Night sleep disturbances in a five-month-old baby. Night sleep disturbances in a five-month-old baby How much does a 5-month-old baby sleep per day

Now your baby’s routine is subject to the same rules as a month ago. As in, he spends up to 16 hours a day sleeping, and while awake he is ready to play and communicate. His behavior changes only when his teeth begin to bother him or his sleep is disturbed for some other reason.

The daily routine for a 5-month-old baby is fully formed, and in addition to rest and feeding, includes walks, hygiene procedures, massage and gymnastics, as well as developmental activities and communication with family.

Baby's sleep and daily routine table

At this age, children sleep well and soundly, which makes mom and dad very happy. Nighttime sleep, which lasts up to 10 hours, brings particular pleasure. To ensure such a long rest, you should strictly control the time that the child “gets enough sleep” during the day. This is how a child’s routine at 5 months is formed by three daily bedtimes.

• Morning - occurs 1.5-2 hours after the first awakening. Mom has the opportunity to clean herself up and do something at home. In the summer, it is good to plan to sleep outside in the morning while it is cool, since walks during the day are limited due to the heat.
• Daytime - the baby goes to bed after lunch. It is possible to combine this vacation with another walk.
• Evening - rest between 17.00 and 19.00 is recommended by pediatricians. After taking a nap, the baby will be cheerful and cheerful in the evening and will be able to go to bed with everyone else at about 10 p.m.

Each period should last approximately 2 hours. If your baby sleeps longer, especially in the evening, gently wake him up. This way you can follow the baby’s sleep schedule at 5 months, which determines whether the baby, and with him you, will sleep at night, and whether he will be capricious or cheerful.

Based on the duration of sleep, you can create the following table of a child’s daily routine at 5 months.

Feeding schedule

A 5-month-old baby eats up to 1 liter of breast milk per day. By reducing the number of breastfeedings, a breastfed baby's daily routine at 5 months does not allow him to take more naps during the day than necessary. Moreover, daytime sleep no longer begins with breast sucking, but with rocking, which helps eliminate the addiction: falling asleep only with the breast. This pleasant tradition is preserved only before going to bed in the evening and it is very useful: a baby, tired from evening games, will have a good snack, calm down under the chest and fall asleep soundly until the morning.

The diet of a 5-month-old baby on artificial feeding is similar. The number of feedings should also be five. At this age, pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods to artificial infants. Therefore, the feeding schedule may look like this.

It is quite simple to follow such an approximate daily routine for a child at 5 months, since the baby gets tired while he is awake and goes to bed with pleasure. And he eats well: he especially likes porridge.

Regime violations - causes and how to deal with them

Deep night sleep and a good appetite for your baby depend on several factors. Among them are mandatory walks, daily gymnastics, massage, and outdoor games. If a violation of the regime occurs, you should think about what caused it. Perhaps you haven't been outside much or missed a walk. Or the baby couldn’t fall asleep at his usual time, so now he’s capricious and whining.

Other factors can also disrupt your sleep-wake pattern. So, at 5 months, babies begin to cut their teeth, which prevents them from falling asleep soundly. You can alleviate the baby’s condition with special teething toys, which should be given to him during the day to massage his gums. It affects sleep and digestive disorders, which causes too intensive introduction of complementary foods (several new foods at the same time, large volume).

If the baby is used to going to bed at the same time, which the parents missed for some reason, it will be much more difficult for him to fall asleep due to overtiredness. In addition, traditions and associations should be observed: if the baby is accustomed to falling asleep in his arms or under the chest, it will be extremely difficult to put him to sleep in any other way.

The program “Doctor Komarovsky’s School” is dedicated to a child’s daily routine.

As you can see, a child’s daily routine at 5 months is formed from many nuances that you should strictly adhere to. The health and proper development of the baby depends on your discipline.

Every caring mother is interested in the question: at 5 months?" There are generally accepted norms, but do not forget that each child is unique, individual, including the body, physiology and psychology. It is also important to be able to distinguish between day and night. Their duration varies markedly .

Baby at 5 months

By this time, the child already weighs about 6.8 kg with a height of about 66 cm. Every day the baby begins to gain less and less weight, as he leads a more active lifestyle.

Boys and girls at this age develop almost identically. At 5 months, the baby should not only pronounce individual sounds, but also begin to gradually form simple syllables, hum melodiously, looking at his favorite toys or listening to music.

At this age, kids already show interest in colorful pictures and books. They treat strangers with caution and restraint, and they treat parents with special trepidation and love visible in their eyes.

By this point, the child should independently entertain himself with toys for up to 10 minutes, pick up and throw small objects, roll over on his stomach, try to sit up, lean on straightened arms.

at 5 months

Generally accepted standards do not suit every child. So how much should babies sleep at 5 months? The daily norm of an infant is from 15 to 16 hours. At 4 months, the child could sleep for 18 hours. Now it is gradually beginning to predominate.

In fact, a child’s routine at this age should consist of three processes: eating, sleeping and being awake. The other two directly depend on each of them. How long should 5 month olds sleep during the day? At this time of day, rest for up to 6 hours is allowed. It turns out that between feedings the baby can only dream for 1-1.5 hours. The rest of the time should be taken up with walks, gymnastics and games.

To the question “how long should children sleep at 5 months at night,” pediatricians still cannot give a unanimous answer. Some believe that a baby can sleep for up to 12 hours. However, the majority insists on a norm of 9-10 hours.

An important aspect of a good rest is bedtime. It must be no later than 22.00 hours. Otherwise, the dream will not give the expected effect. The displaced mode entails a violation of the psychological state of the infant.

Why sleep is so important

This process is extremely important for children under 3 years of age. Adequate sleep allows you to avoid overwork and mental breakdown due to hyperfatigue. Thanks to this process, the baby’s brain activity and all its internal systems are restored, and cell growth is accelerated.

It has been proven that if a child does not sleep well for 5 months, his mood noticeably worsens and his behavior becomes unpredictable. Scientists have also found that sleep duration directly depends on age criteria. The older a person is, the less he should sleep. Therefore, a child’s body needs good, long sleep.

No wonder newborns sleep for days on end. For one-year-old children, the norm is about 13 hours of rest. And for an adult, the optimal duration of sleep is almost two times less.

Determination of sleep norms

An individual day and night routine should be established for each child. For some, one time will be enough for optimal rest, while others will need twice as much. Therefore, you should pay attention to the child’s behavior and various additional aspects.

If a 5-month-old child sleeps little, is very capricious, is easily irritated, cannot concentrate, often thinks or looks at one point, then most likely he has a serious lack of sleep. Such children are recommended to be in a more sleepy state.

If a 5-month-old baby sleeps a lot, optimally gains weight and height, is alert, active and attentive to details, then he gets his share of rest. In this case, there is no need to worry - the mode is selected correctly.

If a 5-month-old baby sleeps poorly, often wakes up, and while awake constantly yawns and rubs his eyes, you should radically change your daily routine. The cause of the problems is that the baby’s body does not have time to recover during rest.

Causes of poor night sleep

One of the main sources of insomnia is the baby’s character. If he is hyperactive while awake, then his sleep will be weak and light. Such children are easy to wake up.

How much does a 5 month old child diagnosed with hyperactivity sleep? On average, such children need an hour more than the generally accepted norm for optimal rest. The fact is that the body requires a longer time to recover, since during the waking period it exhausts its entire supply of vital energy.

Another common cause of restless sleep is illness. How long does a 5 month old baby sleep at night if he has a cold? It all depends on the presence and degree of complications of acute respiratory infections. Fever and chills can be relieved with medications, but getting rid of a runny nose is almost impossible. In this case, the baby will be forced to suffer all night from a stuffy nose. Therefore, during a cold, a child can only sleep for a few hours with long breaks.

How to avoid waking up at night

Often sleeps poorly due to hunger. That is why you should put your baby to sleep at night only on a full stomach. It is important to exclude sweets from the diet, as saccharides negatively affect the general condition of the child.

To avoid frequent awakenings, regular bed changes are recommended. Before putting your baby into bed, the sheets and blanket should be warm. Also, a 5-month-old child does not sleep well due to a change in routine. It is not recommended to shift the daily routine by more than 1 hour.

You cannot interrupt your child's sleep. If he wants to sleep a little earlier than expected, then you need to immediately put him to bed. This will eliminate the likelihood of subsequently developing chronic lack of sleep or insomnia.

Before going to bed at night, the baby should be busy with active activities: swimming, crawling, playing, walking. This is necessary for the body to expend a large amount of energy. In this case, the baby will ask to go to bed within a few hours.

At least 4 hours should pass between evening and night sleep. It is not recommended to put your child to bed before 20.00.

Every baby should be sure that his mother will be there when he wakes up. Therefore, when crying, you should immediately go to the crib and calm your child.

In the first seconds, you can try to put the little one to sleep with your voice. If this does not produce results, then you should approach him and let him know that his parents are nearby. It is not recommended to turn on the lights, TV, scream or suddenly lift the child. In most cases, it is enough to simply stroke his back, head, legs and quietly hum a lullaby.

If your baby often wakes up crying, you need to determine the source of the irritation. It could be the light from the window, the creaking of the bed, or malaise. In any case, the baby should be calmed quickly and quietly, otherwise he will completely wake up.

associated with illnesses

If a 5-month-old child does not sleep through the night or often wakes up, he may be worried about pain.

In first place among the most common causes of this type is colic. Abdominal pain can occur in children up to 2 years of age. This is due to both the restructuring of the digestive system and a change in diet.

Sleep can often be disrupted by teething. This is a very painful process. At 5 months, most children's first baby tooth begins to emerge.

Sometimes poor sleep occurs due to an acute allergic reaction to salicylates, found in large quantities in aspirin, citrus fruits and some food additives.

Healthy, adequate sleep is the basis for the proper development of the baby. That’s why parents are so concerned about the question of how much sleep a 5-month-old child should have. As a matter of fact, this is the second most important problem, after weight gain in infants.

So, let's look at issues related to baby's sleep. A 5-month-old baby's daily routine includes four periods of sleep: three of them during the day and one at night.

How long should a child sleep at night?

As they approach the five-month mark, more babies sleep through the night without waking up.

If immediately after birth the baby ate every 2.5–3 hours, including at night, then now about 40% of parents can breathe easy. However, most babies are still waking up for night feedings at 5 months. In total, a 5-month-old baby sleeps 8–10 hours at night.

How long should a child sleep during the day?

During the day, the child sleeps three times for 1.5-2 hours, and in total he can sleep from 4.5 to 6.5 hours. It is advisable that at least one daytime nap takes place in the fresh air. The baby's cerebral cortex is actively developing, and this requires oxygen. It’s not for nothing that you sleep better and more peacefully in the fresh air.

Daily routine chart for 5 months

The plate shows the approximate daily routine of a 5-month-old baby:

It’s interesting that already at this age it becomes clear whether a baby is a “lark” or a “night owl”; how much time does he need to sleep; whether he is a light sleeper or a deep sleeper. These features affect the daily routine and life of the whole family.

Sleep regression

Almost all parents are faced with such a phenomenon in their child as sleep regression. It happens at critical moments of development, when the baby’s nervous system does not have time to cope with the stress. This is usually associated with mastering new activities (sitting, crawling, walking, etc.). Psychologists distinguish such critical phases at 4-5, 8-10, 15-18 months.

What is this?

During a period of temporary deterioration in sleep, parents note difficulties with the baby falling asleep, weak, restless sleep. The baby clearly doesn’t get enough sleep, but he can’t fall asleep either. Both daytime and nighttime sleep worsens. The child asks to be held, becomes whiny, and may constantly ask for food. Usually, sleep returns to normal when the nervous system adapts to increased stress, that is, after 2–6 weeks.

Causes

Sleep regression at five months of age is associated with the body’s transition to an “adult” mode, when sleep becomes cyclical, and the phases of slow and fast sleep are formed. Between them, a person may partially wake up. But adults do not notice such an awakening and, turning on the other side, fall asleep again.

How to deal with the problem

Provide suitable conditions

The baby has not yet learned to fall asleep on his own, so he usually requires the attention of an adult. Don't be angry with him at this moment, but help. Make sure that the environment around you is conducive to falling asleep: the room is not hot (not cold, not stuffy, etc.), the baby is not disturbed by noise or light.

Go to bed early

Over the course of several days, keep track of how many hours your baby sleeps. If the number is less than normal, try putting your baby to bed earlier in the evening. This helps because melatonin, the sleep hormone, is produced in maximum quantities around 19-19.30.

Don't get overtired

Monitor your child's behavior: if the baby starts yawning and rubbing his eyes, he is tired. The baby needs to be put to bed, because literally after 20-30 minutes the state of fatigue will turn into overwork, and you can forget about restful sleep. The baby will demand a bottle, start asking to be held, want to play - anything, just to stay awake.

Marishka’s mother, 5.5 months: “There was a period when my daughter simply did not sleep for more than an hour for several weeks, only sometimes during a walk we were able to rock her to sleep for two hours. And then it was necessary to choose the quietest places. Once a dog barked loudly in the park - my daughter jumped up in her stroller. I barely calmed her down, I threw such a tantrum. At that time, from constant lack of sleep, I was already like a zombie; Only my mother, who temporarily moved in with us, saved us. And after about a month everything somehow went away by itself. Once or twice my daughter slept for three whole hours during a walk, and then she began to sleep more peacefully at night.”

Sleep disturbances in a 5 month old baby

What other possible sleep problems can a five-month-old baby have?

The baby does not fall asleep for a long time, plays and wants to communicate

Wake up baby

Perhaps he just wasn't tired. If the child behaves calmly and is not capricious, he probably got enough sleep during the day. Try shortening your last nap. Wake up your baby gently, don’t wait for him to wake up on his own. Make sure that the baby does not sleep during the day longer than the specified time (6.5 hours). The same goes for night sleep. If your baby sleeps for more than ten hours, try waking him up in the morning so that the entire subsequent daily routine is not disrupted.

If the baby is capricious in the evening, and it is clear that he is tired, it means that the daily routine is not structured correctly.

Create a bedtime ritual

Gradually form a bedtime ritual in your baby's mind. Play a quiet game in the evening, prepare a warm bath, sing a lullaby, or get a massage with oil. Repeat the same actions day after day in the evening so that they become habitual for the baby and become associated with the fact that it is time to sleep.

Teach your baby to fall asleep on his own

At the same time, the wrong actions of parents can lead to the child becoming dependent on compliance with strict conditions. There are children who fall asleep only when constantly rocked to sleep or exclusively with the breast or bottle in their mouth. Such “dancing with tambourines” is not good for either the child or the tortured parents, who drive themselves into a corner.

By teaching the baby to fall asleep on his own, parents get rid of many problems in the future. Remember that the sleep regression period takes a maximum of six weeks. If at this time you help the baby fall asleep by rocking him or simply holding him at your chest, it’s okay. However, after that nothing prevents the baby from learning to fall asleep on his own.

The baby sleeps restlessly, tosses and turns, cries in his sleep or before bedtime

This is the first sign of nervous fatigue. All the most exciting events: gymnastics, massage, active games should occur in the first half of the day. In the evening - only a quiet walk in a stroller, a bath (possibly with a soothing collection). No noise, fuss, loud TV sound. Gradually, towards evening, reduce the lighting intensity, for example, turn on a floor lamp instead of a chandelier. Give your baby a chance to calm down.

Some children with an excitable nervous system simply need relaxation, otherwise they will not fall asleep. If a baby regularly cries before going to bed, this is not a deviation; he is simply “sorting through” his impressions of the day. If you think your child is too restless, consult a pediatric neurologist or pediatrician.

Benjamin Spock spoke of the “barrier” that their nervous system poses to such babies. They just need crying to overcome this barrier and finally fall asleep.

For excitable children, it is especially important to create a calm environment. Always prepare your baby for bed by playing soft melodic music. Limit his communication with noisy guests, try not to dramatically change the situation - a weekend trip to the country or to a friend across the city by taxi is not the best idea for a child with a sensitive nervous system.

The child constantly wakes up at night

Do not play with your child at night. If the baby wakes up, give him a drink, change the diaper, but try to do everything quietly and quickly. Don't turn on bright lights; use a night light instead. Speak gently, in a quiet voice, as if humming a lullaby. Your child must realize that everyone sleeps at night, do not disturb him in this.

If the baby does not calm down and makes it clear that he wants to eat, feed him. Perhaps the child cannot sleep due to hunger. If this is really the case, you need to reconsider your diet, because at five months it’s time to eliminate night feeding. It prevents the formation of the habit of continuous sleep. Of course, this cannot be done at once, but it is necessary to gradually wean the baby from eating at night.

Baby is cutting teeth

A child's sleep at 5 months can be disrupted by the first teeth cutting. Typically, the lower incisors appear between 6 and 8 months, but in recent years, more and more children are emerging earlier. The central incisors are not teeth that cause a lot of trouble for your baby, but the gums can still itch and itch, preventing him from sleeping.

Pay attention to the child's behavior: if the baby chews everything that comes to hand, and there is more saliva than usual, it means that a tooth will cut through soon. Try to look into your baby's mouth to see if a bright red spot has appeared on the lower gums. By evening, gum itching may intensify significantly. There is only one piece of advice here - get baby gel with lidocaine to alleviate the baby’s condition and give him the opportunity to sleep peacefully.

Conclusion

So, how much does a 5 month old baby sleep? His regimen consists of one long night sleep and three daytime sleeps of 1-1.5 hours each.

Young parents often face various problems related to their baby's sleep. How can I help him get good sleep? Universal advice: try to adhere to routine moments and do everything at the same time, even if your daily routine is very different from the “classic” one. This will help avoid problems with both digestion and the child’s sleep.

Video on the topic

Just recently, your baby fell asleep instantly and could sleep most of the day, despite noise, light and other external stimuli. Now everything has changed and this is normal. Sleep becomes shorter and more sensitive, and the mother has a problem: how to put her baby to sleep at 5 months quickly and without nervous shock for both parties.

Why is this happening? The fact is that such changes are a natural process: a baby at this age learns about the world more actively and in a more varied way, he is captivated by the events taking place around him and, of course, does not want to waste time sleeping. In addition, it is by five months that babies begin to sleep “like adults,” in phases. That is, if previously the child immediately seemed to “fall” into deep sleep, now he goes through the phase of falling asleep or shallow sleep. And during this period, even the slightest external irritant can wake him up.

How much does a 5 month old baby sleep: average sleep standards

However, certain trends are common:

• if a child sleeps poorly and this continues for a long time, there may be chronic fatigue and lack of sleep;
• hyperactive children need 1-2 hours of sleep per day more than calm children, otherwise their body will not have time to recover;
• Any baby at this age needs both a full night and several daytime sleeps. If your 5-month-old child stops sleeping during the day, you need to look for the reason and correct the situation;
• By the age of 5-6 months, circadian rhythms begin to play an important role in the life of your child, which means that going to bed at night should be done no later than 10 pm, and getting up in the morning at approximately 7-7.30 am. This is an ideal basic scheme that can be adjusted to suit the needs of a particular child with minor modifications.

On average, at the age of five months, a baby sleeps 15-16 hours. Of these, 9-10 occur during night sleep, 6-7 during daytime sleep. Night sleep can be continuous, daytime sleep is usually divided into 3 “approaches”.

Some children are able to sleep peacefully at night for up to 12 hours. Such babies most often regulate the duration of rest by reducing daytime sleep. Therefore, if you notice that your 5-month-old child sleeps for half an hour during the daytime or longer, but only 1-2 times, you can reduce the duration of night rest.

Organization of wakefulness and its connection with a child’s sleep at 5 months

All the time that the baby is not sleeping, he is, in fact, busy with two things: eating and learning about reality. And the child’s well-being, mood and, of course, sleep depend on how well his leisure time is organized.

In addition to meals, a five-month-old baby's wakefulness should include:

• outdoor games with adult family members;
• privacy: the baby should learn to occupy himself on his own, without the participation of mom or dad, for example, playing with rattles or simply looking at the interior of the room;
• walks in the open air.

According to this, you need to build a daily routine: for example, if a child sleeps only outside for 5 months, go for a walk with him during nap times. If your baby has difficulty falling asleep, do not start active games with him just before rest. It’s better to just walk around with the baby in your arms, talk, pat him on the back and sing a calm song.

It happens that all the instructions are followed, but the baby still cannot sleep, is capricious, whines and often drives the mother to white heat. If by all indications the child is healthy, most likely the problem is overfatigue, in simple terms, the child has “overstayed his welcome.” This situation is a reason to think about shifting sleep to an earlier time.

As for nutrition, it is important that your child goes to bed immediately or almost immediately after eating: hunger is another fairly common reason that a child does not sleep well during the day or wakes up at unplanned times at night.

Five-month-old baby's sleep and breastfeeding: what is the relationship?

From a physiological point of view, infants and artificial babies are in an equal position with regard to sleep. Provided they have a sufficiently balanced diet, they sleep equally soundly and efficiently.

Another thing is that it is easier to put a baby to sleep: you can give him a breast, under which the baby can easily sleep for an hour and a half. At night, it is easier to feed such children, if necessary, by placing them next to you. On the other hand, artificial babies are less dependent on their mother, which means they are more willing to fall asleep without her direct presence, in a stroller or crib.

An important recommendation for mothers whose children are bottle-fed: you should not give your baby a sweetened formula immediately before bed: sugar can cause fermentation processes in the intestines and provoke colic or a deceptive feeling of hunger. In this case, you will have to forget about getting proper sleep for your child.

Sleep hygiene for a 5 month old baby: what to pay attention to?

Let's list the basic conditions for a five-month-old baby to have good, long sleep. In addition to the regime and nutrition, which were already mentioned earlier, the following are important:

• temperature and humidity in the room: if your child sleeps poorly, cries, wakes up often, he may be hot, cold, or have difficulty breathing. The problem is solved by maintaining the temperature in the room at 17-18 degrees, using humidifiers during the heating season and high-quality ventilation;
• light: there are two options here - either complete darkness or dim local lighting, for example, a dim night light. You should not teach your child to fall asleep in bright light: just like for an adult, for him this is fraught with a decrease in melatonin production, and therefore sleep disturbances;
• comfortable clothes: pajamas or onesies with a vest should be spacious, made of pleasant-to-touch fabric with the seams facing out, and selected according to the season. For particularly restless babies, you can use partial swaddling so that they do not wake themselves up with the movements of their arms and legs;
• hygiene: if a child of 5 months sleeps poorly, spins and wakes up, it means that something is bothering him. A cleanly washed body, moderately moisturized skin, treated areas of irritation are the key to a sound and restful sleep for the baby;
• rituals: putting him to bed, singing a lullaby, darkness, stroking and patting, other actions should be associated with the child falling asleep. Then the process of going to bed itself will be calm and effective.

In conclusion, a few words about the position: many adults, especially the older generation, are frightened by the fact that the child began to sleep on his stomach at 5 months. They begin to turn him over and, of course, wake him up.

There is nothing strange or scary in this position: the baby grows and chooses the most comfortable positions for himself. He can sleep on his stomach, on his back, on his side or even on all fours - and this will not make his sleep any less complete. Unless, of course, adults interfere.

Ekaterina Rakitina

Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

Reading time: 6 minutes

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Article last updated: 07/02/2019

A five-month-old baby is growing and developing rapidly. If you count how much he sleeps, it turns out that the main processes of formation and improvement of various body systems occur precisely in his sleep. At this time, the brain is actively processing a large amount of information, the synthesis of growth hormone is intensive, and psychophysiological processes are developing. Sleep disturbances can cause growth retardation and nervous system exhaustion. Therefore, it is so important to know the sleep norm of a 5-month-old child and, in case of significant deviations, promptly seek help from doctors.

Sleep norm for a 5 month old baby: how much sleep you need

The daily routine varies quite a lot depending on individual characteristics, but there are average sleep needs depending on the age of the baby that you can focus on.

At night, a healthy five-month-old baby should sleep for about 10 hours without interruption. During the day, it is recommended to divide the baby’s sleep time into three segments of 1.5-2 hours. If the weather is good, it is best to organize sleep in the fresh air.

The child should rest for the first time after being awake for two hours in the morning. The second afternoon nap can be longer, but it is not recommended to delay the evening nap. If your baby sleeps for more than two hours in the evening, this can negatively affect the quality of night sleep and cause difficulty falling asleep.

Deviations from the norm of sleep in a large direction can be caused by the temperament characteristics and weakness of the baby. The most common reasons for not getting enough sleep at night are pain, hunger, thirst, discomfort and overstimulation. Lack of sleep during the day is most often associated with a violation of the schedule and insufficient physical activity.

You can determine whether your baby sleeps as much as he needs based on the following criteria:

• the baby eats with appetite and gains weight;
• During the day, while awake, the child behaves calmly, reacts with interest to what is happening around him, reaches for toys, tries to sit up and crawl;
• may be left alone for a while, without crying, a pacifier or a pacifier;
• is not capricious in the evenings before bed;
• falls asleep quickly, in less than 20 minutes;
• sleeps soundly at night, without waking up every 1-2 hours.

Don't worry too much when your baby sets a schedule that differs from the recommended one. If this does not interfere with the normal life of the parents, and the child is cheerful, healthy and developing according to his age, then there is no need to adjust the time of sleep and wakefulness.

Some children begin to cut their first teeth as early as five months. In some cases, the child may develop a fever, become moody and sleep very poorly. Characteristic manifestations of teething: increased salivation and slight swelling of the gums.

Signs of a tired child

A baby's mechanisms of excitation and inhibition of the nervous system are imperfect, so a situation often occurs when a tired child cannot fall asleep. Signs of fatigue can be confused with signs of fear, hunger and lack of communication.

To determine when a baby wants to sleep, you need to observe his behavior. Your baby should be put to bed if he:

• yawns and whines;
• rubs his face with his fists;
• cannot focus on an object;
• makes sudden movements with arms and legs;
• thumb sucking;
• doesn't let his mother go.

If the moment is missed when the baby is ready to go to bed, then putting him to sleep becomes a difficult task, despite the fact that his eyes are literally stuck together.

How to find out how much your baby actually sleeps

Complaints that the baby sleeps little, especially during the day, often turn out to be exaggerated, as they are based on a misconception about children's sleep. Mothers only count the time the little one spends in the crib. In this case, it may seem that the child is not sleeping enough.

In fact, we must take into account all the time: when the baby is dozing at his mother’s breast, and when he is sleeping during a walk, and when he is rocked in his arms and sleepily carried around the room.

Symptoms of sleep disturbance in children are the following: the total duration of sleep during the day and night differs from the norm by more than 3 hours, there is no deep sleep phase, the child falls asleep with great difficulty and wakes up every 5-7 minutes.

If the mother is very worried and is not sure that everything is in order, keeping a diary can help in the calculations, where you need to write down how the child spends his time. For calculations, the most convenient way is a simple table with hourly recording of what the baby did during the day. After a week of such observations, you can draw a conclusion about how much he actually sleeps, if necessary, consult with a specialist and correct the situation.

How to go to bed correctly

Children aged 5 months have difficulty falling asleep not because the little one is too spoiled or has a bad character. This occurs due to the inability to consciously relax and distract from external stimuli when the body needs rest. To reduce infant whims to a minimum, the baby needs to be helped to fall asleep. To do this, you need to follow these simple tips:

• You don't have to strictly adhere to the regimen. Following a schedule accurate to the minute can only escalate the situation by better adapting to the baby’s biorhythms and adjusting sleep and feeding times.
• At the first signs of fatigue, you need to send the baby to bed.
• It is easiest for a baby to fall asleep at the mother's breast. Pediatricians advise maintaining natural feeding for at least a year.
• It is necessary to create a calming environment. Quiet music or a lullaby, monotonous, uniform sounds, like the sound of rain, often helps children fall asleep.
• The baby should feel comfortable. You need to choose bedding made from natural fabrics, soft breathable clothing, and a flat pillow with hypoallergenic filling.
• During sleep, the baby should not freeze or overheat. The crib should not be placed near a radiator, heaters or windows. At temperatures above 24°C, it is recommended to cover the baby with one sheet. A warm blanket is used if the room is colder than 18°C. There is no need to put a hat on the child indoors or cover him above the chest.

Is it possible to rock a baby to sleep?

One of the most popular methods to calm a baby is rocking in your arms or in a crib. This method has many supporters who talk about age-old traditions and the feeling of safety for a baby who is close to his mother. Opponents point to the formation of bad habits and difficulties in relearning how to fall asleep in any other way.

It is best to focus on the needs of the child himself in this matter; for a restless and excitable baby, motion sickness after feeding can be an effective option.

The baby's desire to fall asleep in his mother's arms increases if he is sick or scared, suffers from colic, or there is a tense situation in the family.

You can rock your baby in your arms while sitting, walking around the room, or in a baby bed or stroller equipped with special shock absorbers. The main thing is that the movements are soft and measured; you should not shake the baby. As soon as he falls asleep, motion sickness should stop.

If this method of putting a toddler to bed becomes burdensome for parents, then 5-6 months is the optimal time to try to wean him from this habit. It is necessary to act gradually and consistently. It is necessary to take the child in your arms more often during the day while awake, the baby must get used to the fact that being held in your arms is not associated with sleep. You can replace rocking with light massaging strokes of the baby's legs and head.

Shared sleep or separate bed

Sleeping together between mother and newborn in the first weeks after birth is beneficial for the psychological stability of the child. Children experience a feeling of anxiety and begin to worry when their mother is not around. Co-sleeping makes it easier to care for, convenient for breastfeeding and allows the mother to quickly calm down her awakened baby.

The older the baby gets, the more compelling the reasons for using a crib. There is no consensus on when it is time to send your baby to sleep separately. Recommended ages range from three months to one year. Each family chooses the appropriate time depending on its desire and behavior of the baby.

Most children at five months can roll over from their back to their tummy and back. At the same time, the first attempts to crawl on the stomach appear, leaning on the arms and pulling up the torso. During this period, sleeping on a bed without sides becomes dangerous. If you miss the moment when your baby wakes up, he may move to the edge of the bed and fall to the floor. Therefore, mothers who have slept with their baby since birth are beginning to think about a separate crib.

In order for your child to quickly adapt to new conditions, you should not make changes to the bedtime ritual. At first, you can place the baby crib close to the parent's, and then gradually move it away. Until the baby falls asleep, there is no need to leave the room. If he wakes up and cries, you need to come up and calm the baby down. It is necessary to carefully look at the baby’s behavior and be guided by intuition and common sense.