5 month old - night time sleep schedule

maybe I should just accept the fact that my girls are going to take 2 hours to totally fall asleep after going to be, get up every 3 hours at night, and spend an hour fussing after then eat at 1 am... I'm just so jealous of all those babies that totally STTN by 5 months, or even sleep 6 hours straight..

I've tried feeding them more food during the day, we even ate 2 cereal feedings yesterday and they got up EARLIER last night to eat than usual, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

we've played around with bedtimes, sometimes we try to skip the third nap and go to bed early at 6-6:30 and other times we take the third nap around 4:30 and go to bed at 7:30/8 either way they are awake 3 or 4 times in the two hours after we put them down and need re-binking or re-rocking and sometimes an oz or so, to fall into a deep sleep. Do other babies take so long to really fall asleep? we can't get through dinner, a show, or even a conversation without having to run up there..

we've tried the dream feed, waking them around 10 or 11, but then they are just up at 3 or 4 and if we dont' feed them and let the 6:00 be their last feeding then they are up at 12 or 1.

if feel like they were sleeping better a month ago but for some reason have regressed...

do you think we should be doing that third nap?
we currently nap at 9ish for 1.5 hrs or so, 12/1 is for 1.5 hours or so and then once they are up at 3:00 they can't make it until 6:30 so they need to go down again around 4:30 but I feel like that messes up their bedtime. I want them to take a longer afternoon nap like 1-4 and then they would be okay until bed but they won't...

any ideas? or just suck it up and get up TIA

 

If you go by their adjusted age, maybe it's partly due to the 4 mo sleep regression? We've had a lot of sleep issues the last 2 months we never had before. Every time I think it's getting better, something else changes. Mine don't really wake to eat anymore, but they still wake all the time (and wake each other). If it were just one baby, it would seem like getting up 2-3 times a night was no big deal, but that times two, compounded by the simultaneous waking of each other and night after night is exhausting.

I've tried everything too and am learning you just can't force it. Sometimes they nap good, sometimes they don't, it really doesn't seem to make much difference. The average nap time you listed is about what mine do - two 1.5 hr naps & a third 45 minute (on a good day)...other days they'll swap a 1.5 hr nap with a 40 minute nap and other days I'll get a 2.5 hr nap. Sometimes they've boycotted the third nap altogether and sometimes they've slept for 2 hours that third nap. I really don't see any difference at night, no matter what they do.

I'd say just find a schedule that seems to work for them (keeps them the happiest) and that fits best with your schedule and just stick with it. I think (am praying) that the little things will just work themselves out and they'll eventually adjust to sleeping better - they just need to grow into it or something.

If it IS the 4 mo sleep regression, the excessive nighttime waking to eat shouldn't last too long. And others would say that waking once to eat at this age is normal (but frustrating!)

My babies did start STTN at 3 mos and the two things I changed the day they did it was swaddle with the miracle blanket and switch to a 4 hr feeding schedule (less bottles, more qty). Not sure if it was a coincidence. But like I said, they are now waking all over the place, it's just not to eat. I'm thinking for myself it's time for some CIO, and if that doesn't work I'm separating them.

Good luck, hope this phase ends soon!

 

Mine are 1.5 month older and still have their third nap too... I have about the same nap schedule but they go to bed earlier... 7pm usually, but sometimes earlier. In my experience, if they are up longer than two hours before bed time, they're overtired and will have a harder time settling down... Mine are just starting to be able to stay awake 2 hours at a time without fussing... they were still at 1.5 hour top at 5 months...

I don't rock them to sleep nor do they have a binky though... we just give them a huge and a kiss, put them down, put their sleep sack on, turn on the soother and leave... and we started CIO at 4.5 month... so now really unless they're overtired they fall asleep within 10 minutes.

 

I forgot to mention that within our 4 month issues we had a hard time putting them to sleep (they were fine before this). I think partly because there is so many new things going on in their heads, and mine were just really sensitive to it. I came to the conclusion they were being overstimulated at the end of the day and it was making the problem worse. We are finally just now back to the point where we can put them to bed awake and they go to sleep pretty easily. That also seemed like a phase they just needed to pass.

 

I hope things get better for you.

 

I'm sorry you're still dealing with all these sleep issues I thought I was going to lose it when mine were this way around 4 months, then suddenly they turned a corner. I NEVER thought it would happen and was shocked. Mine were full term.

Just before 4 months we stopped swaddling and stopped the pacifier (for DS, DD never liked it). We also started putting them to bed awake around 4 months. I guess it was sort of like a CIO method except if they were really worked up we'd go into soothe them. It was a rough couple of weeks but now they usually fall asleep within 10-20 minutes at bedtime. Mine have the hardest time falling asleep if they are overtired. We nap around 9-9:45, 11:45-1, 3-4 and bedtime is at 6:15 or 6:30. I wouldn't think about dropping the nap if they are sleeping, they must need it

ETA mine were waking up twice in the night to eat at 4 months and then by 4 3/4 months they were STTN consistently, meaning from 7-6 with a dreamfeed. Just dropped the dreamfeed a week ago. There is hope!!!

 

My girls are 4.5 months (3 months adjusted today) and fall asleep between 7:30-8pm and get up once anytime between 2-5am...they have completely STTN a few times, but it hasn't become a habit. During the day, they can only stay up at a max of 1.5 hours at a time and take naps anywhere between 1.5-2.5 hours at a time.

During the late afternoon, I try and give them a catnap at 5pm or so, since they can't last until 7pm without crying/fussing...in addition, we take them for walks so they can calm down. That seems to relax them--whether they nap or not--and so when they come home, they are tired yet relaxed and we are able to give them a nice bath and they fall asleep pretty easily.

I have to also say that the babies don't take pacifiers, so once they're asleep, they're done...Lara, our scooter, sometimes ends up in the corner of the crib and gets annoyed, so I have to get up to move her, but rarely during the night (more often at naps).

I would suggest to hang in there and try a late afternoon/early evening walk? I started this when they were about 2 months and colicky, and it did wonders. Now, I'm waiting/hoping for the day where they can stay up and play from 4:30pm until bedtime or so...

Good luck!!