Written by Gayathri Lakshminarayanan
Your 5 Month old baby is growing in all aspects, and so does the 5 month old baby sleep schedule change. They may start cooing, babbling, and experimenting with various sounds and speech. Many babies roll onto their tummy by 5 months. Their playtime begins to be more interactive with rattles and laughter. The vision is becoming better, and the parts are growing stronger. All the developmental milestones affect sleep.
You may find that the sleep needs of the 5 Month old are reduced, and they tend to sleep longer at night. Also, remember that there may be sleepless fussy nights and sleep marathons. Get ready for a roller coaster this month. In this article, we shall discuss the sleep schedule of the 5 month old. Let us get started.
In This Article
On average, a 5 month old may require 10 to 15 hours of sleep. You may find that your 5 month old may reduce daytime sleepiness and increase nighttime sleep. They might snooze for a continuous 10 to 11 hour sleep at night and take 30 minutes to 2 hours of two or three naps during the day.
This is still not a constant stage, and the sleep patterns continue to change over the month.
Experts and pediatricians have given a green signal to sleep train the babies from four to six months, giving them the space to self-soothe and sleep independently without rocking and feeding. While this is not necessarily to be done, it will help your babies to learn to self-sleep.
There are different types of sleep training, and you may choose the one that suits your family and preferences. While some might prefer zero-intervention, others might prefer the Ferber or chair method, which involves little intervention and slowly decreases over the long run.
Though studies have proven that sleep training helps improve sleep in babies, it is not suitable for all babies. So, choose to sleep train only if it suits your baby and needs it.
[Read : When Do Babies Sleep Through The Night?]
By the fifth month, your baby might have shifted to a three times a day nap and a solid 10 to 11 hours of sleep during the night.
Sample Time | Awake/Nap/Bedtime |
07:00 AM | Stays Awake |
08:45 AM | Nap Time |
10:45 AM | Stays Awake |
12:30 PM | Nap Time |
02:30 PM | Stays Awake |
04:30 PM | Nap Time(Tend to Plan a Short Catnap) |
05:00 PM | Stays Awake |
06:30 PM | Bedtime Routine |
07:00 PM | Bedtime(with one Overnight Feeding) |
This sample is based on the assumption that the little one wakes up for two hours at a time and sleeps three times a day for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Sleep regressions occur when your little one is trying to achieve a new milestone. This is very common during the fourth and sixth months. But there is no exception for the fifth month. You may find that your minor has all forgotten how to sleep during the night, and they may have frequent night wakings and refuse a usual bedtime routine.
Always remember this is just a phase and shall pass on too quickly. Keep encouraging your little one to continue with good sleep habits.
Your baby is developing, and this might make him sleepless. Sometimes, there might be no reason for the little one not to sleep. The following are some common sleep problems babies face during the fifth month.
At this age, teething can keep your baby away from sleep, and they might become crankier due to the stress. The significant symptoms of teething include drooling, chin rash, biting, and pulling the ears. Try giving a teething ring for comfort.
[Read: Does Teething Cause Sleep Disturbance In Babies?]
Sleep regression can cause frequent night wakings. You may also notice that the little one is so active and fresh at odd hours during the night. The baby who slept the whole night has suddenly become a night owl. During the frequent wake-ups, help your baby self-soothe until they need help with hunger or diaper change. You can give him a gentle tap with a soft lullaby to go back to sleep.
You may notice that the little one now requires lesser naps during the day, which makes them overtired and resists them from going to sleep at night. Also You can plan to put them in an extended naptime routine to enable them to adjust to the environment and sleep well.
During the fifth month, most babies are in the middle of mastering the new art. You need to help them to sleep well during the night. Let us look at some valuable tips to help the five month old sleep better.
Look for the cues of sleepiness in the babies. Some include yawning, fussy, rubbing the eyes, thumb sucking, and many more. These signs differ from each of them. When you give more attention to the cues, you will learn when babies feel sleepy, and putting them to sleep when they feel sleepy helps them to fall asleep easier.
Make sure you follow the bedtime routine consistently. Rocking, soothing lullaby, or reading a book together helps them sleep easily. Sometimes, putting the sleeping baby in the crib will be challenging. But try your maximum to make them sleep in the crib.
[Read : Establishing a Bedtime Routine For Babies]
Most of the sleep regressions occur at the same time as developmental milestones. So, make sure you give them plenty of time during the day to try the new art so they don’t try it during sleep time. During the fifth month, the most common developmental milestones will include flip over, roll over, babbling, creeping, and crawling.
Sleep problems and regressions are just a phase and should go away over time. If you find that your little one is not sleeping and the developmental milestones are also delayed, make sure you contact the pediatrician immediately.
A 5 month old baby’s sleep schedule will depend on when they eat and how often they are fed. This 5 month old baby sleep article will help you get your baby to sleep through the night and nap at predictable times. This article is a complete guide for you about what to expect of your 5 month old sleep pattern.
By the fifth month, the baby should have transitioned to three naps of 30 minutes to 2 hours during the day and 10 to 11 hours of sleep at night.
A five month old can sleep up to 5 to 6 hours during the day.
The nighttime sleep for a five month old could be 10 to 11 hours.
You may find that the 5 month old can now sleep 8 to 10 hours at a stretch during the night.
The 5 month old may sleep for 10 to 15 hours on a 24 hour day, which may vary from baby to baby.
Read Also: 6 Month Old Baby Sleep Schedule – Sample Schedule, Problems and Tips
Gayathri’s passion for writing had its foundation at the very early stages of her life when she was on her college editorial board and also won several awards for writing events and book review competitions. She combines her corporate experience with her writing skills and her experience as a homemaker makes her an empathetic contributor in the parenting domain . Her shift from full-time accounting professional to a homemaker gave her career a new direction.Read more.
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