Free Guide: Night Feeds for Your Little One

As an infant sleep expert, I understand how exhausting frequent night feeds can be for both you and your baby. Reducing night feeds is not just about cutting them out—it's about understanding whether your little one is genuinely hungry or if they are using feeds as a comfort as well as gently teaching your baby to get the nutrition they need during the day and sleep more soundly at night.

​

When looking at whether little one is genuinely hungry, I always ask the parents to think about:

• Are they feeding more often at night than in the day?

• How long are the feeds/how much is little one drinking?

• Are they simply latching/sipping and then falling straight back to sleep?

• Are they drinking their morning feed?

​

If you are thinking that actually they aren’t taking very much during the feed, they aren’t interested in their morning bottle I would suggest dropping to 2 or 3 feeds a night depending on their age and what you wish to do. Every little one is different and I would encourage you to use your gut instinct as to whether they are hungry or not.

​

When it comes to night feeding you have to do what is right for YOU! Some families are quite happy with little one feeding 6 times a night whereas others would rather it was only 1 or 2 feeds.

If you are feeding to sleep and happy doing so, there is no reason to stop. It simply comes down to choice and what YOU want to do. I fed both my little ones to sleep until around 7 months old when it no longer worked for me.

​

If you are wanting or thinking about reducing the number of feeds, here is a step-by-step guide to reducing night feeds while keeping things gentle and respectful of your baby’s needs:

​

1. Keep Feeds Separate from Sleep

It’s essential to help your baby learn that feeding is not the only way to fall asleep.

• Feed Earlier in the Routine: Make sure your baby’s last feed of the night isn’t right before sleep. Instead, aim to have a bedtime routine where feeding is followed by other calming activities like reading or cuddling. This way, your baby can learn to fall asleep without relying on the breast or bottle. If little one does start to fall asleep on the breast or bottle simply move them off and relatch if needed.

• Focus on Full Feeds: Encourage full, satisfying feeds during the day and at the beginning of the bedtime routine. This helps reduce hunger during the night and teaches your baby to take in the majority of calories during waking hours.

 

2. Set Specific Night Feed Times

Establishing set times for feeding during the night can help your baby adjust to a routine.

• Choose Set Times for Night Feeds: For example, if you are having a 2 bottle schedule and little one is on a 7-7 schedule you would feed at 11pm and 3am. Outside of these times, you would settle baby using your chosen settling method e.g patting, rocking.

 

3. Replace the Feed with a Different Comfort

Once you’ve decided on a night feeding structure, settle little one with your chosen settling method at all other times. Here’s how:

• Comfort with chosen settling method: Instead of feeding, offer comfort with your chosen settling method e.g gentle patting, shushing, or rocking. This helps your baby understand they can be comforted and settle without feeding. Be consistent with this approach during non-feed times to avoid confusion.

 

4. Consistency Is Key

When reducing night feeds you have to be consistent. You need to stick to the plan so little one knows what is coming. For example if they wake and they are not due a feed, use your settling method until they fall asleep.

 

Need Help Reducing Night Feeds?

If you’re struggling with night wakings and frequent feeds, I’m here to support you! Together, we can create a gentle, customised plan to help your baby transition to fewer night feeds and longer stretches of sleep—so the whole family can rest.

​

Book a FREE 15 mins discovery call and we can talk about how I can help!