E.E.
At 5 months old, babies can get out a lot more than you think they can in 5 or 10 minutes. so he is probably draining your breast during that time. Offer the second but don't push it on him. Also don't stretch out his feedings during the day because he will be hungrier at night. He is waking up more now because he is aware of his environment and since he is in the bed with you he probably is waking up even easier because he can smell your milk. My son is in a crib but he started waking up more around 4 or 5 months too. Previously he had been sleeping about 7 or 8 hour stretches. It's basically a phase. Pick one night waking and feed him then. The rest of the times he wakes up, don't touch him and he will go back to sleep. If he doesn't go back to sleep, then take minimal steps to get him back to sleep. The more a parent intervenes in a child's sleeping habits, the more they will wake up. Often babies will make noise, roll around and even open their eyes while they are still asleep o half-asleep. If you pick them up or pat their backs, they may actually wake up, but if you leave them alone, they will learn to stay asleep. 5 months is old enough to start learning to fall asleep on his own. If you start now, then it won't be as much of a hassle when he gets older. Plus he is probably starting to be too big for the co-sleeper and waking himself up when he hits the sides of it. Try putting him in the crib and I bet he will sleep longer on his own. Buy the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." Yes, he is a fan of the cry it out method, but I like the book for the rest of the advice it contains. It's really great for getting him on a good sleep schedule and helping them sleep through the night. And your son might surprise you and fall asleep on his own without crying. I thought for sure it would be a huge battle. We started with trepidation and made the rule that as long as he wasn't crying, it was ok. But you have to make the distinction between whining and crying. If he started truly crying, we went in to check on him. Now at 6 months, it usually takes him only 10-15 minutes to fall asleep on his own, without crying. He usually talks to himself and sometimes will whine a bit, but rarely cries before bed anymore. Then he wakes around 5 for a feeding and then goes back to sleep until 7 or 7:30. Once you get him sleeping more at night, it will be easier for you to get up in the morning and be productive and an easier transition to work too.