Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with some strong cravings for a grilled cheese sandwich, or a warm cup of Milo?
You'll either shuffle half-asleep to the kitchen to grab yourself a quick midnight snack before crashing back on your bed again, or you'll just try your best to ignore those hunger pangs and force yourself to go back to sleep.
But did you know that by letting your baby have a late-night feeding halfway through the night, it can actually help him sleep better and for longer?
This simple method is called "dream feeding" and it helps your little one to sleep soundly (almost) through the whole night, giving you some more time to catch up on some shut-eye as well.
So what exactly do you do during dream feeds and what do the experts have to say about it?
What is Dream Feeding?
Dream feeding is a practice used by some parents to feed their infant while the baby is still asleep, typically during the late evening or early hours of the night.
The goal of dream feeding is to provide the baby with a small feeding before the parents go to bed, with the hope that it will help the baby sleep for a longer stretch during the night, allowing the parents to get more uninterrupted rest.
When should I start dream feeding?
Dream feeding can be introduced when your baby is around 2 to 4 weeks old. At this point, they have likely established a feeding routine, and dream feeds can seamlessly fit into their sleep pattern. It's a gentle way to ensure your little one gets the nutrition they need during the night without disrupting their sleep cycle too much.
Is dream feeding a good idea?
Dream feeding can be a game-changer for many parents. It allows your baby to take in extra nutrients during the night without fully waking them up. This can potentially extend the time between nighttime feedings, giving both you and your baby more uninterrupted sleep. However, like any approach, it may not work for everyone, and it's essential to pay attention to your baby's cues and adjust as needed.
Here’s how dream feeding generally works:
- Timing: Parents choose a specific time, usually before their bedtime, to gently pick up their sleeping baby and offer a breastfeeding or a bottle feed.
- Minimise Interaction: The key is to keep the baby as sleepy as possible during the feeding. Parents try to avoid waking the baby fully and keep the lights dim.
- Quiet Feeding: The feeding is done quietly and without much stimulation. Parents may not engage in eye contact or talk to the baby.
- Burping: Burping during a dream feed is not a strict necessity, as your baby might not take in as much air during a sleepy feed. However, every baby is different, and if your little one tends to be gassy or uncomfortable, a gentle burping break during the dream feed might be beneficial. After the feeding, parents may burp the baby and then gently place the baby back in the crib or bassinet.
The idea behind dream feeding is to “top off” the baby’s stomach with a small amount of milk or formula to help them sleep longer before their next feed.
It can be especially helpful for parents who are trying to establish a more predictable sleep routine for their baby and for those who want to maximise their sleep.
However, not all babies respond to dream feeding, and its effectiveness can vary. Some babies may wake up during the feeding and become fully alert, making it counterproductive in terms of sleep.
It’s essential to monitor your baby’s sleep patterns and adjust your feeding routine to what works best for your baby and your family’s sleep needs. Always consult with your paediatrician or a lactation consultant if you have concerns about your baby’s feeding and sleeping habits.
Step-by-step Guide to Dream Feeding
Mastering the technique of dream feeding is not as complicated as you think it might be. Once you get the hang of it, it will probably become second nature -- just like everything else you will pick up along the way throughout your parenting journey.
According to Tizzie Hall, the International Baby Whisperer and the Director of Save Our Sleep, below are the five simple steps all parents should follow to achieve successful dream feeds:
STEP ONE - Gently pick up your sleeping baby.
STEP TWO - Place the bottle or breast on his lower lip.
STEP THREE- Coax him to drink, but be careful not to wake him up!
STEP FOUR - When he's finished, let him sit upright for a few minutes to allow any wind to escape.
STEP FIVE - Slowly put him back in his baby crib and let him continue sleeping.
Expert Advice on Dream Feeding
Hall encourages parents to try dream feeds so as to help avoid you having to get up more than once during the night.
"When your baby is about eight weeks old, I recommend the dream feed at 10.30 at night. If you followed the routine but didn’t have the dream feed, your baby would go to sleep at 7 pm and maybe wake between 11 pm and 1 am for the next feed," she explains.
If your baby wakes up at 1:30 am for a feeding, he might finally go back to sleep again around 2:30 am -- but then he might wake up again at 5:30 am for another feed, and by the time you get him back to sleep, it's about time for you to start your day.
However with dream feeds, if your little one usually sleeps until 2 am, he is more likely to sleep until 7 am -- which means that you only have to get up once in the night for the feeding.
Is It Really That Easy to Dream Feed Your Baby
This is not a magic formula that will literally happen overnight -- it will take a bit of time, patience and a consistent routine for you to stick to the dream feeds each night for it to be successful.
With dream feeding, your bub's usual 2 am feeding might become 2:30 am instead, then 3 am, then 3:30 am and so on, until eventually your baby is sleeping all the way to 7 am by himself.
However, if your little one is waking up at 6 am, you don't have to wait until 7 am to feed him -- since he has slept so soundly through the night for such a long stretch, chances are that he will wake up pretty hungry, so just feed him as soon as he wakes up.
That way, he will remain full and happy until his next feed later on in the day.
Helpful Tips for a Successful Dream Feed
Here are some helpful tips as to how you can have successful dream feeds:
- Place your baby's crib right next to your bed so you have easier access to him
- Consider co-sleeping safely with your bub
- Dream feeds are usually recommended between 10 pm and midnight
- Wait for three hours or four hours after your baby’s last feed before attempting to dream feed him so that he won't still feel so full
It might be frustrating to not get enough sleep and take care of a baby 24/7 -- and even if for some reason Junior doesn't seem to take well to dream feeds, just continue to feed him when he's hungry and be patient with him.
Babies don't stay small forever and some day you might actually miss waking up in the middle of the night to gently rock your little one to sleep.
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