A 5 Month Old Schedule (With Feeding & Sleeping Times!)

Inside: A sample 5 month schedule and all you need to know about this tricky age as it relates to feeding and sleep. At the 5 month mark babies are often more alert, fighting naps, waking up more at night than previously done, and giving mom some feelings. Let’s dive into how to handle it.

• The Ultimate Newborn Sleep Schedule: Week By Week
• A Sample Newborn Routine That Works Every Time
• The 3 to 6 Month Routine That Makes For Happy Babies

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I am not into fortune telling… but I bet I can read your mind right now.

If you have a 5 month old baby…

And you are Googling routines and schedules and sleep help…

Then you came to the right place. 

This is where I tell you that 5 months is hard. Babies who used to sleep well might have gone through the 4 month sleep regression just in time to come to the 5 month conundrum. 

Take heart… you’ve got this. 

A Sample 5 Month Old Schedule Your Baby Will Love

So I’m going to give you a sample routine you can follow at this age, and then break things down to key components to help you get a grasp of what’s happening at this age.

It has worked for all 5 of my babies and – I hope – it’ll work for yours too. I am a certified infant and toddler sleep consultant as well as a mother of 5. I’ve worked with thousands of moms and babies to help them sleep.

Your 5 month old baby is totally unique and also will follow basic patterns.

Some notes on this routine:

• 5 months is often a hard month. Sometimes there’s a regression and even increased hunger. Which leads to sleep or nap issues.
• Play at this age mainly consists of tummy time or time with family. 
• Some mothers prefer a morning bath and others an evening bath, just fit it in wherever you prefer. Note: babies don’t need a baby daily and that may even dry out their skin.
• If baby wakes up from a nap and doesn’t seem particularly hungry (you’ll know this if baby isn’t crying or fussy), simply wait until the normal feeding time to feed.
• Or, if baby wakes up hungry, then feed baby and try to keep the routine if you can.

Main Things To Keep In Mind with Babies At 5 Months

There is something that cannot be understated at this age…

Your baby is hungry and getting hungrier every day.

In years past pediatricians encouraged us to start baby on some gentle solids at 4 months of age.

That’s no longer the case.

Now it’s 6 months. 

While that has changed, this fact remains the same… by 6 months of age baby will need some solids throughout the day to meet their nutritional needs.

This means at 5 months their bodies are gearing up for more food. And they are more hungry. And need more nutrient-rich breast milk. It may even feel like a growth spurt is happening. Baby is waking up more at night and taking feeds.

Thus sleeping and sometimes moods will suffer.

Behaviors You Might See In 5 Month Olds

• More fussy, irritable, and whiny than normal
• Seems starving all the time
• Has disrupted sleep or irregular sleep patterns
• Naps seem shorter
• More night wakings than before
• Wants to nurse more frequently but seems dissatisfied soon after or even during feeding
• Extremely distracted during nursing

Solution?

Feed baby often and do not despair. 

How To Keep A Consistent Routine Despite Interruptions

Now, at this age many babies can sleep through the night. It’s not a bad age for sleep training. I typically say 6 months is the best age for a more formal sleep intervention, but if you’re ready. Go ahead!

That may or may not be something you want tackle now, but either way I can’t understate the importance of a good routine. 

You can use the one above or another from my Big Book Of Routines, but either way, find a good daily rhythm and stick with it.

Good routines for 5-month-olds

• If you haven’t already, start some wind down routines that’ll help baby sleep well at naps and nighttime.
• Start a regular morning wake time that works well with your family’s morning rhythm.
• Get a steady baby bedtime routine happening.
• A tummy time habit is a great idea as well. Baby will start sitting up soon and then onto the commando.

Set The Stage For Solids

So, within the next month or so (American Academy Of Pediatrics suggests 6 months of age) baby will begin to need more solids. There’s also a chance – if you are nursing – that baby’s milk needs will change.

You may have a slightly lower supply than will meet baby’s current hunger demands and something similar to cluster feeding may help that.

One question you may be asking is this…

Is it okay to introduce solids at 5 months old?

Well, it depends.

I would answer to go with what your pediatrician says. However, you can still do a lot right now to help prepare your baby for what’s to come.

Get your 5 month old baby ready for the big milestone ahead:

• Let baby sit with the family at the dinner table. Baby will be able to see you all eat and may even watch your food and mouth as you chew. This is a sign of readiness!
• Give baby a chance to practice their pincer grasp. Put cheerios, pieces of bread, or some other safe alternative onto their high chair so they can begin to practice. Since they do not need solids nutritionally yet, they can just use this as an opportunity to start practicing the life skill they’ll need to feed themselves.
• Help them perfect sitting up. When babies get to around 6 months of age (or when they begin sitting up) reflux symptoms often disappear. This is because the lower esophageal sphincter matures and allows food to go down, but not come back up. Babies need to be able to sit up fairly well to be stable in the high chair to eat solids.

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