tell me if I'm doing the right thing...

[mich68]

I nurse my 5 month old to sleep every night. he goes to sleep at 9 PM and usually wakes up crying after an hour or so. I take him in to bed and nurse him down again and he sleeps through until 5 AM. Should I be doing somthing different? I'm not sure if I'm setting up a bad habit.

[alegna]

Sounds good to me! If you want him to sleep later you might try a later bedtime. Also, it wasn't clear if you were, but co-sleeping is WONDERFUL!

-Angle

[PrennaMama]

The No-Cry Sleep Method is a great book... it suggests starting your bed-time routine at least an hour before they go down... dim the room, quiet things down, give a little baby-massage, read some books, whatever. If baby is waking after only an hour, going to bed at 9, try an earlier bed-time. Put babe down around 7:30-8. The book says that a babe is physiologically capable of sleeping 10-12 hours, with limited waking to nurse. And, 5 hours is considered (according to the book) a full sleep-period. And work on establishing nap-routines.

It's got some great tips, tables, and work-sheets...

Oh, and it also says that the later bed-time=sleeping later piece is a myth. I've found this to be true w/ Prenna. An over-tired babe ismore fitful, and less likely to sleep thru.

[turtlemama77]

The waking up after an hour thing is a baby sleep pattern. Reese used to wake up exactly 45 minutes after falling asleep, just for one last nurse (not that it was the last one of the night by any means...haha). She's now only doing that about half the time, and the other half of the time she tends to sleep for 1.5-2 hours before waking.

I don't know about getting a baby to sleep later in the am. Reese is usually asleep between 7-8pm, and her usual wake up is around 7:30am or so. That's an okay time for me to wake up, so I haven't done anything differently with her bedtime.

Sheri
Reese (12-22-04)

[Isis]

You're doing great. 5 months old is still so incredibly young and certainly needs your help and love- exactly what you're doing. Keep it up mama! It sounds like your little one sleeps great!

[phathui5]

No, you're not setting up a bad habit. When he's ready to sleep for longer stretches, he will.

[aidansmom05]

That is great! I have a 5 month old son and he goes to bed at about 8 pm. that is when his body is ready for sleep sometimes it is 730 sometimes 830 but most often it is 8:00. He also rouses a bit for a nursing sometimes an hour later, but now it has gotten to be later. Usually when I move him closer to me when I am ready to go to bed I let him nurse, while he is still asleep, and he sleeps through the night. I wake at about 5 am and make dhs lunch for work let out the dog, and sometimes grab a quick bite to eat. I climb back into bed after changing aidan and he will waken a bit and nurse and fall back to sleep to about 8/830 am. It is great. Some nights it differs, but they are still young. Cosleeping is wonderful. I can't imagine it any other way!