Moms of 3 or More - How to Get Baby to Sleep Better at Night?

I don't know what to tell you other than none of my 3 kids would sleep through the night until they were 9 months old. We did follow Dr. Weissbluth's sleep schedule. Fortunately, the kids were good nappers.

I think you need to set the day schedule. That at certain times every day, you put your baby in the crib for naps - whether they are awake or not. And then get them at a set time. Your baby will need to get used to the new routine, but will eventually get it.

Good luck!

Very honestly... is he in your bedroom and maybe even in your bed with you? Or a co-sleeper/sidecarred rib works well. I found that my girl (baby #2) did a lot better with us than separated. We kept her in bed with us until around 7 months, and then she was in the crib. The other thing I found was that she was getting cold at night. Once we got her a really toasty warm sleep sack, she slept a lot longer. (this was probably part of the reason she was sleeping so well with us in bed - because it was warm).

As for schedule, around that time is when she settled into a 3 nap/day routine. She'd wake around 7, nap at 9:30, 1 or 2:00, and 4:30. Go to sleep at 7:15 or so.

wow- after reading your post and answers I realize I truelly am blessed. My 3 kids just naturally fell into a decent schedule. However I have a friend who knew her children would go to daycare (starting at 6 months) and if you don't have a schedule they will make one for you or neglect your childs needs while trying to keep up with everyone elses schedule. Well, thats the way my friend explained it to me so after she got a general idea (ok he naps at about 9 most days or the week for 20 minutes or more) she worked really hard at making sure to put him down for a nap at that time and keep him playing when it was playtime. Feed him when it was time to eat and (seems harsh and hard) not letting him eat until it was time. I am not sure about the nighttime schedule (I think it may have just been his own) other then at bed at this time and woke up in the morning at this time (no matter if the kids just went back to sleep 30 minutes earlier).
Seems like alot of work although I do realize how important a regular schedule is. Good luck :)

Well i think the answers to this will depend. Are you breast feeding or bottle feeding? If you are breast feeding i was never very successful at getting the baby to sleep well. She actually co-slept until she was weaned. Now she sleeps like a champ. I just make sure her largest feeding is the evening and that she is kept awake until 'bed time' from the time I get home. I think the best way ito get them on a schedule is to have a routine. I know, with three little ones it is almost impossible but that helps a lot. Feed them at the same time, bathe them at the same time and then put them down at the same time, and at the least if you cannot do it at the same time then in the same order. Good Luck!

Hi! I'm the mom of four (one year old, three year old twins, and a six year old) who were all EBF. Your five month old seems to have a great daytime routine (the wake, eat, sleep, play schedule seems very normal). The clock-like schedule will come when he is a bit older.

My one year old took two or three naps at five months of age. She would usually go down for her first nap between 8:00 - 9:00 and her second nap around 2:00 (depending on how long her first nap was), with bedtime between 6:30-7:00. She would usually wake up once, twice max, to nurse at night, and wake-up in the morning at about 6:30. The first nap at this age is considered to be a continuation of nigthtime sleep. By about 8 months she took two naps, and now she takes one nap that starts between 10-11 and can last anywhere from 2-4 hours. For my little one, putting her back in her crib (instead of having her sleep in our bed) is key to getting her to sleep well at night (she loves to play in our bed and will want to play at 4:00am if she is in our bed instead of her crib). Having a consistent bedtime routine and bed time is important too. Also, from a very young age, I would put her down sleepy, but awake in her crib, so she could fall asleep unassisted. Now she is usually able to put herself back to sleep if she wakes during the night, and usually wakes just once to BF.

I would highly recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. It has been a wonderful resource for me and is guaranteed to help you with establishing nap and nightime schedules with tons of troubleshooting info too. Good Luck!