Sleeping Habits of a Five-Month-Old

As babies grow, they start sleeping for longer and longer stretches of time. When a baby is 5 months old, she likely has several ingrained sleep habits. Though every baby is different, most 5-month-olds have similar sleep needs and patterns of sleep. If your baby seems to have trouble, though, you can improve her sleep by finding what works best for her and you.

  1. Time Frame

    • Around 5 months of age, you can expect your baby to sleep 12 to 15 hours a day, including naps and nighttime sleep. BabyCenter.com claims that between 3 and 6 months, most babies can sleep through the night; however, "sleeping through the night" for a baby only may only mean a five-hour stretch of sleep.

    Considerations

    • Not all 5-month-olds sleep through the night, though. In fact, many still require night feedings or help getting back to sleep after waking. In addition, a baby who starts to sleep through the night at this age could easily start waking up again when he is teething or going through a developmental milestone, such as sitting up unassisted or crawling. Pediatrician Dr. William Sears says that infant night wakings are a normal part of an infant's physiology and actually have protective benefits. Like adults, babies go through several sleep cycles when they are asleep. Adults can put themselves back to sleep without even realizing it; however, a baby may need assistance to get back to sleep.

    Setting a Routine

    • At 5 months, your baby will appreciate a nighttime routine. This helps her know that bedtime is coming. Try to have the same routine every night, even if you are out later than usual. The routine can include a bath, infant massage, reading and nursing or bottle-feeding. You can also play the same music or white noise every night to indicate that it is time to sleep. Keep the sounds playing on repeat all night. That way, if baby wakes up, she will hear the sounds and might put herself back to sleep, as she associates these sounds with sleep.

    Getting More Sleep

    • To help break your 5-month-old's need to have someone help him back to sleep, Elizabeth Pantley, author of "The No-Cry Sleep Solution," suggests breaking him of the sleep-to-suck reflex. Your baby likely nurses or drinks a bottle to fall asleep. When he is only drowsy and not yet fully asleep, take the breast, bottle or pacifier away and put him in bed.

      Other approaches to sleep training include letting the baby cry for a certain amount of time before going and comforting her. Proponents of this method often suggest that the training start around five months, or when the parent and baby are comfortable with it.

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