Five Month Sleeps All Day And Wont Sleep At Night

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Five Month Sleeps All Day And Wont Sleep At Night

my son dakota

I think I messed up my son's sleep schedule. Now I'm lost and get no sleep. My son gets up with me in the morning, then screams till I put him back to bed to take a nap. Then even if I shorten his nap he fights to go back to sleep. Therefore he sleeps most hours of the day and at night goes to bed and sleeps 6 hours once its past at least ten, even as late as midnight!

The problems started when we moved.

What can I do to get him to sleep less during the day and more at night?

Baby Help Line:

How To Get 5 Month Baby To Sleep At Night Instead Of Day

What a cutie your son is, even if he doesn't sleep well at night!

It is very possible that moving has messed up his sleep routine. Or it would have happened anyway; babies can be unpredictable.

But to get him back on track, take help from daylight and fun activities.

Do you wake up your son in the morning or does he wake up by himself? Start with letting him sleep for as long as he wants in the morning.

Then when he wakes up, have a quick breakfast and then head outside. Don't lay him down in the stroller, rather make him sit up if he can, or at least put a big pillow behind his back, so that he is in a semi-upright position. Keep the canopy off if the weather allows it. The daylight will help getting his melatonin levels during daytime in order.

Is there anything you can do outside that he enjoys? Going to the playground for some fun in the swing, go watch birds, play in the grass or snow, depending on the season...

The important thing is to get daylight and fun activity to distract him if he is tired. If you can't go outside every day, do something else that he loves - maybe a fun bath in the bathtub together with his mom? And keep the room as light as possible.

Try to strive for him staying awake for 2 hours before falling asleep in the morning. It might be that you have to do it gradually.

Then let him sleep for as long as he wants, or at least a couple of hours. When he wakes up, it is lunch time and the more fun time with mom. Strive for keeping him awake for 3 hours before his next nap. Again, daylight and fresh air is great for a good night's sleep. Also meeting other babies is a lot of fun at this age.

You can see if any of the following baby activities appeal to you.

After the second nap, a five month old baby might be able to stay awake for 4 hours before sleeping for the night. That isn't possible for all, though. My youngest actually had three naps per day for a long time, but I did try to keep the third nap relatively short and as early as possible in the afternoon.

If you have a sleep routine that used to work, e.g. a bath or a song, or something like that, continue with it. It is a good signal for the baby that the night is coming. Also dim the lights around the house from say 6.30 pm, to help his melatonin levels go up and signal sleep to his body.

At night, keep the room he sleeps in very dark. For naps during the day, make sure he sleeps in daylight.

I am sure you will be able to get him back on track with a bit of patience. Don't expect quick miracles, but if you work on his schedule and combine it with daylight and fun stimuli, he'll get there!

And make sure to have your hubby help you out at night some times, so that you don't become completely exhausted.

For some sleep tips for new moms, read this article.

Good luck,

Paula