Is there any way to get my five month old son to sleep more than three hours a night without tears?

I know everybody says it's a good idea to let your baby cry, but I just can't bear it. He was extremely colicky and I never let him cry alone even then. He also never developed a sleep pattern and is not a good napper or night sleeper.

I'm so tired! Help! Asked by Alexa12 40 months ago Similar questions: month son sleep hours night tears Family.

Similar questions: month son sleep hours night tears.

Baby whisperer I would STRONGLY RECOMMEND buying a book called the "baby whisperer. " My daughter slept through the night at two months....and I owe it all to the book. If your son had colic he never got a chance to develop a sleep pattern... so now is the time...never too late.

Your baby boy will thank you. What I learned in the book is that babies’ little bodies are on a 3 hour schedule... eat, play, sleep..... and repeat. There is a very important window that is the ideal time to put your son to sleep... you can usually tell this if he starts to stare a bit more or if he yawns.

I try to get my daughter down by the third yawn. There’s about a 20 minute window of time. If I miss the window then she is overtired and just cries and fusses.

Learning how to recognize the window is very critical... that’s why I suggest you look for that book if you can. Then if your baby boy wakes up at night just comfort him and lay him right back down. It may take a few nights, but eventually he’ll sleep all the way through.

Also, don’t put him to bed too late... 7:30-8 is a good time. This is just my experience... I wish you the best mommie! Sources: experience with my baby .

Changing the pattern You are not stuck in this pattern, don't worry! First of all, is his colic under control? If not, you are stuck for awhile longer.

But assuming his colic is not a problem now, you can change his pattern and establish sleep patterns for him. There will be some 'letting him cry,' but it won't be for long times. First, add up all the hours he is sleeping in any 24 hour period.It should be in the neighborhood of at least sixteen at this age.

It may be less, but we can work up to sixteen! Second, you did not say if you were only nursing or not. Or formula?

If he is not eating food yet, you need to start. You want that tummy full when it's bedtime. Rice cereal, applesauce, and if you are more advanced, great.

Get his tummy full about seven in the evening. Then play with him for about half an hour. Not wild play, but little boys love moving objects and they love seeing things.

So if it is warm enough outside, take him for a fifteen minute walk and then when you are home, play games like "this little piggy" on his toes or anything to keep him awake and interested. About 8, a warm bath and maybe rock him and sing to him. If you do not sing to your baby, then get a CD with quiet lullabies on it and play it at this time.

8:30 he goes down. He should sleep for at least a little while at that point. When is your bedtime?

Ten or eleven? If he is restless or waking up, a bottle or nursing is fine to top off the tummy. Change him, love him, and put him back down with that same song or music from before.

The music is going to be his cue within a few days that it is sleepy time. Now is the hard part, right? Because you ARE going to let him cry at two in the morning.

If you want to go in and, NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO HIM, turn on the CD, that's fine. But he is not a newborn anymore and you are going to get very sick (this happened to me) if you do not get the sleep you need. You know what the colic cry sounds like now and you know what the "I just want to get up, Mom" cry sounds like.

Ignore the second one if it is the middle of the night. He will cry for maybe a half an hour. Hopefully less.

When he stops crying (I know you won't be sleeping! ), wait about five minutes and go in and check to make sure he is doing OK. He will be out like a light and you will be safe checking on him without waking him up.

Then you have another three or four hours yourself to sleep. That still gives you an early morning wake-up, but within three or four nights he will skip the middle of the night cry session, learning it won't do any good. He should be good for an hour or two nap in the morning then, around nine or so, and then a couple more hours, or three, in the afternoons.

It is going to be the evening routine that will be the most important. Once you get the nighttimes under control, the daytimes will be easier. The trick is to get them tired and then very relaxed.

That full tummy will allow him to sleep for several hours. Sleepytime cues are important and the easiest is the music or a special song from Mommy (NOT sung 47 times! Only once or twice!

). If you are tense about putting him down at night, or frustrated, he will pick up on that and return it to you with interest! You need to be very calm, loving, and quietly in control of the situation.

He will sense that, too, and it will reassure him that someone else is in control and he doesn't have to be. Mommy is there and all is right with the world. If ALL of that does not work within two weeks, please call your pediatrician and ask about a mild sedative for jr. We had to do that with one of our daughters.

I was scared to use it, but it did get the whole family back on track within about a week. So worth it! Still, if you can do it without medication, that is preferable, I am sure.

Make sure he is full My son slept all night at 2 months old, I made sure he had a final bottle at bedtime. I know its hard on both of you to have to be up and down at night. Next month you can try him on some baby cereal mixed with his milk/formula, that will satisfy him and make him sleepy.

And hope he will give you some peaceful sleep. Have you tried soft music? My son also had that as an infant, not the R&R, but soft no words music..

3 Please check with your pediatrician. In the meantime here are some sites that might help. Good luck.

Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months - Common Concernshttp://children.webmd.com/tc/growth-and-development-ages-1-to-12-months-common-concerns3 Days To Train Your Baby To Sleephttp://www.3daysleeptraining.com/?OVRAW=baby%20crying%20at%20night%20and%20not%20sleeping&OVKEY=baby%20to%20sleep%20at%20night&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=8333884012&OVKWID=102845991012 .

Please check with your pediatrician. In the meantime here are some sites that might help. Good luck.

Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months - Common Concernshttp://children.webmd.com/tc/growth-and-development-ages-1-to-12-months-common-concerns3 Days To Train Your Baby To Sleephttp://www.3daysleeptraining.com/?OVRAW=baby%20crying%20at%20night%20and%20not%20sleeping&OVKEY=baby%20to%20sleep%20at%20night&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=8333884012&OVKWID=102845991012.

He cried every day around 11PM after 3 hours sleeping. " "how do you get a 3 month old to sleep in longer stretches (4-5 hours) in the night? " "how do I get eight month old to sleep longer than eight hours during the night" "How do I get my 9 month old to sleep through the night without waking and needing to come into bed with us?" "I worked from 7pm to 7am,I would like to know how many hours should I sleep when I worked @ night shift?

" "How do you get a 4 month old to sleep through the night? " "HELP! My 13 month old son is still not sleeping through the night!

He's never been a good sleeper..." "How many hours should I sleep...

He cried every day around 11PM after 3 hours sleeping.

How do I get eight month old to sleep longer than eight hours during the night.

HELP! My 13 month old son is still not sleeping through the night! He's never been a good sleeper...

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.