What time should i dream feed my baby

What is a dream feed—and how do I do it?

For some breastfeeding babies, a “dream feed” may be the answer to getting them to sleep through the night. Here’s how it works.

If it’s your dream to have your baby sleep through the night, a “dream feed” may be one way to make that happen. A dream feed involves feeding your baby when they’re still sleeping. Typically, dream feeds are done around 10 or 11 p.m., before you’ve gone to bed for the night. The idea is that a baby will sleep longer through the night and, ideally, until morning on a full stomach.

How do dream feeds work?

If you want to give your baby a dream feed, put them down for bed at the time you normally would. Then, around 10 or 11 p.m., gently get your baby out of their crib and put them at your breast or give them a bottle, all without waking them up. “The great thing about babies is that they have a natural instinct to suck if they’re at a nipple,” says Jason Freedman, co-author of the book The Dream Feed Method.

When you pick up your sleeping baby for the feed, the key is to minimize stimulation—don’t turn on the lights, sing or change their diaper unless there’s poop in it. When the feed is done, gently place your baby back in bed and slip out of the room.

“It can work beautifully for some kids,” says Alanna McGinn, a sleep consultant and founder of Good Night Sleep Site, “but for some babies, it won’t work.” While some babies will take that full tummy and sleep until morning, others will wake up fully at a dream feed and have difficulty getting back to sleep. For others, the feed might go well, but they will still wake up throughout the night, so it doesn’t accomplish its purpose. Your baby may also start waking up frequently at 3 or 4 a.m.—another sign that dream feeds aren’t working, says McGinn. “Because we’ve disturbed the sleep pattern, they might have trouble getting back into a regular rhythm,” she explains.

Dream feeds also won’t work for all parents—you may prefer to go to bed at 8 or 9 p. m. and sleep through until your baby’s first natural wake-up. That’s OK, too, says McGinn. But if you want to try a dream feed, you could have dad (or a non-breastfeeding parent) give the dream feed with a bottle of pumped breastmilk or formula and allow mom to continue to sleep through until the next waking. “It’s a great way to split up the feeds between parents,” says McGinn.

When can you start dream feeds?

Dream feeds can start at any age and go on for as long as you’re willing and as long they’re working. But when McGinn is working with clients to improve their baby’s sleep, she typically suggests weaning them off dream feeds by about eight months, as most babies should be able to sleep through the night without feeding at that age. Their bellies will typically be large enough that they can drink enough milk before bed and it will carry them through the night. Still, check with your baby’s doctor to make sure that they are otherwise healthy and don’t need a night-time feed for nutritional reasons. If your baby is less than eight months old and you’re embarking on a sleep training plan, a dream feed can be a helpful tool, particularly if you’re worried about your baby getting enough calories in the night.

How do dream feeds work on newborns?

Although dream feeding most often refers to one late-night feed to get your baby through until morning, in The Dream Feed Method, co-authors Freedman and Stacy Karol say that incorporating dream feeds all night long can be an effective way to encourage very young babies—less than four months old—to sleep through the night. By pre-emptively getting up and feeding your newborn at, say, 1 and 4 a.m., Freedman says you can reduce the amount your baby cries. If you follow a schedule, as outlined in the book, where you gradually move up the timing of the feeds, you can have your baby sleeping through the night by four months. While Freedman says that this method won’t work for all babies, he and his wife used the dream feed method for their three children with great success. With Freedman taking on the night-time feeds, his wife was able to sleep from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Now that’s dreamy.

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FILED UNDER: baby sleep Bottle-feeding Breastfeeding Newborn care Newborn sleep service seo

What Is Dream Feeding? And How Do I Dream Feed? – Happiest Baby

By Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP

Newborn babies eat a lot. Breastfed infants eat about every two to three hours and formula-fed babies hit the bottle every three to four hours…and that doesn’t stop when bedtime calls. In fact, bottle-fed babies often continue night feedings until they’re around 6 months old, whereas breastfed babies may continue up to a year. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do to tame night-waking. If your little one wakes up hungry each night, it’s smart to increase daytime milk (research shows that infants who received more milk or solid feeds during the day are less likely to feed at night) and boost their evening calories by way of a dream feed. Think of a dream feed as topping off your car’s gas tank...so there's no need to refuel during the journey ahead. Offering your baby a dream feed will eliminate—or at least delay—one of the top reasons babies wake through the night: a rumbling tummy.

What is dream feeding?

Dream feeding is when you rouse your baby—without fully waking them up—to feed them one more time before you turn in for the night. Babies who go to sleep between 6pm and 8pm often wake out of hunger in the middle of the night. But research has shown that sneaking in an extra feed between 10pm and midnight can reduce night wakings, helping babies stay asleep until a more “reasonable” time of the morning. This can become part of your little one’s regular sleep schedule.

How do I dream feed?

The goal of a dream feed is to offer your little one more meal before you hit the hay, so that you and your baby’s schedule sync better…and you both sleep better. Ready to try it? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Gently take your baby out of the bassinet or crib between 10pm and 12am, or whenever when you go to bed. Keep the room dim and quiet, except for white noise. Doing this during Baby’s more active REM sleep is ideal. During REM sleep your baby may flutter their eyelids, make little squeaks and squawks, or move around more than usual.
Step 2: Keep your baby swaddled. There’s no need to unswaddle—or change your baby’s diaper—if they’ll take the feed that way and their diaper isn’t soiled. (If your baby is super sleepy, you may need to rouse them a bit by gently tickling their toes.)
Step 3: Touch Baby’s cheek with your breast or bottle. Placing your breast or bottle on your baby's cheek or lower lip will wake up their rooting reflex and get your baby to start eating.
Step 4: Offer a brief feed. Encourage nursing for 5 to 10 minutes on each side. For bottle-fed babies, try for about 3 ounces.
Step 5: Burp your baby. Many parents ask: Do you burp a baby after a dream feed? and the answer is always yes. You want to burp a baby after a dream feed—or any feed—before putting them back down on their back.

How to get a baby back to sleep after a dream feed:

Oftentimes, a baby who has just enjoyed a dream feed can be returned to their bassinet with nary a wakeup. But if your little one has woken up during or after a dream feed, you can get them back down with the help of the 5 S’s: Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shushing, Swinging, Sucking.

First, if you haven’t already, swaddle your baby and put on some rumbly white noise. I recommend playing white noise all night, but you can turn up the volume as you’re putting your baby back down. The most effective white noise for sleep is continuous, monotonous, and at a low-pitch, like my SNOO sounds download or SNOObear, Happiest Baby’s white noise lovey.

At the same time, gentle rhythmic motion can help lull babies to sleep. In fact, a 2019 study in the journal PLOS ONE found that the magical mix of swaddling, white noise, and rocking “evokes an immediate calming response” when caregivers soothe their infants and when they use SNOO, my responsive bassinet. SNOO uses womb-like white noise and motion (and a built-in swaddle!) to quickly settle babies back to sleep after a feed…usually adding sleep for the whole family.

Other time-tested tricks to help a baby sleep after a dream feed include rocking in a rocking chair, walking with your baby in your arms, bouncing on an exercise ball, and offering a pacifier, which fulfills the Sucking portion of the 5 S’s. As an added bonus, research suggests a bedtime paci helps lower the risk of sudden infant sleep death, or SIDS.

As you put your little one back into their bassinet, do my quick wake-and-sleep trick, which teaches your baby to fall asleep on their own. Here’s the gist: Right after you put your baby down, gently rouse them with a gentle tickle on their feet until they barely open their eyes. After a few seconds, they’ll close their eyes again and slide back to sleep. If your little one fusses, pick them up for a feed or a cuddle, then repeat the gentle-tickle-to-wake routine.

Set your baby up for dream feed success:

As I mentioned earlier, the one-two punch of adding daytime calories and dream feeds can really work wonders to help babies sleep longer. Try offering cluster feeds from about 4pm till bedtime. Cluster feeds are a series of quick milky meals given to Baby every one to two hours. They’re meant to load your little one’s system with calories to keep them well stocked with nutrition through the night. At the same time, put your little one down for night-night safely swaddled with your trusted white noise on. Consider this another “dream team” to help Baby sleep better!

Why dream feeds are great for your infant:

A wonderful thing about dream feeding is that doesn’t interfere with your little one’s need to feed at night. Instead, dream feeding simply shifts your baby’s feeding schedule just a bit so that it’s more conducive to your sleep schedule, too. Plus, dream feeding means that…

Your baby will get the extra calories they need to sleep better.
Your baby is eating a meal at a convenient time, so you can sleep longer, too.
You’re not responding to your baby’s crying with food, which is important because reacting to cries with a feed can inadvertently encourage your baby to eat more at night.
Your baby will eat less during the night and therefore be hungrier in the morning, which will boost daytime eating.

Should I wake my baby for a second dream feed?

If your baby frequently wakes around 3:30am despite having an earlier dream feed and using strong, rumbly white noise, consider setting your alarm and giving one more dream feed at 3am. Again, it’s best to keep the lights dim and to not talk or cuddle too much at this hour. You want to be loving when you feed your baby, but you don’t want your little one to think that it’s time to play! The idea is to pick up and feed your little one before they wake you, so you’re giving your baby the nourishment they need, but not rewarding them for waking and crying.

If you must do this early-morning dream feed, every three days, reduce the 3am feed a bit more by giving a little less milk than usual. If you’re nursing, just feed on one side for the second dream feed. If you’re bottle-feeding, you can try doubling the amount of water the formula directions suggest—for just ONE feeding and ONLY for a couple days. This is very important: It’s dangerous to dilute baby formula for meals. It can cause serious health problems. Diluting for this ONE wee-hour feed for a brief period of time is different. The purpose of the extra water is to fill your baby’s stomach with enough ounces, but fewer calories. This can help babies sleep through to morning…when they will be hungry and ready to eat their full bottle again. Again, this is a temporary fix only to be used for the 3am dream feed—and only for a couple of nights.

When should I stop dream feeding?

All babies are different, so there is no specific age recommendation for stopping a dream feed. My general rule is that you can bid adieu to the dream feed 2 to 4 weeks after your baby is sleeping well from the time of your dream feed on through to the morning. (Learn when your baby might start sleeping through the night.) Of course, if the dream feed isn’t working for you, there’s no need to continue!

Final Thoughts on the Dream Feed and Other Sleep Tips

Offering a dream feed to your snoozing baby before you declare “lights out” may give you a chance to catch more precious ZZZs, which, of course, is fantastic! Giving a dream feed can also help train your sweet pea to stay asleep for longer stretches…and that skill can carry over to better night sleeps down the road, too. Beyond dream feeding, if your newborn baby is having difficulty sleeping, you may need a little extra help lulling them to dreamland. This is where I hope SNOO can help exhausted families by automatically soothing fussing with gentle rocking and white noise. You can learn more about SNOO and find other great sleep resources below:

SNOO Success Stories
All About Your Baby’s Wake Windows
What to Do When Your Baby Won't Sleep in a Bassinet
How to Turn On Baby’s “On Switch” for Sleep
Sleep Regression 101

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

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Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Connect with us at [email protected].

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

interpretation of dreams about breastfeeding according to the dream books of Miller, Vanga, Freud, Loff

According to Carl Jung's theory, dreams are the guiding words of the soul. Although there is still no consensus on why we see them and what they mean, the analysis of night visions can help us understand the hidden area of our mind. A dream about breastfeeding can have a direct personal message to the sleeping person, hinting that one of your loved ones needs love, tenderness and care. Let's figure out together with an expert why breastfeeding is a dream from the point of view of psychology.

Breastfeeding in Longo's dream book

Yuri Longo believes that a dream about breastfeeding a child symbolizes love and affection. The script may hint that someone or something in your life needs care and protection. Also, this dream can reflect your own emotional need for love. Sometimes a dream is inherent in pregnant women. Such a night vision can appear to anyone. For example, if a man dreamed of such an action, it symbolizes the manifestation of your hidden talents to achieve everything you wish.

Breastfeeding a baby in Miller's dream book

A dream about breastfeeding a baby means that your unconscious desires to cultivate its creative ideas and start a new life.

The dream of a girl who has recently entered into a relationship with a partner represents the need to develop an alliance that has become very dear. You want to be loved and cared for. Thus, by maintaining close relationships, you can feel emotionally secure.

Women's breasts are a symbol of deep care. It also symbolizes the close bond between mother and child. A dream may advise you to take care of the people around you, you must support your family members, be close to friends in difficult times.

Breastfeeding in Vanga's dream book

A dream about breastfeeding symbolizes maternal affection. It represents a mutually beneficial relationship, full of tenderness, compassion, love and mutual care. A dream promises emotional support and your deepest desire to take care of people close to you. Sometimes such a dream can be interpreted as the satisfaction of primitive needs for protection. You are encouraged to nourish and cherish, love and comfort others who need it. Also, such a vision of breastfeeding symbolizes that life is beautiful and all good things will come to you.

Many believe that dreams about breastfeeding a child symbolize love and affection. Photo: helena-lopes, pexels.com

Breastfeeding in Loff's dream book

According to Loff's book, a dream asks you to give up old habits and go on a new journey full of love and care. The unconscious may hint at motherhood. The dream symbolizes harmony, prosperity, growth and new beginnings.

Also, vision represents a sense of belonging that you cannot live without, a deep attachment that is difficult to get rid of. You are not ready to let this person go out of your life.

Breastfeeding in Freud's dream book

Perhaps deep down you have a feeling of helplessness and insecurity. You need someone who will protect you, guide you the right way in life. There is an unconscious desire to depend on someone who is able to make decisions on your behalf. Sometimes a dream hints at the need to become independent and let go of your addiction.

Breastfeeding in the Hindu dream book

You cling to something or someone for emotional support. It is not easy for you to let go or separate from this source of care. You are holding on to past habits that you no longer need. But you are in love with them and they limit your growth path. Sleep symbolizes the fear of separation, it also means your inability to leave your comfort zone and emotional well-being.

Just remember that as you get older you will have to make room for new things in life.

Breastfeeding in the Family Dream Book

The dream symbolizes a low level of confidence and self-esteem. You are uncomfortable in your own body. Feelings of dependency on others usually come from feeling insecure. You are not happy being yourself.

The dream reminds you to stay positive. You have the power to change and live the life you want. Just focus on the positive things that surround you. Learn to challenge your negative beliefs and erroneous thoughts.

Breastfeeding in Tsvetkov's dream book

A dream about breastfeeding a child symbolizes kindness and positive. It represents parenthood, new beginnings, self-development, and achieving your life goals. As well as favorable changes that will come into your life. Thus, a dream promises hope for a better future.

Breastfeeding a baby in a dream, according to Tsvetkov, may mean that you will receive good news soon. This may be the news of pregnancy or building a new relationship. The dream portends pleasant events in the near future. Do not hesitate, all your problems will soon clear up, and you will achieve the best and greatest.

Breastfeeding in the dream book of Nostradamus

Breastfeeding in a dream symbolizes the creation of a new family. A vision can warn you of a possible pregnancy. And if you are expecting a baby, then it projects your subconscious concern for the fetus. The vision encourages you to embrace new changes and take the next step towards success. This dream is a sign of good luck, spiritual bliss, financial stability, as well as family happiness.

Breastfeeding in Hasse's dream book

When you dream of breastfeeding, be sure that changes will soon take place in your waking life. You can move to a new job or start a relationship. The dream action carries a message of positive change. When in real life you are not married and not pregnant, but still see this dream, it means that you are hatching a creative idea in reality. You are on the path of self-development.

Expert comment

Victoria Borzenko, astrologer, tells the meaning of sleep:

Such dreams can be instinctive, that is, reflect the intuitive desire for pregnancy in reality. This happens to many women even before the tests actually confirm the upcoming happy event.

By the way, such dreams are often seen by men who dream of having a child and starting a family.

Night visions about breastfeeding a baby can be associated with the concepts of protection, guardianship, fatherhood, creating and strengthening bonds between family members. The very act of breastfeeding in a dream usually has a positive meaning. Subconscious illusion will bring good luck.

interpretation of dreams about a baby

A charming, healthy and active baby makes us smile in real life, and in a dream such a plot promises good events. Such a dream becomes a harbinger of happiness and prosperity, most often it concerns changes in family life, and it can also serve as a sign that you should expect replenishment. To find out more precisely what the baby is dreaming of, it is worth recalling all the circumstances, especially paying attention to your role and behavior in it. Various interpreters, explaining the dream, pay attention to the emotions that you and the child experienced, and to what exactly happened in the dream.

In this case, the value will depend on the appearance of the child, his mood and condition. It is also important to understand who exactly sees such a dream: for men and women, its meaning will be different.

We offer to consider the interpretation of sleep in the most common traditions. And let warnings and omens help you fully face possible troubles and not miss pleasant events.

The baby in Miller's dream book

The interpreter considers such a dream auspicious. In his opinion, such a vision promises an unexpected pleasant surprise. In order to understand the meaning of sleep, you need to remember what exactly you did with the baby. If the dreamer happened to bathe the child, this is a good sign, you will be able to find a way out of the difficult situation in which you find yourself right now.

Also an auspicious dream, in which the dreamer is standing near the crib with a newborn, he predicts pleasant chores. Pure love is promised by a dreaming well-groomed and neat child. But if in a dream the baby cries or whimpers, you will be disappointed in life or have health problems. Be careful and try to see a doctor for an examination.

There are several more dream plots with a baby, which are considered as an unfavorable sign. Mental suffering and sadness portends a dream where you lull a baby who looks sick and is full of heat. And a dream about how you are trying to comfort a roaring baby, but all to no avail, makes you think that you are afraid of the problems that you encountered in reality.

If someone else's child is in your arms, this indicates that others around you are trying to use you for their own purposes. Don't let that happen, and if the claims get too pushy, explain your position and show that you're not ready to let your good attitude be abused.

Another possible dream plot: you have lost your baby and cannot find it. This means that in reality there are difficult tasks to be solved.

Infant in Tsvetkov's dream book

Such a dream suggests that the dreamer will soon have an unexpected turn in life. It will be an amazing event that will definitely please. But trouble predicts a dream in which the infant was completely naked.

If in a dream you feed your child with breast milk, this portends a bright streak in life and joyful events that were not even expected.

In a dream, you can just see how a nursing baby drinks milk from the breast, this is a sign from your subconscious. It says that you are experiencing a lack of care from loved ones and want attention and love.

A baby in Natalia Stepanova's dream book

A baby in a dream promises good turns on the path of life, which will certainly await in the near future. Expect pleasant surprises and be prepared to gratefully accept them.

A dream can have an interesting meaning if a woman herself sees herself as a baby. This may mean that she will be accused of other people's sins or that she helps other people to sin. Be careful and don't let your reputation be tarnished.

If you had a chance to bathe a baby in a dream, it means that you will get out of the confusing situation in which you find yourself with honor.

An infant in Hasse's dream book

The main meaning of such a dream is a hint that the dreamer has enough mental strength to meet any life events with all stamina.

An infant in the Enigma dream book

If an infant talks a lot, this indicates that all sorts of gossip is going around. People who are envious of you slander and try to cast a shadow on you.

But if you lull a baby to sleep, it means that you will want to help the person and it is better not to give up this idea: your ward is an honest person and needs support.

A baby in Aesop's dream book

The author of this dream book suggests that a baby says that some important situation haunts you. You constantly think about it, look for solutions, consider it from all sides. Try to understand what exactly is so disturbing, and if you can’t find a solution yourself, turn to the people around you for advice.

Holding an infant in your arms and trying to get him to sleep? A thorny path to success awaits you, on which you have to work hard to achieve the desired result.

In a dream, you can also feed a child - this, according to the interpreter, means that you will have to take on certain responsibilities that will require you to work hard, but then bring material gain and spiritual satisfaction.

Baby in the Women's Dream Book

Such a dream portends a pleasant surprise in real life, which will be encountered in the very near future. It is best if the babies in your dream are smiling and happy with life. But crying crumbs are a sign that in real life you can meet disappointments. A sick baby can be a harbinger of health problems for your friends.

What is the gender of the dreamed baby? A strong and healthy baby is a herald of material family well-being.

Your budget is waiting for unexpected infusions. Conversely, a sick baby says that he will face financial difficulties.

And a little unexpected fact: if in a dream a baby soiled diapers, this is a good sign, you will receive a reward and unplanned income.

If you have an adult son and you saw him as a baby, this means that he will need help in the real world.

A baby girl dreams of good news. If the dreamer is a man, then he can safely take on any business, because success will surely await him. But for a young girl, such a dream promises a bright meeting with her loved one.

Why does a woman dream of a baby? If you are thinking about pregnancy, proceed without a doubt - everything will work out. And if a mother dreams of a baby, this means that children will bring her joyful news, she will have reasons for pride. If a woman plays with a baby, then this says that she will be made a good job-related offer.

Why a man sees a dream about a baby

For a representative of the stronger sex, such a dream is a prediction of success, a sign that he will have to overcome possible difficulties in business.

If you had a chance to see a baby girl in a dream, this indicates that there is a need to solve a difficult task ahead. But you are waiting for new acquaintances that will help you achieve success.

If you had to hold a baby in your arms, then this may indicate imminent fatherhood. But if in a dream you watch how a baby is fed, this portends career growth.

Astrologer's comment

Elena Kuznetsova, Vedic astrologer, female psychologist :

Children in astrology are associated with the most favorable planet - Jupiter and with the house of luck and creativity. This planet gives us children, material well-being, protection from troubles, for a woman - a husband. A child is a joy, a new life, the potential for growth, which is inherent in the little man. Therefore, seeing a child in a dream can be a very auspicious sign. You can expect new events that will bring a lot of joy. There may be an improvement in the financial situation. Perhaps the subconscious is signaling you about the creative potential that it is time to realize in life.