Feeding baby water at night
Your Baby at 6 Months | Patient Education
Patient Education A-Z
Sleeping
By 6 months of age, most babies are capable of sleeping for at least six to eight hours at night. If your baby still wakes up several times a night, these sleep patterns are habits that most likely will continue for many months unless you make some changes.
Think about whether or not you will be content to have your baby continue his or her current pattern of nighttime waking. If not, consider the following:
- Your baby does not need to feed during the night. Most babies wake up at night because they are used to eating, but they do not need the nighttime calories to grow properly.
- If you are breast-feeding, try nursing from just one side at night, to decrease the amount of milk your baby gets from nighttime feedings.
- If you are bottle-feeding, consider giving your baby a bottle of water instead of formula at night.
- All babies (and adults) wake up at night.
Babies may make noise or squirm, but they need an opportunity to help themselves fall back asleep. Otherwise they will never learn to do it on their own.
To help your baby learn to settle down and go back to sleep on his or her own:
- Encourage your baby to become attached to a "lovey," such as a teddy bear or blanket.
- Have a soothing, 5- to 15-minute bedtime routine. This may include a book, song and gentle rocking.
- Put your baby to bed while still slightly awake. This way, your baby will know where she or he is during an awakening.
- Try using a night light.
- Allow your baby to cry a little before falling asleep.
- Don't start any new habits in the middle of the night that you are not willing to continue for many months.
- Don't pick up or feed your baby during the night.
- Speak softly to your baby and let him or her know that you are there, but it is time to go to sleep.
Even babies who are sleeping through the night now may begin waking up later, when they are around 8 to 9 months.
This may be because they can pull up to standing in the crib, or because they're now aware that you exist even when they can't see you, and they call out to you to make you come.
Feeding
Breast milk or formula will continue to provide nearly all of your baby's nutritional needs for the first year of life. If you are using formula, choose iron-fortified formula. If you are breast-feeding, continue taking your prenatal vitamins and give your baby 400 units of vitamin D each day.
Hold your baby during feedings. Do not prop up the bottle or put your baby to bed with a bottle, as this can lead to tooth decay and ear infections.
At about 6 months of age, you may notice that your baby can sit upright and reach out for objects, such as food on your table. When your baby is able to sit and reach, his or her swallowing and chewing muscles also are maturing, meaning your baby is getting ready to eat solid foods.
Please see FAQ: Feeding Your Baby Solid Foods for more information.
Safety
Baby-Proofing
Your baby is going to become more active and will soon begin to scoot or crawl around the house. Start looking around your home now to identify and correct any potentially dangerous situations for your baby. Here are some tips for making your home safer:
- Hide or cover electrical wires — babies love to suck and chew on wires, which can cause serious mouth burns.
- Cover electrical outlets. Many different kinds of baby-proof covers are available.
- Place plants up high so your baby can't touch or eat them. Many house plants can be dangerous to babies.
- When friends come over, ask them to put their bags and backpacks up high so your baby can't get into anything dangerous.
- Start the habit of keeping your bathroom door shut tightly.
- Turn the hot water temperature in your home down to 120° F.
- If you have a toy hanging across your baby's crib, remove it now so your baby won't get caught when he or she begins sitting and standing.
- Consider making one of your kitchen cabinets or drawers a place where your baby can find safe pots, pans, plastic tubs, spoons and plastic spatulas. Your baby will enjoy banging things together and taking things in and out.
- Set up a special shelf or place where your older children can keep their toys out of the baby's reach. This is especially important for small toys that pose a choking hazard to your baby, like Legos. It also can be helpful to let older children know they are not expected to share all of their toys, just as you do not share everything in your home when you have company.
- Look under your sinks and move cleansers, detergents and other cleaning supplies to a higher, safe place.
- Gate stairs or other dangerous places.
- Do not put your baby in a walker — they do not help children learn how to walk and can be very dangerous.
For additional ideas, please see Childproofing Your Home.
Sunscreen
When your baby is 6 months old, you can begin applying sunscreen or sun block when your baby is out in the sun.
However, it is still better to keep your baby covered or in the shade most of the time.
Fluoride
If you do not use tap water, please talk to your doctor about whether you should be giving your baby fluoride.
Immunizations
Your baby will receive the third set of immunizations at the 6-month checkup. The next set of immunizations will be at 12 months, when your baby may receive several immunizations, including Hemophilus influenza (HiB), Pneumococcus (Prevnar) and Hepatitis A. Varicella (chicken pox) and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations may be given at the 12- or 15-month visit.
Used by permission of Jane E. Anderson, M.D.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your child's doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your child's provider.
Recommended reading
Your Baby at 4 Months
Your 4-month-old baby might enjoy laughing more than eating. Read about developmental milestones, such as teething, and get tips for feeding and sleeping.
Your Baby at 9 Months
At 9 months old, your baby may be learning to pull up to stand. Read about safety tips and developmental milestones in feeding, sleeping and language.
Your Baby at 12 Months
Your 12-month-old baby is becoming an independent eater. Learn about developmental milestones and tips for feeding, dental care and car and water safety.
Your 18-Month-Old
Your 18-month-old explores their world in new ways, often showing big advances in language, behavior and more. Learn about other milestones.
Your 2-Year-Old
Typical developmental milestones for a 2-year-old include a rapidly expanding vocabulary, new fears and more. Learn about additional changes to anticipate.
Breastfeeding and Returning to Work
If you are breastfeeding and returning to work, read our tips to ensure a smooth transition for you and your baby.
Childproofing Your Home
We offer childproofing tips to make your home safer for your little one. Learn about hazards and how to prevent injuries in bathrooms, kitchens and more.
Establishing Good Eating Habits
Establishing good eating habits requires effort from children and their parents. Read more about each of your responsibilities and what not to worry about.
FAQ: Introducing Your Baby to Solid Foods
From baby's first foods to signs of allergies, new parents often have questions about feeding their baby solid foods. Read our answers to FAQs.
Preventing Poisoning in Children
Young children face a higher risk of poisoning. Read our tips for parents and other caregivers for keeping kids safe and how to report a poison emergency.
Recommended Vaccines for Your Child
Experts recommend that children receive vaccinations (shots) to protect them from 13 serious illnesses. Find out which ones and how often shots are needed.
Starting Solid Foods
As your baby's swallowing and chewing muscles develop, it may be time for solid foods. Learn how to introduce solids, buying and making baby food and more.
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Teething is uncomfortable for your child, and it can be difficult to know when it's happening. Learn how to spot the signs and help them get relief.
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Get your baby to sleep through the night
Many people assume if your baby is up all day, he will sleep all night – this is not always the case.
The baby is usually so over tired and over stimulated, that they have difficulty settling at night. A baby with structured and regular sleeps in the day is more content and therefore tends to sleep better at night.
- Do not let a baby sleep beyond 4pm otherwise they will not go down well at bedtime (7pm)
- Get the baby into a routine at night from 2-3 weeks eg from about 6pm you could massage your baby then give him/her a bath and then breastfeed or bottle of milk in a darkened room and then bed. This acts as an unwinding process and the baby will know that it is time for bed.
- The last feed before bed is vital if your baby is going to sleep longer at night. Often after taking part of the feed they fall asleep. Do not just give up and put them to bed, because in an hour or so they will wake up again for more. Encourage them to finish the feed by waking them. You could change their nappy, tickle them wind them or cool them down. But keep going!
- The minute your baby cries it is tempting to rush over to the cot and pick it up.
Try not to, wait a few moments and see if he/she will settle themselves back to sleep. If he doesn’t then try patting him in his cot and if you cannot settle then pick him up and comfort him but then put him back in his cot and leave the room and see if he will settle. If he doesn’t then leave him to cry a little longer ie 5 or 6 minutes and then go back in and repeat the process. - Try and put your baby down in his cot AWAKE, so he gets used to going to sleep on his own. Don’t get into the habit of rocking your baby to sleep – you may be there for hours!
- If you are still feeding in the night, do not go into the room and turn on the lights and TV. It is night time and the baby needs to understand this – so keep things quiet. Especially important if you have a maternity nurse, don’t get chatting to them while feeding!
- Buy black out blinds, which is useful for keeping early morning rays out.
- Do not expect your baby to sleep through the nights until they are on solids at around 6 months.
- If after 6 months you child is eating solids and drinking very well during the day and he is on target weight wise, yet still not sleeping through the night, you could try a number of things:
- Instead of giving your baby milk when he wakes in the night try cooled boiled water.
- If that does not work, water down their milk e.g. 2 scoops to 6 ounces of water. The idea is to make it not so tasty so the baby will not bother to wake in the night for it and encourage him to take all the milk he needs during the day.
- Or you could just soothe and pat your baby back to sleep without anything. This may take a long time if the baby is used to milk.
Whatever action you take do stick to it for at least 2-3 weeks.
It is no good for a couple of days as this is not long enough to get rid of bad habits.
Up to what age to feed the baby at night and how to replace formula
Baby formula is only a forced measure to replace mother's milk in the absence of sufficient lactation or underweight in the baby. In all other respects, the infant formula feeding algorithm remains the same as with breastfeeding. The baby also needs nightly feedings about every 3-4 hours. This is due to scientifically proven facts. Babies up to a year old have an accelerated metabolism, food is digested faster, and naturally, they experience hunger at night. Also, any anxiety of the baby at night forces him to demand his mother's participation, and of course - food as a sedative. There is even a theory that children are genetically woken up to eat to avoid "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" in their sleep.
But also can't it continue indefinitely? The child grows, develops actively, from the age of 6 months receives a variety of complementary foods, and over time should form a normal daily routine.
And for this you need to figure out: how to wean a child at night to eat the mixture in the most gentle ways.
Up to what age to give the mixture at night
Experts differ on this issue, but the average age when you can do without night feedings is nevertheless deduced. Infants with normal development can sleep peacefully at night without formula 10-12 hours from 9-12 months. Of course, if parents do not consider it necessary to restrict their child in nutrition, they can safely continue to feed their child at night and beyond. But they must be aware that, firstly, over time, these periods of eating become just a habit for the baby. And secondly, mothers should also think about their own well-being after sleepless nights. So, the approximate age of weaning a child from night feedings has been determined, it remains to find out how to replace the mixture for the night after a year for the first time of the transition to a new regimen.
Night formula alternative
Formula feeding formula is extremely nutritious and delicious for your baby.
Therefore, the nightly replacement should be unequal, so that the baby subsequently feels that he does not need to wake up for such food. For these reasons, many mothers, thinking about how to replace the mixture for the night, use not the best products. It is strongly not recommended to use compotes or juices, because the ultimate goal is a complete and painless rejection of night food. In addition, fruit drinking can cause flatulence and abdominal pain - not the most favorable factors for restful sleep.
It is better to replace the traditional food at first with a well-diluted mixture, and then with pure water. At the same time, you need to try to slightly shift the period of falling asleep and provide the child with peace and a hearty dinner before going to bed. During the gradual transition to a new way of life, it is not necessary to immediately offer a diluted mixture to the awakened baby at night, it is better to try to calm him down in a different way - caress, rock him.
And since night meals a priori will cease to be delicious food, the child himself will gradually forget about it, but the wise human body will be rebuilt anyway.
Night feeding weaning
Weaning from night feeds and uninterrupted sleep throughout the night is the dream of many new parents. However, kids have completely different plans in this regard. Many of them continue to wake up to eat or drink, even at 3 years old. We understand why this happens and whether it is possible to wean a child to eat at night.
Why night feedings are needed
Night feedings are not a whim, but a necessity for the normal development of the baby. First of all, they are needed by the child, and then by the mother. The main reasons why a child needs to wake up at night include the following:
- physiological immaturity. Compared to adults, children's metabolism is very fast. This is due to the active growth and development of the baby. In addition, both formula and breast milk are absorbed very quickly - on average, in 2-4 hours.
- Features of lactation. The amount of milk in the mother is regulated precisely by feeding at night, since the hormone prolactin is actively produced at this time of day. If a woman wants to breastfeed a baby, at least one nightly application is necessary.
- evolutionary mechanisms. According to one hypothesis, night waking is an evolutionary mechanism that protects the baby from sudden infant death syndrome.
- Compensatory. If the mother removes daytime feeds, the baby may begin to wake up more often at night to compensate for the lack of daytime feedings. This is more relevant for children on breastfeeding one year old and older.
If night waking does not cause inconvenience to mother and baby, then there is no need to specially clean them. You can wait until the baby's nervous system matures and he refuses such feedings on his own.
� When the baby is ready to leave night feeds
The ability to sleep through the night without waking up for a night snack develops as the baby's nervous and digestive systems mature.
Attempts to reduce nighttime feedings before this point can end in failure, exhaust the mother and cause sleepless nights for the whole family.
The following terms are considered physiological:
| Type of feeding | When do night feeds end? |
| breast | A breastfed infant stops eating at night around 18–24 months. |
| mixed | Depends on what kind of food (formula or breast milk) prevails in the baby's diet. Age can vary from 9 to 24 months. |
| artificial | Formula is considered a heavier product, so formula-fed babies may stop eating at night as early as 9-12 months. |
Some babies, whether breastfed or formula-fed or mixed-fed, may start sleeping without waking up for nighttime feeds as early as 6 months.
If the mother has enough milk, and the baby is gaining weight normally, you do not need to specifically wake the baby to feed him.
Important! Night feedings are the key to successful lactation. If the baby of the first months of life does not wake up at night, you need to offer the breast to a sleepy baby. This stimulates the production of milk and will help to avoid problems with its quantity.
How to stop feeding your baby at night on EW
It is much easier to remove night feedings from a baby on artificial feeding than on breastfeeding. This is due to the fact that a baby on IV immediately gets used to the schedule, and with a greater nutritional value of the mixture, and less difficulty with its replacement. On average, babies who eat formula wake up only 2-3 times per night, so it will not be difficult to refuse such a number of feedings.
However, weaning from nighttime eating should begin no earlier than 6 months. By this age, the brain of children in general is ready to sleep without awakening from 6 to 8 hours.
What can be done to reduce the number of feedings?
- If the mother practices co-sleeping, you should not combine moving the child to the crib and accustoming to uninterrupted sleep at night. It is better to reduce the number of wakings first, and then move the baby to your bed.
- If the baby has entered a clear mode, you can gradually increase the intervals between night feedings. You can move them no more than half an hour at a time.
- When the baby asks for food at night, offer him water first and only then formula. Perhaps he wakes up from thirst, not from hunger. This approach will help increase the intervals between feedings.
- After a year, a hearty dinner helps to improve sleep. Feed your baby porridge or porridge with meat 2-3 hours before bedtime. Such food is digested for a long time and will help the baby sleep better.
It is important to remember that the reduction in feeding should not be accompanied by tears and tantrums of the baby.
Restless night sleep and discomfort will cause the baby to wake up more often.
Weaning from night feeds should not be a problem for the baby and other family members. Our doctors will remotely advise on the features of children's sleep and help you choose the right moment for weaning from night feedings.
How to remove night feedings with breastfeeding
The regimen of children who are exclusively breastfed is different from the regimen of children who are fully or partially artificially fed. For children on IV, night feedings, rather, are a consequence of the characteristics of the child's psyche and metabolism. For children on breastfeeding, they are rather a necessity.
It is at night that the hormone prolactin is produced, which regulates the production of milk in the mother. If you do not feed your baby at night or leave such feedings too early, this will directly affect the amount of milk and, as a result, the development and growth of the baby.
It is believed that during weaning, night feedings are the last to stop. However, you can reduce the number of nightly attachments before the mother decides to complete breastfeeding. What can be done for this?
- If the mother practices co-sleeping, moving the baby to her crib will help reduce the number of nightly attachments. At first, you can put a baby bed with the side removed to the parent one and shift the baby after he falls asleep. Then the side rises, and the bed moves away.
- After a year, giving up or reducing the number of night feedings helps a hearty dinner and a bowl of water instead of breastfeeding at night. You can also give kefir or a mixture at night.
- The number of nightly attachments is also affected by daytime feeding. If the mother cancels too many daytime attachments and severely restricts the baby, he can compensate for the lack at night. Therefore, if the mother does not plan to completely cancel breastfeeding, it is better to allow the toddler to apply during the day.
If the mother does not plan to stop breastfeeding in the near future, then it is better to postpone weaning from night feedings to a more suitable time for this and wait for the moment when the baby himself refuses nightly feedings. After a year, you can teach the child self-attachment. In this case, neither the baby nor the mother practically wakes up at night.
Read also What kind of breastfeeding is considered prolonged
FAQ
How many times does the child eat at night?
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The number of night feedings depends on the age and type of feeding. Formula-fed babies wake up 2-3 times a night on average. Breastfed babies may wake up more often.
When do children wake up at night?
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The baby's brain is not adapted to a long night's sleep. This is believed to be an evolutionary mechanism that protects infants from sudden infant death syndrome.
The child begins to sleep more than 6 hours in a row after a year, and all night - closer to three.
What can I do to stop my child from eating at night?
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You can reduce the number of nightly feedings by moving the baby to a separate bed, starting to feed a denser dinner and gradually increasing the intervals between nightly attachments.
When should a baby be weaned?
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The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding or formula feeding until two years of age if it is comfortable for both mother and baby. If a woman decides to wean the baby from the breast earlier, you need to replace the breast mixture.
Is it necessary to wean the baby from the breast if he does not sleep well?
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Weaning does not guarantee that the baby will sleep through the night. For this to happen, his nervous system must mature.
Weaning, especially through tears, can cause restless sleep and frequent waking.
Expert opinion
Night feedings are necessary for the normal growth and development of the child. On average, children self-refuse by the age of 9-24 months. However, this does not mean that the child stops waking up at night. The brain fully matures for this only at the age of 3 years. To wean the child from waking up at night, you need to feed him more densely before bedtime, move him to his crib and offer water at night instead of breast or formula.
We publish only verified information
Article author
Pruzhinin Mark Yulievich pediatrician
Experience 30 years
Consultations 1572
Articles 104
An experienced pediatrician with extensive experience and clinical experience in various medical organizations in the field of general pediatrics, resuscitation and anesthesology and neuroinfection.
