By the fifth month of life, the baby becomes very emotional, active, sociable, and strives for constant contact with parents and familiar people. He smiles in response to kind words and touches, laughs heartily, plays pranks, tries to pronounce the first intelligible sounds. A 5-month-old child listens attentively to songs and rhymes, tinkers with toys, and spends the day in a fun and interesting way. Only now there is very little time left for sleep. But a well-sleeping baby grows and develops correctly and has no problems with physical and mental health. So how much should a 5 month old baby sleep?

Features of sleep of a 5-month-old baby

Each baby develops an individual daily routine, sometimes significantly different from the schedule approved by medical specialists. This also applies to bedtime. But there is no need to worry: this is normal. The main thing is that the baby is comfortable. Some parents are faced with a problem: a 5-month-old child does not sleep well, tosses and turns in the crib for a long time, and is capricious. There is an explanation for this behavior. The fact is that the process of falling asleep in a five-month-old baby changes. Previously, the baby immediately fell into deep sleep as soon as he closed his eyes; now he first remains in the superficial phase, during which he dreams and easily wakes up from the slightest irritating sound.

A five-month-old baby falls asleep deeply 20 minutes after being placed in the cradle. Until this time, he may become alarmed and cry from any touch or unpleasant noise. If a mother wants her baby to fall asleep as quickly as possible, then she must maintain as much silence as possible for twenty minutes. And only after making sure that the baby is in a sound and healthy sleep can she leave the crib and do household chores.

Daytime sleep for a 5 month old baby

A five-month-old baby goes to bed two or even three times during the day. The baby sleeps for the first time before lunch, about two hours after waking up and having a morning meal. The duration of this sleep is usually short, does not exceed an hour. The second time the child rests after lunch. This sleep is the deepest and longest, can last two or even three hours. If the weather is not too hot or cold, then it is advisable for the mother to take her sweetly sleeping baby outside so that he can breathe in plenty of fresh air. The third time the baby is put into the cradle in the evening, a few hours before bedtime, but not always, but only if he is very tired. It is good when a child sleeps no more than four hours during the day, otherwise at night he indulges and is capricious.

Baby's night sleep at 5 months

A 5 month old baby sleeps an average of 10 - 11 hours at night. A baby's sleep at 5 months is deep and sound, which pleases the mother, exhausted and tired from regular breastfeeding. The baby may wake up hungry just once, usually in the middle of the night, and then rest soundly until the morning. A full night's sleep is important for a 5-month-old baby; it is the main source of restoring energy lost during the day. While the baby is sleeping soundly, his brain not only produces the growth hormone somatotropin, but also analyzes all the information he sees and hears. If a five-month-old baby does not get enough sleep at night for certain reasons, then in the future he may experience unpleasant health problems, including retardation in physical and mental development.

Daily routine of a five-month-old baby

Breastfeeding and sleep

In the process of feeding a child at 5 months, the mother will pay attention to obvious changes in the baby’s behavior. The baby will begin to be distracted from the breast faster and will have less time to eat. Literally any changes in the environment - a sharp knock, noise, flash - will instantly distract the child's attention. Many mothers are nervous about this fact. They begin to feel that the baby is not getting enough milk. But this is not so: if the child wants to eat, he will eat, especially since the mother’s breast is in the access zone.

The fact that the baby is distracted by other stimuli is a sign that he is growing up. If suddenly the baby does not get enough food during the day, the baby will compensate for everything during sleep.

At the same time, you will have to feed the baby more often and longer at night. For many mothers, this is quite inconvenient, because the quality of their sleep also changes.

Gradually, over time, feedings at night should stop. To speed up this process, during the day you need to create a calm environment for the baby during feedings. Close the curtains and remove all possible distractions. Sometimes women use a special sling that limits the space that the baby can see so that there are no visual distractions. When putting your baby to bed, do not forget about the rituals to which he is accustomed.

Baby is cutting teeth

The first teeth are a real challenge for both mother and baby. At five months, the lower teeth gradually begin to erupt. The lower incisors cause the most discomfort for children. But the central ones can also itch, itch and even make the gums hurt.

The approaching appearance of a tooth is warned by some behavioral characteristics that the child actively demonstrates. In particular, the baby begins to chew everything, and he also produces saliva more strongly. These are integral companions to the appearance of new teeth. Carefully look into your baby's mouth: if a red spot appears on the gums, it means that a tooth will soon appear. By evening, the gums usually begin to itch much more.

There is only one piece of advice here - to reduce the baby’s discomfort, you can smear his gums with a special baby gel containing lidocaine.

How to quickly put a 5 month old baby to sleep?

The individuality of a child is manifested not only in his character, but also in the way the baby sleeps. Until the age of 5 months, the baby fell asleep quite easily, as he quickly moved into the REM sleep phase. Therefore, mom could immediately go about her business. The sleep phases of a five-month-old baby begin to become “adult” - that is, first comes REM sleep, from which it is very easy to get out of.

If something distracts your baby during REM sleep, he will instantly open his eyes. On average, deep sleep occurs within 20 minutes. If you do not keep the room in complete light and sound insulation for these minutes, the baby may never be put to bed completely.

Psychologists identify a number of rules, following which you can quickly put your child to bed, and his sleep will be sound.

• No overwork. As soon as the child begins to show fatigue (yawning, being capricious, being less active), it’s time to start bedtime procedures. If the child is not put to bed on time, overstimulation will follow, and then the process of falling asleep can be delayed and very problematic.
• Eliminate irritants. Dress the child so that he is not too hot and the baby does not freeze; make sure that the clothes are comfortable - do not pinch, do not rub, and do not prick anywhere. If the teeth have already begun to cut, lubricate the baby’s gums with a special gel. Nothing should prevent your child from falling asleep
• Rituals before bed. Dim the lights, dress your baby in soft clothes, sing a lullaby, pet him or give him a little massage. The rituals should be repeated daily in a consistent, identical order. When the child gets used to the sleep ritual, each time it will be like a signal for him that it is time to sleep.

Baby's sleep at 5 months: regression

Almost all parents face this phenomenon. This problem occurs when a child’s body at 5 months cannot cope with the stress that it experiences - too many impressions, a lot of information that needs to be absorbed.

Sleep regression in a child at 5 months is a temporary deterioration in sleep, which makes it difficult for the baby not only to fall asleep, but also wakes him up at night. At 5 months, a child’s sleep becomes unstable and he worries a lot. The baby is showing signs of lack of sleep, but he can’t get enough sleep because he can’t fall asleep. A 5 month old child sleeps poorly both day and night. The child more often demands to be held, cries a lot, and sometimes asks to eat more often than usual. But parents should not worry, sleep will return to normal within a month, during this period the nervous system will adapt to the stress.

Reasons for sleep regression in a child at 5 months

A child's sleep at 5 months moves from completely deep, as it was previously, to sleep in cycles - when the phases of rapid and deep sleep begin to operate. Switching between these phases, even adults sometimes wake up. Only they do not notice such awakenings and continue to sleep, but children notice, it worries them (especially those who are not used to falling asleep on their own), so the child is capricious, cries and wakes up the parents.

How to deal with the problem

Such situations require, if not a complete solution, then at least relief, both for the child and for his mother and father.

1. Provide suitable conditions. The child does not yet know how to fall asleep completely alone, so mom and dad need to pay a lot of attention to him. The baby is still scared in the big world, so you don’t need to be angry with him, but understand and help. Make the environment comfortable for sleeping - check the temperature and humidity in the room, turn off the lights, eliminate extraneous noise, including from the street.
2. Go to bed early. Calculate how many hours a day your child sleeps. If the figure is less than the permissible norm, you need to try putting him to bed 30-60 minutes earlier. The optimal time to put your child to bed is 7 pm. At this time, the sleep hormone in the human body is produced best.
3. Don't get overtired. A child rubs his eyes and yawns - this is a signal that he wants to sleep, and it’s time to start this process. For now it's just fatigue. But literally after 20 minutes, fatigue will develop into overwork, and then it will be impossible to get the baby to sleep. He will want a bottle or pacifiers, or to hold his hands, or to play - he will come up with any distractions and desires in order to stay awake. At the same time, the small organism will be more exhausted over and over again, and it will end not in a deep sleep, but in hysteria.

A 5-month-old child does not sleep well. What to do?

If a child shows signs of fatigue and is capricious, then it is necessary to reconsider his daily routine.

What other problems may arise due to which a child refuses to sleep at 5 months:

• The baby does not fall asleep for a long time, plays and wants to communicate. This means that the child simply does not want to sleep. If there are no notes of whims mixed into the baby’s games, and the baby generally behaves calmly, it means that the child has had enough daytime sleep. Therefore, you need to shorten the extreme daytime sleep. Don't wait until your baby opens his eyes on his own - carefully start waking him up when the total daytime sleep limit of six and a half hours has been reached. This is exactly how much it takes for a baby to fully restore the body’s resources in a day. The same goes for sleeping at night. A child needs ten hours of sleep. In the morning it is necessary to wake him up after this time if he does not wake up on his own.
• Teach your baby to fall asleep on his own. If you have taught your child to fall asleep with rocking, a bottle, or only when sleeping together, then you should gradually abandon the latter. The fact is that the child quickly gets used to sleeping together and teaching the baby to sleep on his own will become a problem. However, by teaching the child to fall asleep on his own, parents save themselves from problems that will arise in the future. At the moment of regression, which will last for a month, you can help the child fall asleep by holding him at the breast or rocking the baby. At 6 months, you can gradually teach your child to fall asleep on his own, if this has not been done before.
• The baby sleeps restlessly, tosses and turns, cries in his sleep or before bedtime. These are symptoms of nervous fatigue bordering on a nervous breakdown. Correct the daily routine: everything that brings the child the most vivid impressions should happen in the first half of the day. In the second half - calm walks, quiet games, no noise or running, muffle the TV sounds. By evening, the lighting should also not be bright. Allow the child to move from the active to the passive phase, and also give him the opportunity to calm down. Children who are too excitable and active need relaxation and activity before bed, because if they do not throw out their energy, they simply will not fall asleep. If a child cries before going to bed, this only means that the baby received a lot of information during the day, which the brain cannot assimilate so quickly. If a child is restless and often cries before going to bed, then it is necessary to create a calm environment for him.

Benjamin Spock noted that the child's nervous system creates a “barrier”, so children need crying to overcome the “barrier”, and after which they can fall asleep.

One of the common reasons for visiting a doctor with a five-month-old baby is sleep problems. Children often have difficulty falling asleep at night or during the day, sleep restlessly, often wake up, and may cry or scream in their sleep. Parents are worried about this condition, how to deal with it?

First of all, you need to calm down and understand that the child behaves this way because something may bother him, but not to spite you. The reasons may be overexcitation and incorrectly chosen regimen, teething, abdominal pain or problems with the nervous system, external irritants. First of all, you need to rule out painful problems, undergoing treatment if necessary. If the baby is healthy, but problems with sleep remain, you need to think about why the baby has trouble falling asleep or sleeps restlessly?

5 month old baby doesn't sleep well at night

Nighttime sleep at this age is about 9-11 hours, with several awakenings for feeding. Artificial babies usually sleep without waking up until almost o'clock; infants wake up more often - once every 3-4 hours. But if a 5-month-old child wakes up every hour at night, this condition can significantly exhaust the parents and himself. Intermittent sleep at night does not provide adequate rest for anyone. First of all, you need to analyze why a 5-month-old child sleeps restlessly at night? Often the reasons for poor sleep can be noise from the street, loud sounds, and light. If these factors are excluded or the baby is accustomed to such an atmosphere, it is worth considering that the room climate may disturb restful sleep. If the air is too stuffy, dry and hot. This prevents the baby from breathing normally through his nose. The mucous membranes of the nose dry out, swelling and difficulty breathing occur, which leads to anxiety and awakening. Uncomfortable sleepwear and a warm blanket can also have an effect. Eliminate all these factors and watch your baby's sleep.

If your child is 5 months old and suddenly begins to have difficulty sleeping at night, analyze the events of the previous days. Children react by deteriorating sleep to stressful situations - for such a baby, stress can be the arrival of guests, strangers in the house, moving, and even your nervous state after a quarrel.

Therefore, for a good night's sleep, the baby's days should be calm and carefree. Protect him from excessive visits from family and friends, do not overstimulate him with noisy entertainment before bedtime; turn off the TV and music in the evening; excess noise also excites the nervous system.

A 5-month-old child does not sleep well during the day

For approximately the same reasons, a baby’s daytime sleep may be disrupted. If he is too tired or overexcited, it will be difficult for him to fall asleep. Therefore, dose yourself with new impressions, do not disturb your sleep patterns, and at the first signs of fatigue, go to sleep immediately. Why does a 5-month-old baby sleep little during the day? He has become much more active, is exploring the world and no longer wants to spend a lot of time sleeping, therefore, he can significantly reduce the intervals of daytime sleep by lengthening nighttime sleep. Dreams during the day can range from 30-45 minutes to two hours at a time.

5 month old baby sleeps a lot

But if the baby is constantly sleeping, it is difficult to wake him up, he does not wake up well even at feeding time - you should worry. Of course, it may turn out that your baby is phlegmatic and needs a long rest. But most often, neurological problems and depression syndrome manifest themselves in this way. It is worth consulting with a neurologist. It is also worth paying attention to the child’s daily activities and activity.

5 month old baby sleeps on his stomach

Often, five-month-old children find it more comfortable to sleep on their tummy rather than on their back. Due to this position, gas and bloating are less tormented. The baby tosses and turns less and moves his limbs, which means he sleeps longer and more soundly. Don't worry if your baby prefers to sleep on his stomach - this is completely normal and not dangerous to his health.

5 month old baby cries in his sleep

Signs of overexcitation and emotional overload of the baby will be crying and screaming, including during sleep. If a 5-month-old child screams in his sleep, cries, moans or wakes up, you should reconsider his daily routine and activities. Perhaps you overdid it with developmental activities, keeping your baby active, or visiting crowded places. The abundance of new information does not allow the nervous system to calmly assimilate everything new and manifests itself in peaks of cortex activity, which leads to crying or screaming. Also, screaming and crying at night can occur during teething, illness, or abdominal pain. It is worth taking your child to the doctor if nighttime crying has become too frequent or daily.

The daily routine of a five-month-old baby does not differ significantly from the daily routine of a four-month-old baby. The changes concern only the physical characteristics of the child: he becomes even more active and curious, his body develops, grows and gets stronger day by day.

Table with an approximate daily routine

• 6:00-8:00 – waking up and communicating with mom, necessary hygiene sessions, the first morning meal, staying naked for air baths and a little light tonic massage.
• 8:00-10:00 - first morning walk in the stroller and a light short nap in the fresh air.
• 10:00-12:30 - returning from a walk, changing clothes, developmental gymnastics with massage, a second meal and a few calming games before nap.
• 12:30-14:30 – time of daytime rest, quiet time.
• 14:30-17:00 – hygiene procedures after quiet time, third feeding, educational games for the baby’s motor skills and attention, active wakefulness and air baths.
• 17:00-19:00 – evening walk in a stroller in nature, light sleep
• 19:00-21:30 – evening meal, active educational pastime with loved ones, quiet games, reading fairy tales, water treatments and subsequent soothing and relaxing massage.
• 22:30 – last feeding and preparation for bed, rocking and lullabies.
• 23:30-6:00 - night sleep.

The proposed daily routine is only average and recommendatory. It can be adjusted, for example, if the baby is used to waking up in the middle of the night at 2-3 o’clock to eat, you can put him to bed early at 21:30 or 22:00. Having woken up late at night, the baby is usually in a semi-drowsy state and, after eating, immediately quickly falls asleep, unless he is bothered by any ailments. And some babies especially like to sleep in a stroller in the fresh air, then you can combine an afternoon nap with a walk outside, if the weather permits.

Many five-month-old babies are already starting to cut their first teeth. Signs of this process are increased salivation and the baby’s desire to scratch his itchy gums with various objects, be it toys, his own fingers or his mother’s breast, if the baby is still breastfed. If the first teeth are already approaching, the baby may have a fever, a deterioration in appetite and even upset digestion, and the usual daily routine will be disrupted due to restless sleep and frequent waking up. But there is no need to worry about this, this period will quickly pass as soon as the first hard tips of the teeth appear, and the usual sleep and wakefulness patterns will quickly return to normal.

Feeding: norms, number of meals per day and first feeding

The good news for parents of a five-month-old baby is the fact that the baby’s digestive system has completely adapted, and intestinal colic no longer bothers him with severe pain.

The most optimal number of feedings for a baby throughout the day is about five times. The last time may be late at night if the baby is used to waking up at night to eat, or just before bed.

Starting from this month, the child should no longer fall asleep while eating his mother’s breast, but should not be lazy and suck well in order to receive the required portion of breast milk, the daily norm of which is already about one liter per day. In order to gradually wean the baby from falling asleep while sucking on the breast, you need to try to feed him immediately after a night and day sleep, while he is alert and not very tired, and put him to sleep under light rocking motions, which should become a signal for him to fall asleep.

For each feeding, on average, in order to be satiated, the baby needs 200 ml of breast milk or infant formula appropriate for the baby's age. If the mother successfully manages to feed the baby with her own milk, then the well-fed and satisfied child does not become capricious and gains weight well, as he should normally. In such cases, the baby still does not need the introduction of the first complementary foods; he has enough of the nutrients contained in mother’s milk.

When a child is on artificial or mixed feeding, pediatricians prescribe the introduction of the first complementary foods drop by drop from the fourth month of the baby’s life, gradually bringing the norm of various products to average levels. Here is the approximate daily diet of an artificial baby, provided that the first complementary foods were introduced from the fourth month:

• 6:00 - milk mixture in a volume of 200 ml or kefir in the same volume
• 10:00 – complementary foods consisting of rice, semolina or buckwheat porridge without milk in a volume of 150 ml, special children’s cottage cheese about 40 g and carrot or pumpkin juice about 100 ml
• 14:00 – 150 ml of vegetable cream soup or broccoli, cauliflower or potato puree passed through a blender, heated until warm with the addition of a drop of sunflower oil.
• 19:00 – 200 ml baby formula
• Night feeding at 22:30 or 2-3 am with warm, freshly prepared milk formula or kefir.

Every time a new type of product is introduced into a baby’s daily diet, it is necessary to carefully observe his body’s reaction to this product. It will manifest itself on the condition of the child’s skin in the form of redness or rashes, as well as a sharp change in the child’s stool. If the mother notices any signs of a negative reaction to the new product in the baby, it should be discontinued immediately. This is especially true for purchased ready-made complementary foods made by baby food manufacturers. Sometimes babies' digestion reacts differently to the same products from different brands.

If a five-month-old baby who is breastfed is capricious and does not gain weight well, a pediatrician may prescribe a mixed diet for him. It will combine the usual breastfeeding with the introduction of dairy-free first cereals, which you can try to give to the baby from a spoon, so as not to accustom him to sucking from a bottle, otherwise the baby may completely abandon his mother’s breast.

Night and daytime sleep

When the baby has reached five months, his parents experience long-awaited relief in terms of sleep. Finally, they can sleep peacefully throughout the night, since five-month-old babies are already capable of long night sleep. If the child wakes up, it is only for a short period of eating, and then immediately falls back to sleep.

However, your child must maintain a nap schedule to sleep well at night. If your baby sleeps too long during the day, he may wake up too early in the morning or take a long time to fall asleep in the evening. Therefore, pediatricians consider the most optimal option for a daytime sleep schedule to be a short rest during an afternoon and evening walk, and an afternoon quiet hour in between.

Walks

There is nothing healthier for a baby than sleeping in the open air. During such walks, the child’s breathing is very deep, the lungs are well saturated with oxygen, so sleep becomes deeper and sweeter.

During such walks, while the baby is still awake, it is very important to show him different objects on the street, tell him, explain to him in simple language all the interesting things happening around him. At the age of five months, the baby can already be in a stroller in a semi-sitting position, and he already becomes interested in looking around, looking at people, cars, birds, animals.

Child development

Five-month-old babies each develop in their own way; mothers should not be upset if the same baby at their neighbors can do something that her child does not yet do. Here is an approximate list of skills that babies at five months should possess to one degree or another:

• The child recognizes his family, he especially knows his mother well, and even reacts to her voice coming from afar. Also, the baby really likes his reflection in the mirror, and he understands that it is him
• The baby is already good at holding various objects in his hands, reaching for them and taking the ones he likes. Able to shake a rattle, he understands where the sound comes from. The baby is especially attracted to toys that make different sounds when pressed or, for example, toy keyboard instruments
• The baby tastes everything he comes across. This is due not only to curiosity, but also to the desire to scratch itchy gums when thinning out the first teeth.
• Actively rolls over onto its side, onto its tummy and onto its back, while making its first attempts to sit down; is able, hanging on the fingers of adults, to stand up, leaning on his legs.

Educational activities and games

The secret of a child's healthy development lies in the time that parents devote to activities with him and educational games. You need to try to talk to the baby as much as possible, tell and show him all sorts of objects, let him touch them with his hands so that the baby can fully feel their properties and differences. At the same time, it is important to speak clearly and correctly all the words, without distorting them, since they are immediately stored in the child’s memory. A five-month-old baby is already so emotionally developed that he is able to distinguish the affectionate intonation of his mother’s voice from a dissatisfied remark, so he already has an idea of ​​the word “impossible.”

Five-month-old babies will really enjoy reading children's books with rhyming nursery rhymes, songs and ditties. The baby will be especially interested in the presence of musical keys and buttons in books and the ability to make different sounds by pressing his fingers.

For the development of fine motor skills, soft toys with sewn-in small peas or squeakers are very suitable.

Gymnastics and physical development

Since the baby can already actively roll over in different directions, to practice developmental gymnastics with him, it is best to choose a place on the floor, covering it with a soft bedding.

• Crawling exercises. Many babies are actively trying to learn to move independently at this age. Parents should help him by first teaching him to stand on his knees and hands, and then rest his legs on their palms
• Swimming exercises will be very useful for generally strengthening the child’s body and improving the coordination of his movements. However, you need to accustom your child to water very carefully and gradually, so as not to scare him or overtire him. The use of bright bathing sets and a children's swimming neck ring are perfect for these purposes.
• Gymnastics for kids using a fitball (a huge ball) has recently become very popular.

Why is a child’s daily routine often disrupted?

The reasons for disruption of the usual routine are usually associated with:

• Teething
• Introduction of an inappropriate product in complementary feeding
• Ailments and poor health of the baby

If a five-month-old baby has a fever, becomes drowsy and moody, you should immediately contact your local pediatrician; only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis. Moreover, an increase in temperature during the cutting of the first teeth is considered a normal and short-term phenomenon. The doctor may recommend using special freezing teethers or using a cooling gel for the gums to relieve itching in your baby's gums.

It is very important to introduce a new complementary food product gradually, in small portions and monitor the baby’s well-being. Too sudden a change in diet can negatively affect a child’s digestion, causing upset.

An optimal daily routine that is repeated day after day is the key to the correct and healthy development of the baby, instills in him the first skills of discipline, and gives him a feeling of calm and security.

A child's daily routine at 5 months is almost identical to that to which all routine moments of his life were subordinated in the previous month. The duration of periods of sleep and wakefulness, the number of feedings remain the same, only the baby himself changes: day by day he becomes more active, stronger and more inquisitive.

Table with an approximate daily routine

• 6:00-8:00 Waking up the baby, morning feeding followed by mandatory hygiene procedures, air baths, light massage, communication with the mother;
• 8:00-10:00 First sleep combined with a walk in the fresh air;
• 10:00-12:30 Second feeding, doing gymnastics, massage, active wakefulness.
• 12:30-14:30 Daytime sleep.
• 14:30-17:00 Third meal, active leisure time filled with educational games and physical exercises.
• 17:00-19:00 Sleeping in the fresh air.
• 19:00-21:30 Fourth feeding, developing leisure time, communication with family members, bathing the baby.
• 22:30 Last meal.
• 23:00-6:00 Sleep until morning.

Another option:

After familiarizing yourself with this routine, each mother can adjust it to the individual needs of her five-month-old baby.

Parents of a baby should prepare for the fact that at five months he may develop symptoms. This significant event can manifest itself in different ways: for some children it does not cause much suffering, while others react to it with an increase in temperature, constant whims, upset bowel movements and disruption of sleep patterns. For some time, this can cause unpredictable behavior in an unwell baby, which can lead to non-compliance with the usual daily routine.

Fortunately, such periods are quite short-lived. After teething, the mother should take care of returning the baby to her previous routine.

Dream

A five-month-old baby's night's sleep is usually sound: a well-fed baby is able to sleep for about ten hours without requiring feeding or disturbing sleeping parents. To achieve this result, the mother must properly organize her baby’s daytime rest, dividing it into three two-hour periods:

1. The baby needs the first sleep after being awake for two hours in the morning. If the weather conditions are favorable, the mother can go for a walk with him, since it is in the morning hours that sleep in the fresh air will be most favorable for him.
2. The baby's second nap occurs in the afternoon. In the warm season, it can be combined with a walk.
3. The third time the child should be put to bed in the evening hours. At this moment, the father who has returned from work can go for a walk with the baby.

Pediatricians consider this type of daytime sleep to be optimal for a child. If the baby has fallen asleep, exceeding the allotted two-hour limit, you should carefully wake him up so as not to get out of the usual daily routine.

We feed

At 5 months, a child should eat at least a liter of breast milk per day. During feeding, he no longer dozes, but sucks very actively at the breast. It is at this age that you should gradually wean your baby from the habit of falling asleep exclusively at his mother’s breast. Each period of daytime sleep should now begin not with feeding, but with rocking.

An exception should be made before putting the baby to bed for the night: at this moment, the mother’s breast will be not only a source of nutrition for him. Having quickly calmed down, the baby will sleep especially soundly.

Five-month-old breastfed babies still do not need complementary feeding: the nutrients contained in breast milk are sufficient for them. There are times when the baby does not get enough of his mother’s milk and therefore is often capricious and hardly gains weight. This situation is the basis for his transfer to mixed feeding using dairy-free cereals. After some time, the porridge can be made milky.

If complementary feeding was introduced into the diet of an artificially-fed child already at four months of age, his feeding schedule will look like this:

• 6:00 Feeding with kefir or milk formula (200 ml).
• 10:00 Complementary feeding: dairy-free porridge (150 ml), cottage cheese (40 g), vegetable juice (100 ml). Porridge can be rice, buckwheat or corn.
• 14:00 Feeding with vegetable soup or mashed potatoes, zucchini or cauliflower, seasoned with a drop of vegetable oil (150 ml).
• 19:00 Feeding with formula milk (200 ml).
• 22:30 Feeding with kefir or mixture (200 ml).

When introducing new foods to your baby’s diet, you should monitor his stool and the condition of his skin: if rashes appear and the nature of bowel movements changes, they must be discarded immediately.

We're walking

The frequency and duration of walks mainly depend on weather conditions. On cold days, you can walk with your baby for no more than forty minutes, on warm days - up to several hours.

Under ideal circumstances, all periods of daytime rest can be combined with walks, since the active supply of oxygen improves the quality of sleep: it becomes longer and deeper.

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During walks, it is necessary to introduce the baby to objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, accompanying everything he sees with simple comments that are understandable to him.

We are developing

At the age of five months, a child masters a whole range of skills. He can:

• Recognize loved ones and your own reflection in the mirror;
• React joyfully to the mother's voice;
• Reach for an object you like, grab it and take it away;
• Press the keys and buttons of musical instruments;
• Play with a rattle and a squeaker;
• Examine the shape and texture of objects, feeling them with your hands;
• Pull his hands/legs and everything that comes to hand into his mouth;
• Follow the object with your eyes, turning your head in any direction;
• On one's own . Turning over in the opposite direction is also not difficult for him;
• Lie on your tummy for a long time, looking at your surroundings;
• Leaning on your head and knees, lift your pelvis and torso;
• Make your first attempts at sitting independently ();
• Firmly grasping the adult’s fingers, rise and take a vertical position.

You should not force the baby’s development by forcing him to perform actions that the child of a close friend has already mastered. Five-month-old babies develop completely individually: today he can do little, but a week later he can master several skills at once, leaving his “rival” far behind. The key to successful development of the baby is daily activities with the mother.

Games and activities

For the successful development of a baby at five months, you can purchase several bright toys equipped with a set of sound effects. The most useful for him will be:

• Soft toys with sewn-in squeakers, hard balls, foil inserts;
• Baby drums and multi-colored rattles;
• Bright nesting dolls;
• Puppets for finger theater;
• Voiced soft animals performing songs and fairy tales;
• Children's musical instruments (piano, metallophone). Spoons, a saucepan with a lid, etc. can be a complete replacement for such tools.

What should be the content of developmental classes?

A five-month-old baby is very smart and inquisitive. He already understands what it means and reacts correctly to the words: “give”, “on”, “go to mom.” The baby can understand different intonations: when treated kindly, he will smile, but in response to a grumpy remark he may cry.

• You should continue reading books and looking at pictures. You can show your baby photographs of family members and talk about them;
• When telling your baby poems and nursery rhymes, it is very useful to stroke, knead and rub his tiny fingers: such a massage will help improve blood circulation, activate speech centers and stimulate the functioning of internal organs. To perform the massage, the mother can use a walnut, a ball or a pencil, rolling them between the children's palms or along the outer surface of the hands;
• If you want to amuse the baby, you can pick him up and let him fly like an airplane. No less delight will be caused by the opportunity to jump on the lap of someone at home;
• When walking around the apartment with a baby in your arms, you need to continue to familiarize him with the names of the objects in it;
• You can introduce the baby not only to the different textures of the material, but also to the difference in physical properties, by letting him touch a piece of ice or a mug of warm tea;
• It is necessary to talk to the child as much as possible, trying to pronounce words clearly and correctly, remembering that they are stored in his memory, creating a passive vocabulary.

Gymnastics and physical development

A child’s leisure time should be active, so care must be taken in advance to provide him with a free and safe space to perform physical exercise ().

• It is very important to teach your baby to crawl. Having laid the child on the floor and placing his palms under his small heels, it is necessary to give him the opportunity to push off and make his first attempts to move forward ();
• Gymnastic exercises with a large ball are incredibly useful for a baby, improving stretching and strengthening the muscular-ligamentous system ();
• A baby who has not yet learned to roll over on his own from his back to his tummy should be constantly encouraged to do this by placing a palm under his side or placing a favorite toy near him;
• We can only welcome the desire of many parents to teach their kids to swim. Regular exercise in the pool helps expand the lungs and improve coordination of movements. Children who can swim begin to walk faster. The duration of swimming exercises should be no more than ten minutes. In order for your child to engage with pleasure, it is necessary to turn the process into an exciting game, using bright, voiced toys. After swimming, you need to give your baby a relaxing massage.

Reasons for disruption of daily routine and ways to overcome them

Most often, disruptions in the sleeping and eating patterns of a five-month-old baby are due to:

1. eruption of the first teeth.
2. overly active introduction of new complementary foods into the diet.

You can alleviate the condition of a baby who is capricious during the teething period with the help of products designed to massage swollen and itchy gums.

If the cause of children's whims is a violation of the rules for introducing complementary foods, the problematic product should be completely excluded from the baby's diet for a while. After several days, you can try to introduce it again, but in very small portions, carefully looking at the reaction of the child’s body.

Since the baby, who cannot yet speak, reports unmet needs exclusively by crying loudly (), a caring mother should establish and eliminate its cause as quickly as possible (crying can be caused by a lack of attention, a feeling of hunger, or severe overwork).

A well-structured daily routine for a 5-month-old baby guarantees the child’s excellent well-being, disciplines his behavior and stimulates successful physical and intellectual development.

Video guide: baby 5 months

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 4 minutes

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Article last updated: 05/25/2019

New parents are always interested in the question of how much sleep their 5-month-old baby should sleep at night. After all, every baby is individual. And the duration of sleep may vary. In addition, there are other nuances on which the baby’s good sleep depends. For example, the phase of daytime and night sleep.

Features of a baby at 5 months

By the age of 5 months, the child gains less weight. After all, he becomes very active due to his curiosity. On average, the baby weighs about 6.5 kg and height is 65 centimeters.

There is no particular difference between boys and girls at this age. They walk well, putting simple sounds into syllables. They love music. Those who are already sitting (and there are also such nimble little ones), having heard their favorite melody, begin to sway, as if dancing.

Children at this age show special interest in colorful pictures. Therefore, they enjoy looking at books where illustrations prevail over text. A five-month-old baby is already good at picking up small objects and throwing them. Many babies can roll over from their back to their tummy.

How long does a 5 month old baby sleep?

It is impossible to fit all children without exception to general standards. But there are still average standards. If at 4 months the baby sleeps up to 18 hours a day, now this time has been reduced. The daily sleep duration is about 16 hours. Why is this happening? Because the baby is becoming more and more inquisitive.

Exploratory activity, the ability to become interested in a game or subject for up to 10 minutes, reduces sleep time. If a child does not sleep well at night, is tossing around, or is restless, it is necessary to calculate his daily sleep.

It is believed that during the day, 5-month-old babies rest for about 6 hours with breaks. Thus, the frequency and duration of daily bedtimes is 3 times 1.5 hours each. The rest of the time, the child eats, plays, walks - in a word, develops intellectually and physically.

Based on these figures, the duration of night's rest is 9–10 hours. Of course, there are little ones who sleep for 12 hours at night, but this is rare. As a rule, they do not rest much during the day.

A very important aspect for good sleep is going to bed. It should happen at the same time every day. It is better that no later than 22 hours the child is already in his crib. This schedule will allow you to have a good night's rest and gain fresh strength for the next day.

The importance of sleep for a child

Pay attention to how a 5-month-old child behaves if he does not sleep well at night. Constant breakdowns and capriciousness, tearfulness do their job. The child becomes irritable and uncontrollable. He has no time to do research. From here, scientists have highlighted several points why sleep is so important for a 5-month-old child.

1. Restoring physical strength.
2. Rest is not only for the body, but also for the brain. Mental activity is restored after an excess of information received during wakefulness.
3. Cell growth occurs more actively.

All this is very important for the full development of the baby. It has been established that with age a child needs less rest. That’s why a 5-month-old baby needs proper sleep.

Determination of sleep norms

Each baby has its own sleep norm. It all depends on how much time the baby rests per day. Signs of lack of sleep are:

1. Irritability and fatigue.
2. While awake, the child is not focused and constantly rubs his eyes.
3. Constant thoughtfulness of the baby.

If a child spins around in his sleep, behaves restlessly, and wakes up the next morning and is capricious, it means he is not getting enough sleep. But some parents believe that this is the norm for a child: he doesn’t sleep well at night, which means he doesn’t want to or isn’t tired.

On the contrary, children who spend a lot of time sleeping can alarm parents. But this shouldn't always be a concern. Here you need to pay attention to how the baby behaves while awake. If he is active and cheerful, easily interested in what is happening, then this is his time. There's no need to worry.

Causes of sleep disturbances

Why does the child sleep so poorly at night? If the duration of rest during the day does not compensate for the baby’s daily needs, it means that something is bothering him. It is necessary to figure out which factor prevents the toddler from falling asleep.

1. Hyperactivity. Often the baby does not sleep well at night due to his energy. He is constantly spinning, his sleep is light. In fact, this state of affairs requires specialist consultation. Neurology of a weak or strong form may occur, only a doctor will figure it out. Perhaps there is nothing serious. It will be enough to get by with soothing baths before bed.
2. Hunger. At 5 months, babies still wake up at night due to hunger. Some get up once, and some get up all 3 times. It is imperative to feed the little one well with breast milk or formula, then sleep will be sounder. But you can’t deny your baby night feedings. The body is still too small to experience such stress.
3. Disease. Often a baby who tosses around all night and sleeps restlessly wakes up the next morning with a stuffy nose. It is worth paying attention to the child’s well-being. After all, the sooner treatment begins, the shorter the disease will be. Even at night, you can put drops into your baby’s nose to relieve itching and scratching. Don't be afraid of disturbing him. If sleep does not bring anything good precisely because of the onset of an illness, you definitely won’t make it worse. If possible, you can also take your temperature.
4. Teeth cutting. For some, the first tooth begins to peck earlier, for others later. Therefore, it's time to stock up on cooling gels so that you always have them on hand for such an occasion.

Whatever the reason, each deserves attention. A clear analysis of what is happening and monitoring the condition of the baby is necessary. How can you help him if the child regularly behaves restlessly at night?

Parents' actions

It is necessary to establish why the baby does not sleep well. The activities carried out will depend on this. But there are also general rules, following which the child can rest.

1. The bed should be warm and the room temperature should be comfortable.
2. A rest and wake schedule must be maintained. So, the little one will be able to regulate himself when it’s time for him to go to bed. His biological clock will tell him this.
3. If the baby wants to sleep ahead of time, do not interfere with this. Put it to rest. Perhaps he is very tired and needs rest. There is no need to distract your child with games. This way you can interrupt sleep completely, and the child will not fall asleep even when it is supposed to according to the schedule. But, of course, you shouldn’t put your baby to bed before 8 pm. You can distract your child with quiet games. Alternatively, extend your evening swim, followed by a relaxing massage.
4. You should not play outdoor and active games before going to bed. The opinion that this will tire the child is wrong. You need to move during the day, but not before bed. This will make the child irritated and have trouble sleeping.
5. Follow the rule that the interval between the last daytime and nighttime sleep should not be less than 4 hours. Then the little one will have time to get pretty tired.

These are pre-bedtime activities for an infant who has trouble falling asleep. But what to do if the child has already woken up? How to calm him down?

1. If he wakes up crying, you need to understand why this is happening. Remove the source of irritation. Something just disturbed his sleep.
2. You need to quickly go to the crib and feel sorry for the baby. Don't let him run wild.
3. You need to calm down quietly, you should not be nervous, and even more so, you should not be indignant.
4. There is no need for bright lights to be on in the room at night; choose a night light for this purpose. Remove all broadcast sources: reduce or turn off the TV, music.
5. When a baby sleeps poorly and restlessly, often wakes up, he needs to feel that his mother is nearby. A good soothing option is to hum a lullaby.

The main thing is that all parental actions should be quick but calm. You can't panic and get lost. Children with constant good sleep are rare. When the root cause is eliminated, sleep will be restored. You just need to wait it out.