABY ABSORBS 50-70% OF IRON FROM BMILK VS 4-10% FROM CEREALS! Your milk will be the best thing to sort out any digestive issues your baby may be having. Lastly....never underestimate teething when it comes to night waking!!! LOL!

DON'T bring him in bed with you!!!! He will eventually fall back to sleep. It may take a while, but he will. I brought my 6 month old (at that time)in bed with me when she got a really bad cold........
Now, as soon as 3:00-4:00 rolls around, she wakes up wanting in my my bed and won't stop crying until she is stuggled up next to me. So, now I am sucking it up and NOT bringing her into my bed any more. I have been letting her cry it out. It has worked and has slept longer in the morning. If you don't want any problems later on, you better stop letting your baby sleep in your bed. I too said I would never let my children sleep in bed with me. You never know until you actually have your own child. Silly me. I tried to give my baby rice cereal at 4 months, unfortunatly, it constipated her and I stopped until she was 6 months old. They don't need anything except breast milk or formula until they reach 6 months anyway. People rush into giving thier babies solids. It can just increase thier chances of food allergies.
As far as waking up 2-3 in the morning, babies are constantly changing and this could just be a phase (hopfully).
Good luck!

Well, if he's just waking up and babbling and playing, leave him in his crib to babble and play, he will probably just fall back asleep on his own, only go in if he's yelling or crying for you. If he's waking up and fussing because he's hungry, its probably because he's ready to start eating solids. Too much rice will constipate little ones, so I would try oatmeal and maybe add a little bit of banana to it so its a tad sweeter... my daughter started out with that and every three or four days I added a new taste to the oatmeal... sweet potatoes, peas, pears, apples, squash, she loved it all. Breastmilk, right at about your son's age, stops being sufficient to last babies through the night because its so easily digested. Solids will sit in the tummy longer so they can sleep through the night. So feed him right before your bedtime routine, then breastfeed. You both will be happier if he eats a little more before bed! And solids don't replace breast feedings in the beginning, its an addition, not a replacement! Same with formula, if you are transitioning, solids are an addition to formula, not a replacement.

As long as he doesn't seem hungry, just let him play himself back to sleep. I have two children, a two year old son and a six month old daughter. Both of my kids did this, in fact my daughter just started doing it recently. As long as he isn't fussing or acting like he's hungry, just let him be. If he is extremly fussy, feed him then put him back in his own bed. If he has been sleeping in your bed with you, it could be doing him more harm than good. Kids who sleep in their parents bed have a hard time adjusting to going to bed on their own. If he seems fussy, go in his room, rub his back, sing to him, whatever is comforting to him. When he seems drowsy, tip toe out. If he starts screaming, give him a few minutes and see if he calms down. If he doesn't, repeat the process until he goes back to sleep. You might loose a little sleep, but you will be giving him the confidence to know he can go to sleep in his own bed and that he doen't need to be in mommy's bed to go to sleep. As far as him not being intested in the cereal, that is normal. My son did the exact same thing. If he doesn't seem interested, lay off the cereal for a week or two then try again. As long as he is getting breastmilk or formula, he is getting all of his nutritional needs. If after that time, he still doesn't seem interested, try adding a little flavor to it by adding the baby bananas or a little lite colored karo syrup. If that doesn't work, try a different type of cereal, they have several different brands and if all else fails, call his doctor to see what else can be done.

Dear Jes R

I am S. from Barbados, I am not a mom as yet, but I am a Professional Baby Sitter, with more than 9 years under my belf, in my dealing with children at this age, you have to be prepared to feel bad a little, cause you will, when your child's cries you feel bad,

this will work once you are consistant

when he wakes up, do not feed him, i repeat do not feed him, cause he is not hungry, check him to see if he is ok, tell him while stroking his back, {do not take him up leave him lying down} tell him you love him and always will be there, but that you are going back to bed and he should do the same, when every he gets up in the night you do this , stay for 3 mins top then you tell him goodnight sleep well my sweet and you go out of the room, he may fuss a bit or talk to him self, but he will know you love him and is there always,
do not take him to your bed and do not feed...

my email address is ____@____.com

let me know how it goes after 2 weeks..

good luck

Have you tried letting him try to go back to sleep on his own? If he's happy when you go into him, why not wait and see what will happen? Now he's getting used to you going in there and getting him and bringing him in your bed.

Just curious as to why you are weaning him off breastmilk so young? Unless there's some medical reason for you to wean, then why not stick it out until he's at least one where he can go to whole milk.

STOP!!!!! My daughter did this when she was learning how to roll over, because she was waking herself up by getting into a rolled over position. Let him be. don't interfere. He will soothe himself back to sleep if you allow him to but if you bring him to bed - that will become what he wants, needs, can't live without and your life will be spent with him in your bed. If he won't settle, just turn him back over and let him be. This is one of many developmental milestones that will affect his sleep (crawling, standing, walking, etc) he needs to learn to work it out himself!! Try reading "Touchstones" by Brazelton. Good luck

I am having the exact same issue w/ my 5 1/2 mo. old. I am going to try the calcium bcus I recently cut dairy out of my diet. Thanks for your question.

He's probably getting teeth. My 9 month old started getting teeth when she was 4 months and every time a tooth would try to break through the skin her sleep patterns would change. About 2 weeks ago she started waking up 3 times during the night and sure enough she got her first molar. If your not sure if it's a tooth look a his gums and you can usually see it under the skin or the gum tissue will be red and swollen. If he's in a lot of pain and if you don't want to give him tylonol there are these great things called teething tablets. You usually get them in the toothbrush section of the grocery. You can give them three tablets i think up to three times a day - they just dissolve in their mouth. They don't make them so drowsy either, just calms them down. How this helps!

My son did the exact same thing at that age. I was beside myself because I am a working mom and at that point, no one was getting sleep, so the only thing I could do was put him in bed with me too. I also breastfed and that was how I could get him back to sleep and then take him into his bed. I had to do that, because I feared that he would get too used to sleeping with me. Maybe if you continue to breastfeed at night, instead of weaning him completely. I know that they say that you shouldn't nurse just to get them to sleep, that we should get them to put themselves back to sleep, but it worked for me and by the time I completely weaned him at 10 months, he was sleeping through again.

Hi Jes. You know, babies are going to go through periods of different sleep habits all the time. I have two boys, one is 3 years old, the other is 7 months. Both of them slept through the night by about 5 weeks, and that's how I'd like to keep it too! :) All of a sudden, though, a couple of weeks ago, my baby started waking in the middle of the night, with no other symptoms, besides the fact that when I'd go into his room, I'd offer him the pacifier and he'd fall right back to sleep. It was a bit frustrating, but then in the next couple of days, I had him at the pediatrician's office, and they told me he had a very bad ear infection...something my baby never showed any signs of. My boys seem to never complain when they're uncomfortable. Once he started his antibiotics, he slept through the night again. That's not to say that your baby might be coming down with something, but here's the thing. Once you go in and check on him and make sure he's okay, no poop in the diaper, he should be okay to lay there and work it out. You are in control...and the more you bring him in your bed just for the sake of sleep NOW, the less sleep you're all going to get because that will become his ritual. And please, don't start feeding him in the middle of the night again. He's not hungry. Maybe you just have a light sleeper. The things you feel you're not sure you should be doing, you probably should not. Just because babies will slip into habits that we create. It might break your heart, or make you feel guilty for making him lay there awake, but honestly, he's not hurting, and he will learn the wonderful art of putting himself to sleep again so that you can even put him down awake when it's time for bed and he'll know how to fall asleep. (I just put my little guy down for his nap and he's talking away, but he'll doze off soon!) I hope this helps. Good luck!

A couple of things...if your baby isn't interested in food it's probably because he isn't ready. Their digestive systems aren't truly ready to begin solids until 6 months and sometimes later than that. There are signs that your baby is ready - you can check them out online or the Dr. Sears The Baby Book has a list. I'd take a break from the food and wait 10 days to 2 weeks and try again.

That said, the waking is probably unrelated. Babies are becoming more social at this age and there is SO much motor/brain development happening that it's normal for their sleep to fall apart for a while. Sometimes they just want to know you're there and interact with you (the social aspect), sometimes they just can't sleep the way they used to. Don't punish him for it whatever you do - it's a phase and it will change again. The fact that you're weaning him though could be part of it. If he's not getting as much connection time with you through breastfeeding, he might feel that he needs more in other ways. Sleeping with him (safely) is a great way for that to happen. Of course it could also be teething, but you can usually tell they're uncomfortable.

The Baby Book has section on night waking - you might want to take a look. Seriously though, I go to a mom's support group and ALL of us are going through the same thing (our babies are between 4 and 8 months).

Just enjoy him (and stock up on your patience!) as much as you can and try to get naps with him whenever possible.
Good luck!

It sounds like a few things just happen to be changing at one time. As far as the waking, many babies often do this just before a developmental growth. All three of my kids did this, it passed after a few days. Your best bet is to keep his schedule the same, just offering a little love at those 2am wake periods but mainly just let him be. If you keep eveything else as normal, he'll get through this phase much quicker. By bringing him to your bed or feeding him, you are telling him that its okay for these things to happen at 2am. As far as the breastfeeding, unless you have a major reason to wean, I highly reccomend that you keep with it. Besides all the amazing health benefits in nursing for atleast a year, you are giving him extra security as he is gaining indpendence by being mobile. Before you know it, he'll be running all over the place and you'll wonder where the days went that he'd lay in your arms while nursing. As for the solid foods, sounds like he's not ready. If you continue nursing he won't actually need food for nutrition till after a year old. Good luck and remember it takes a bit to change any habits you've allowed him to create!

I wasn't going to respond but then I read some of your responses and decided I needed to tell you this:
Listen to your baby. Your gut instinct is "usually" correct. Talk to your pediatrician regarding the cereal and weaning. He might be having tummy issues adjusting and your doctor might be able to help you. Infants can be introduced to food before 6 months (though not recommended) but no earlier than 4 months. Your little one should be able to sit up on their own, swallow liquids when placed on the tongue (not spitting it back out with the lips) and should be able to hold their head upright-steady. If he cannot do these three things, then he is not ready to eat. He should also be showing an interest in eating solids (trying to steal yours or opening and closing his mouth in a mimicking fashion when you eat.) As far a weaning goes-breast milk is best but you do what you have to do to make ends meet. Some women can't seem to understand that every situation is different and just because "they could do it" doesn't mean that you can-so DON'T FEEL BAD. You can try different formula if you think it might be gas related.
Babbling babies should be left alone. He will probably go back to bed. But if he cries-go to him and sooth him. he might genuinely be hungry-try feeding but if he refuses-don't force it. He might just want you near by-something might have scared him awake (yes, including hitting himself with his own hands-lol!) So love him and if it means taking him to bed with you-so be it. There is nothing wrong with this. It saddens me to read and hear so many mothers who are so quick to have their baby "on their own" in "their own room". Babies grow up so fast ladies-enjoy the times that they do need you cause the day they refuse your hugs and kisses is around the corner and you will wish for these days back. I promise. Good luck. Congrats on your boy!

In my opinion, I think its a few things that can be throwing your baby off. Teething is definetely a factor. My daughter got her first tooth at 4 months, she is now 6 months and her top 2 teeth are coming out and the night waking started again.
She does co-sleep with us and we just let her stay up for an hour or so..or till she rubs her eyes, and then put her back to sleep.
Also, your baby feels the dietary changes going on..I feel that weaning at 5 1/2 months is very early for a baby, they get 100% digestable protein from breastmilk and only 50% digestable protein from formula. I recommend nursing past the first year for the better health of baby, unless it is becoming uncomfortable and unpleasant for you.
As someone recommended...The baby book is a great resource.
Best of luck. Follow your inner instincts, they are always right!!!!!!! No one knows what your baby needs better than you do.
Also, great articles in Mothering Magazine..
Blessings to you and your baby

Hi there,
My daughter went thru this. Please pick up a copy of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby by Weissbluth. It is a great resource and will help you thru every stage of your sons development.
Oh and by the way, there is nothing wrong with a family bed. And please consider waiting to wean him. I know a lot of women are going to say this but I believe that breastmilk throughout the first year is best. I wanted to give up at about the 7 month mark but that was about the time of cold-flu season(which is this time of year) and I wanted to give my daughter the advantages of my anti-bodies and so forth. I ended up nursing her for 15 months. So please re-consider weaning your son.

my son was sleeping thru the night at 8-9weeks (once his tummy was large enough to hold enough milk to sustain him thru the night) and has pretty much been sleeping thru the night ever since. i dont remember exactly what age, maybe 3-5 months old he would get up in the middle of the night and want to play, he would just babbel and cooo. i read that the parent that goes in there shouldnt talk to him, they should just lay him/her back down and and leave the room without talking. this lets the baby know its not time to play, i guess they get confused and not sure what to do in the night bc they pretty much nap most of the day. make sense??? =)

Do not get him out of his bed..Let him cry or he will never stop doing this.

We had this problem a couple of times with our son. He was hungry the first couple of times. And then it became a habit for him to get up and receive that food, even if he really didn't want it or need it. We decided to try letting him cry it out for a night or two, and that did the trick. It's tough, and he cried for up to 90 minutes the first night. But the second night was half that, the third night was only a few minutes, and then he was done and went back to his regular schedule. Like I said, it's tough to hear him cry, but you need to let him do it. Don't even go in to check on him, unless the cry is different. Hope that works!

He's in a new phase--the main thing is he's happy. They're all different, so don't worry if you get advice telling you that he has to sleep in his crib or that he has to sleep with you. If you get more sleep with him in your bed, that's what counts. See if you can get him to stay in his crib some nights, so that he won't always expect to sleep with you. Is there any way that you can breastfeed him longer? My parents weaned me at 6 months, and apparently that's when everything started going wrong for me. Lots of allergies. I went probably too far in the other direction and breastfed my daughter until she was 18 months. Good news, though, no ear infections and no allergies thus far (knock on vinyl). Best of luck!

Hi Jes,
Don't beat yourself up on the nursing thing...you have to do what's best for you too...I get a bit deffensive when people push the nursing, yes it's best, but the formulas out their are good too. As far as his sleeping, my kids did the same thing if he's not crying for something specific just wait awhile before going in and he'll most likely just go back to sleep. After 6 weeks old they really don't need any liquids.
Good luck! And listen to your instincts!!! Oh and PS...I don't know many babies at 5months that like rice cereal if even baby food at all...so no worries!

Yes - if possible don't wean him yet. I worked 10- hour days and was able to keep up night feedings and weekends without pumping. All 4 slept through the night. My daughter has had great success letting them cry it out if it is less than 10 hours.