Sleep: The Final Frontier

Question #7, July 2006

Dear Dr. Gwenn:

I have a 5 month old, that sleeps roughly 11 hours at night with one wake up. He is exclusively breast fed and has started rice cereal. He goes to bed easily at 7-8pm sleeps until 3am then wakes up for a feeding and sleeps until 6 or 7 am. He was a full term baby of 8 pounds and was 17 pounds10 ounces at 4 months. Does he need to be eating at 3 am or can I wean him of this with a pacifier and/or crying it out a bit?

During the day, he does a 30 min morning nap about 2 hrs after waking. I am trying to get him to nap in his crib in the afternoon (while his brother is napping). I try putting him in and am lucky if I can get a half hour, he seems like he can go 6 daytime hours with no sleep. How do I establish a solid afternoon nap?

Thank you,

JR, Mother of 2, Wayland, MA

Dear JR:

Thanks for your questions – your raised the very issues that plague most parents of infants. There are a number of considerations but first let me give you some facts.

Babies at this age have cumulative sleep over the course of the day and many babies do not need a long nap.  So, if a baby this age typically needs 12 hours of sleep, he is getting that just mostly at night.  The nighttime waking could be habit but he is going down early and may very well be waking up hungry. 

Here’s what I’d suggest. For napping, you may have to cut your losses given how much sleep he gets at night.  His body will tell you what he needs and from what you describe he doesn’t really need to nap. 

The middle of the night waking could be habit or needing more calories.  Is he truly eating or using you as a pacifier. You could try giving him a pacifier and fussing a bit and see if he settles on his own. You won’t be causing him any harm. Since you are just starting solids, you could give him some rice cereal before bed and see if that additional meal helps get him through. Many moms have roused their babies before they go to sleep at night – at 11/12am – for a quick feed. Or, have dad give him breast milk in a bottle to give you a break.  As you add more solids, you’ll quickly find he does not need that meal. 

Your son’s body is telling you what he needs.  If having a nap is important to you due to the flow of your family, you may need to consider keeping him up a bit longer at night.  Many babies are catnappers and that seems to be your son’s style.  Most parents dream of having a baby sleep 11 hours at night – go with that!

As for adding more solids, you will eventually go to 3 meals and breast milk scattered about the day and he will get more active. All these things will impact his sleep – hopefully in a good way. Until then, go with the flow and don’t worry about the naps. Just rejoice that he is such a good sleeper at night.

If you need the break while your 2 year old is napping, you could put your 5month old in a playpen near you or a swing.  

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