Author Topic: 5 month old sleep issues  (Read 2162 times)

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Offline BobbysMummy

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5 month old sleep issues
« on: April 06, 2017, 04:52:18 am »
Hi
I'm having a few sleep issues with my 5 months old. This is how yeaterday looked.
12.30am - E (usually around 6/7oz)
5.30 - WU and E (usually around 5oz), this is him up for the day, no amount of settling works
8am - S (showed tired signs at 7.15 so put down, he didn't sleep until 8)
8.40am - A
9am - E (5oz)
11am - S
11.40am - A
12.30pm - (6oz)
1.45pm - S
3.15pm - A
4pm - E (5oz)
5pm - cat nap, 20 mins
6.15pm - bath
6.30pm - E (6oz)
6.45 - S
12.30am - E (6oz)
5am - E (5oz) and up for the day  :'(

What I need help with is resolving the EMW, everyday its around 5/5.30am. Does anyone have any help with this? Also, I don't think his day naps are ideal... but we really struggle to get past the 40 min mark on most naps unless he's pretty tired from previous short naps and then has a double cycle nap of an hour and a half.
I also have a toddler who's 2 in 3 days and has been a pretty prefect EASY baby so far, but is now getting woken by ds2 in the night and early in the morning. So I really need some help with this.
It's only been the last 2 days we've got down to 1 night feed (if you don't class the 5am feed as a night feed?!). He was having feeds around 11 and then 3 and then sleeping until around 6.30, which was better but 2 nights feeds meant he wasn't hungry for breakfast feed.
Please any help would be really appreciated!


Offline becj86

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2017, 08:42:22 am »
we really struggle to get past the 40 min mark on most naps unless he's pretty tired from previous short naps and then has a double cycle nap of an hour and a half.
This here suggests that you need to increase his A times.

His night length is actually pretty reasonable - 6:45 til 5:30 is nearly 11hr, so those aren't really EWs.

What is your ideal WU time for the morning?

You really need to push that first A time - those tired signs at 1:45 A time are most likely habitual or boredom so push through to 2.5hr and then PD for a nap. If after a  few days of consistently 2.5hr A time first up in the morning, naps haven't extended, it might be time to increase a little more - I think it likely you'll be doing that in the near future.

I think you're heading for the 3-2 :)

Offline BobbysMummy

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2017, 00:59:13 am »
Ah ok, didn't think he needed longer A already but it's definitely worth a try to get his naps a bit longer.
Ideally I would like him to wake at the same time as my toddler, so around 7am. Because he wakes early he is waking my toddler and then I've got 2 grumpy babies. I know it's probably not going to happen but that's what would be ideal! So would you suggest a later bed time to achieve this?
We did slightly later tonight due to it being my toddlers 2nd birthday, he was asleep by 7.15 and he woke at 1.30am for his feed, so let's see if he wakes a hour later like he has fed.
So 2.5hr A time for all A time in the day or just the first A time?
Oh wow, I wasn't even considering 3-2 just yet!! So ideally, if I'm moving to 2 naps, would you say they should both be around 1.5hrs? So I would be looking at a nap at 8.30ish (if wakes around 6) and then 12.30? But then that's a long A time in the afternoon?
Thank you!

Offline becj86

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2017, 02:16:33 am »
Plenty of babies are at 2 naps when they turn 6 months - with A times up around 3hr, so not changing to 2 naps cold turkey but moving towards that by phasing the CN out gradually. So actually, if you're wanting a WU at 7, I'd say a nap at 2.5hr A time or 9am, whichever is later, with that then moving to 9:15 then 9:30 over the next week. That will shift the WU later much better than a later BT though a later BT will probably come with that too just by how the day washes out.

I'm seeing something like:
7 - WU
9:30 nap
11 - WU
1:30 - nap
3 - WU
5:30 - 30-45min nap depending upon what suits
7:30/8 - asleep in bed

Then moving towards something more like:
7 - WU
10 - nap
11:30 - WU
2:30 - nap
4 - WU
7 - asleep in bed (obviously if naps are 1:45, this would be 7:15 or 7:30 - no child is an automaton)

There's not a "ready for 3hr A time' switch - its a gradual increase in tolerance. If you consider average A times, the biggest increase in A times is between 3 and 6 months and equates to 15min increase every 2 weeks or so:
3 months: 1.5hr
4 months: 2hr
6 months: 3hr
8-9 months: 4hr
 

Offline BobbysMummy

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2017, 07:11:03 am »
Thank you that's really helpful info. I've tried pushing him to 2.5 hours and sometimes he can do it but other times he is struggling and has to go down at 2hrs... such as this morning. He woke at 5.20 and was ready for a nap at 7.15, I tried distracting and all sorts but he was ready and fell asleep as soon as I put him down.
I'm thinking about trying a dream feed tonight, around 10am. Because he keeps waking at 12ishfor a bottle and then 4/5ish... today when he woke at 5.10 I made him wait until 6am for his bottle and he did it fine.
I think with a dream feed he would then possibly go until around 3 and then hopefully until 6ish.
What do you think?

Offline becj86

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2017, 08:52:40 am »
You can try a dream feed - it works for some babies and not for others.

He woke at 5.20 and was ready for a nap at 7.15
After a BT of 6:30 or 7:30? If 6:30, pretty reasonable night length, if 7:30, pretty classic OT night length and I'd suggest trying more to get him back to sleep if he wakes at that hour. Of course you have to find the right balance for your whole family. If getting up at 5:20 is what is best (and that's for you and your family to decide), then do that, of course.

Offline BobbysMummy

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2017, 20:46:55 pm »
He's woken at 9.30 so if he's not asleep by 10 I will maybe give him a bottle? I don't think he would stay asleep for the feed usually, so would it be ok to change his nappy? He has leaked a few times before so I wouldn't want to feed him and him end up leaking.

Last night he went to sleep around 7/7-15... so you think maybe over tired? I really tried to resettle him but it wouldn't work.

Offline becj86

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Re: 5 month old sleep issues
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2017, 01:47:51 am »
Last night he went to sleep around 7/7-15... so you think maybe over tired? I really tried to resettle him but it wouldn't work.
Yes, its really difficult to get them back to sleep when its an OT waking in the early hours of the morning.

He's woken at 9.30 so if he's not asleep by 10 I will maybe give him a bottle? I don't think he would stay asleep for the feed usually, so would it be ok to change his nappy? He has leaked a few times before so I wouldn't want to feed him and him end up leaking
I'd probably just feed, change nappy and put back down. Treat it all as a night feed - minimal light, minimal interaction.