Newborn Feeding: Should You Wake Them At Night?

Waking a sleeping baby can be stressful for any parent, but there are times when it is necessary. Newborns should be fed every 2-3 hours to ensure their stomachs are full and they are getting the calories they need. This is because a newborn's stomach is tiny, and they are growing fast. For the first two weeks, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waking your baby to feed if they sleep for more than four to five hours. After this period, it is generally advised to let your baby sleep until they wake you for a feed, as long as they are gaining weight healthily.

Newborns should be woken to feed every 2-3 hours during the day to ensure they get enough calories and nutrition

Newborns have tiny tummies, so they need to feed frequently to ensure they get enough calories and nutrition to grow and thrive. In their first few weeks, newborns should be fed every two to three hours, which is why they often feed in the same way during the day and night. This equates to eight to 12 feeds in 24 hours.

Breast milk is digested easily and quickly, so newborns fed in this way will need to be woken during the day to ensure they are getting enough nutrition. Formula-fed babies can go a little longer between feeds as formula takes longer to digest, but they should still be fed regularly throughout the day.

Newborns should be fed little and often to ensure they get enough calories and nutrition. Their tummies are only slightly bigger than a ping-pong ball at two weeks old, so they need to be fed frequently to ensure they are getting enough nutrition and calories during the day to sleep better at night.

If your newborn is formula-fed, you should ensure they are getting the correct amount of formula during the day and that it is made as recommended.

If your newborn is breastfeeding, they may need to be woken more frequently than formula-fed babies

Breast milk is digested faster than formula, so breastfed newborns may need to be fed more frequently than formula-fed babies. In the first few weeks, newborns should be fed whenever they seem hungry, which is called on-demand feeding. This usually means feeding every 2-3 hours. Breast milk is also easier to digest than formula, so breastfed babies have fewer bouts of diarrhoea or constipation.

Breastfed newborns have tiny tummies, which means they have a physiological need to nurse about every 2-3 hours. Formula-fed babies can go 3-4 hours between feedings during the first month because formula takes longer to digest.

If your newborn is breastfeeding, you may need to wake them more frequently than formula-fed babies to ensure they are getting enough nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waking your baby to feed if they sleep for more than 4-5 hours at a time during the first two weeks. This is important for your newborn's health and your milk supply. Waking your baby for feedings during the day will also help them sleep better at night.

If your baby is sleepy, you can try the following techniques to rouse them at mealtime:

• Feed when your baby is in an active sleep period or REM sleep. You'll recognise this when your baby moves their arms and legs, changes their facial expressions, and flutters their eyelids.
• Slowly unswaddle them or try undressing them.
• Change their diaper while singing a song or stroking their hands and feet.
• Hold your baby upright, which usually causes newborns to open their eyes.
• Dim the lights.
• Talk and sing to your baby and make eye contact once they open their eyes.
• Massage your baby's hands, feet, arms, back, and shoulders.
• Place a cool (not cold) washcloth on their forehead.

By about week 6, you and your baby will have settled into a regular eating and sleeping rhythm. Know that the period between feedings will gradually increase as your child grows. By 6 months of age, your baby is developmentally ready to start sleeping through the night without a feeding or for longer stretches.

If your newborn is sleepy, try undressing them, changing their diaper, or holding them upright to wake them up for a feed

Waking a newborn to feed can be challenging, especially when they seem so peaceful and content sleeping. However, it is essential to ensure they are getting adequate nutrition, correcting day-night confusion, and promoting overall sleep success. Here are some detailed tips to wake your sleepy newborn for a feed:

Undressing Them: Removing their clothing and even their diaper can help rouse your baby. The change in temperature and sensation may stimulate them to wake up. Additionally, a cool (not cold) washcloth on their forehead might help.

Diaper Changes: Changing their diaper can be an effective way to wake your newborn. Sing a song or stroke their hands and feet while you're at it to further stimulate them. If your baby wakes up in the night and has a soiled diaper, it's the perfect opportunity to change them and offer a feed.

Holding Them Upright: Newborns usually open their eyes when held upright. You can also try a 'sit-up' motion, where you place your baby on your lap, gently supporting them with their legs near your tummy and head on your knees, and then slowly raise them into a sitting position.

Skin-to-Skin Contact: Holding your baby close, skin-to-skin, can help stimulate them for feeding. You can also try expressing a little colostrum by squeezing your areola and letting a few drops fall into their mouth to encourage suckling.

Be Sociable: Talk, sing, and make eye contact with your baby. Your voice and eye contact might be the gentle nudge they need to wake up and engage.

Massage and Touch: Gently massage your baby's back, hands, feet, arms, and shoulders. Your touch can be soothing yet stimulating, helping to rouse them gently.

Active Sleep Periods: Try to feed your baby during their active sleep or REM sleep. You'll know they're in REM sleep when they move their arms and legs, change facial expressions, and flutter their eyelids. If they're in deep sleep, your efforts to wake them may be less effective.

Remember, these techniques can help stimulate your sleepy newborn for feeds. However, it's also important to watch for their feeding cues and work with their pediatrician to ensure they're getting adequate nutrition and gaining weight appropriately.

If your newborn is gaining weight as they should, they can have one longer stretch of sleep at night (4-5 hours)

If your newborn is gaining weight at a healthy rate, you may not need to wake them for night feeds. As long as your baby is gaining weight as they should, they can have one longer stretch of sleep at night (4-5 hours). This is usually when they are around 6 weeks old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waking your baby to feed if they sleep for more than four to five hours at a time for the first two weeks. After this, if your baby is gaining weight healthily, you can let them sleep for longer stretches at night. This will likely be a welcome change for sleep-deprived parents!

If your baby is not gaining weight at a healthy rate, you should continue to wake them for feeds. This is very important for their health and your milk supply. Your baby's doctor will be able to advise you on this.

It's worth noting that every baby is different, and their waking and feeding behaviour will be unique to them. Some babies will continue to wake and feed at night in the same way as they do during the day for the first three months.

You can usually wean your baby off night feedings at around 6-8 months, but check with your pediatrician first

Weaning Your Baby Off Night Feedings

When to Start

From a developmental perspective, babies are able to sleep through the night—defined as a six- to eight-hour stretch—without eating when they're between 4 and 6 months old. In this age range, most babies reach the 12- to 13-pound mark, the weight at which they no longer metabolically need nighttime feedings.

As your baby reaches the right age and weight, exactly when you decide to drop the night feeds is up to you. Some parents begin when they feel like it's time to start reclaiming their sleep, while others look to their baby for cues—like shorter overnight feeds or waking less often. No matter what, you should always get the green light from your pediatrician first before you start night weaning.

It's important to note that you don't have to night wean between 4 and 6 months. If you'd feel more comfortable waiting a little longer or just cutting down to one or two feeds per night, that's okay. In that case, it may be worth offering more during those feeds so that your baby is less likely to reawaken due to hunger.

Gradual vs. Cold Turkey Weaning

While it's possible to stop night feedings cold turkey, experts agree that you're better off taking a gentler approach if you can. After months of midnight noshing, your baby has learned to expect that you'll come to feed them when they wake up. Gradually moving them away from that habit will ease the transition for everyone and, if you're breastfeeding, result in significantly less discomfort for you.

One common way to do this is to simply stretch the time between each night feeding, tacking on an extra 15 to 30 minutes every other night. Hopefully, your baby will start to sleep longer and longer, until eventually, they stop waking to eat altogether.

You can also try making each feeding shorter by cutting back on the amount of time on each breast or putting fewer ounces in your baby's bottle. Keep trimming things back bit by bit, and over a week or so, your baby will (hopefully) realize that waking up to eat is no longer worth it.

Night Weaning for Breastfed Babies

Both breastfed and bottle-fed babies can take some time to adjust to not eating during the night. But if you're nursing, night weaning can also be an adjustment for your body and milk supply. Here are some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible for breastfed babies:

• Ensure adequate daytime feeding: The more calories your cutie takes in during the daytime hours, the less she'll need overnight. Breastfed babies under 6 months who haven't yet started solids should eat every two to three hours during the day, for a total of eight to 12 feedings over 24 hours. Cutting off multiple overnight feedings at once can lead to engorgement and an increased risk of mastitis, so focus on dropping just one feeding at a time.
• Pump at night if needed: Pumping milk at night can relieve some of the pressure if your breasts start to feel full before you're ready to go to bed, or in the middle of the night.

Night Weaning for Bottle-Fed Babies

The slow-and-steady approach to night weaning works well for bottle-fed babies, too. The main key to success is making sure that your little one is getting enough to eat during the day so she's less interested in snacking overnight.

Once your baby is old enough and weighs enough to night wean, she's typically drinking about 24 to 32 ounces over a 24-hour period. After she starts solids, your little one may adjust her milk intake a bit. The more of these ounces she gets during waking hours, the less she'll need to drink during the wee hours.

Night Weaning Tips for All Babies

• Dream feed: Topping off your little one's tank with a final feeding right before you go to bed can increase the odds that she'll sleep soundly for the rest of the night. You'll need to rouse her enough so that she's not completely asleep, but even if she's drowsy, a few sips might be better than nothing.
• Don't rush in: All babies wake up overnight, and a brief rousing doesn't necessarily mean your little one is hungry. She might just be fussing, so give her a chance to settle back in before automatically running in to feed her.
• Consistency is key: Night weaning is an adjustment for your baby, and she'll get the message about the new normal faster if you have a plan and stick with it rather than offering a feeding some nights but not others.
• Keep night feedings minimal: If your baby isn't falling back asleep and you sense that she really does need to eat, feed her. But do it with minimal interaction—keep the lights off or dimmed, avoid conversation or play, and don't change her diaper unless necessary.

Frequently asked questions