When to stop dream feeding?
Dream feeding is an internet buzz term introduced to families in order to lengthen a child’s stretch of overnight sleep between feedings, and therefore lengthen a parent’s stretch of sleep. Sometimes we see families refer to dream feeding as feeding baby whenever they begin to stir overnight vs waiting for them to totally wake up and signal. But we are referring to dream feeding as intentionally grabbing baby to feed them before you go to bed in order to have a longer stretch of sleep for parents.
Does dream feeding work?
If it didn’t work for anyone, I don’t think it would be a thing! It must work for someone in order for people to latch onto it as a valid option for lengthening their baby’s long stretch of sleep.
However, no, it does not work for everyone. For some kids, you aren’t able to even wake them enough to get them to latch. For other kids, they still wake at their normal time to eat again. Or another possibility is that they wake MORE frequently with the dream feeding than without.
How to Dreamfeed
Dream feeding is exactly what it sounds like— you want to grab baby while they’re still sleeping, offer a bottle or to nurse them with as little disturbance to their sleep as possible, then put them back down.
Occasionally, they’ll wake for this and you’ll need to help them back to sleep. And on other occasions, they’ll simply be too hard to wake up to get them to latch well. In those cases, I’d recommend grabbing them when you see they’re in active/light sleep as it’ll be easier to rouse them enough to latch at that point.
Do you need to burp them during a dream feeding?
Usually, no. Even for those extra gassy babies, dream feeding is a more “relaxed” feeding and they usually take in less air during this time. That means burping would be unnecessary, but you can always try!
When is the best time to dream feed?
Ages that are best for dream feeding are the younger, newborn babies. Usually by about 3-4 months, they’re naturally elongating their stretch of sleep and that’s when the dream feed can become disruptive to their sleep cycles.
Overnight, we recommend dream feeding around 10/11pm. That way, if they are able to sleep 5-6+ hours before needing another feed, that’s a nice decent stretch for a parent to also sleep!
When to stop dream feeding?
When to stop dreamfeeding depends on the individual baby and their sleep patterns. Some babies naturally outgrow the need for dreamfeeds around 3-4 months of age, while others may continue to benefit from it until 6 months or older. As a sleep consultant, I personally do not recommend it to my clients after 4 months of age!
If it’s causing more problems and not helping, you’ll know that within a few nights.
How do you stop dream feeding?
To wean dreamfeeding, you can gradually reduce the amount of milk or formula given during the dreamfeed. Start by offering slightly less milk each night until you eventually eliminate the dreamfeed altogether. You can do this also by weaning the amount of time you’re nursing.
Alternatively, you can try gradually shifting the dreamfeed to an earlier time, eventually merging it with the baby's regular feeding schedule.
Personally, we approach this with the cold turkey, rip the band aid off way. Meaning, whenever we begin working with a client, we allow the baby to wake naturally for feedings and immediately drop the dreamfeeding.
It's important to note that every baby is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Consulting with your pediatrician or a sleep consultant can provide personalized guidance and support in weaning dreamfeeding. Check out options for support here!
