When can baby sleep all night without feeding

When Do Babies Sleep Through the Night Without Feeding? – Dreamland Baby

I remember my eldest's first full night in the hospital like it was yesterday. And that's because it was a breeze. Yes, I still fed her every 3 hours, but she went back to sleep immediately each time. I wondered what all the fuss was about with the lack of sleep. And then the next night came and it was nothing like the first...I swear she was attached to my boob for almost the entire night. Then home, and more of the same. From then on I understood. And though I was the happiest I'd ever been in my life I found myself wondering how long it would take before she could sleep through the night without a feeding.

It was draining me. I found myself wanting to stop time to soak in all that baby sweetness paralleled by a feeling of wanting to speed it up so we could all finally get some sleep. Eventually, she did sleep through the night.

As much as I would love to tell you the exact moment when a baby will be able to eat enough by day that they can make it all night, it's far from that simple. So we've partnered with Kelley Thompson, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, from Serenity Sleepers to give you a logical timeline of what you can expect when it comes to your baby's sleep and how long they can stretch it without waking for a feeding.

The Reason Why Babies are Hungry at Night

Though this isn't rocket science, it can be perplexing at first why your baby can't fill up on enough calories throughout the day that enables them to sleep through the night like you can.

But there are 2 big differences between you and your baby.

Your baby's tummy is tiny! And it can only hold so much milk. Within the first couple days of your baby's life we're talking just a couple of teaspoons of milk capacity, and still even only 3-4 ounces around 1 month of age.
Babies grow at a rapid rate. Initally, they lose weight in the first couple of days, but then they should be back to their birth weight within 2 weeks. So you could see why they'd be so hungry! After that, they'll double their birthweight by about 4 months old. And triple it by age 1! Your 7-pound newborn will weigh around 21 pounds after one year. With such fast-paced growth (compared to your weight which should roughly stay the same) you can see why eating so much is important.

Because of these 2 factors, it's just not realistic to expect your baby to be able to sleep through the night initially when they're needing to beef up. Because they're able to digest milk pretty quickly (breastfed babies especially), it's likely that they're going to wake up in the middle of the night ready for a meal - perhaps multiple times.

The Definition of Sleeping Through the Night

When your friend tells you that they're baby is sleeping through the night, and you find out that it was actually only a 6-hour stretch, it might make you say, "Hmmm..." After all, you wouldn't be rested with only 6 hours of sleep. What gives?

Sleeping through the night can be defined in one of three ways:

When the experts say, "Sleeping Through the Night" - generally this means 6 - 8 hours because that's the full stretch that a baby can usually handle at least in the later infant stages (around age 3 months+)
What you think "Sleeping Through the Night" means for yourself - At least for me, this means 8 hours - and in general, that's about the amount that most adults need to function well during the day. Even though you know your baby has different needs, you might think, I can't wait til my baby sleeps through the night so that I can, too (and get your full 8 hours).
What a full night of "Sleeping Through the Night" would be for your baby - Babies generally need a nighttime portion of sleep about 10 - 12 hours in length. Eventually, they WILL sleep this full stretch without waking up in between. But when?

There is a gradual progression in terms of how long your baby can stay asleep before they wake up needing to eat. Though there are other factors that keep babies up at night (which we'll get to), the number one reason they wake up frequently is that they are hungry.

Since you might have three separate expectations, we'll go over when you might expect each of these levels of "sleeping through the night" to occur. With that said, EVERY baby is different, and it may not align perfectly. Formula-fed babies usually "sleep through the night" more quickly than breastfed babies, but not always.

Building a Foundation for Sleeping Through the Night

Yes, your baby being hungry is the main reason they are going to wake up. But they should be able to go longer and longer stretches as they grow without needing those feeds any longer.

When we asked Kelley of Serenity Sleepers her top recommendation for getting a baby to sleep through the night she had this to say:

"First a baby needs to have the proper sleep education and sleep foundations in place before they will be able to sleep through the night.

Once a baby is able to put themselves to sleep on their own, able to link sleep cycles, has age-appropriate routines, and proper day sleep in place they will be able to have longer stretches of overnight sleep.

Sleeping through the night for 11-12 hours at a time, is developmental, and will look different for each baby, but when a baby has proper sleep foundations as stated above, they will do it when their body is ready."

Stage 1 Sleeping Through the Night Without Feeding (6 - 8 hours):

Around 4 months of age is when most parents will start to see signs from their babies that they're able to sleep in longer stretches. Getting up to 5 and 6 hours by this point is very likely. This is especially true once your baby makes it through the 4-month sleep regression. Be sure to read our article, "Getting Through Your Baby's 4-Month Sleep Regression," to find out what you can expect during this time.

According to pediatrician Susan E.C. Sorenson over at BabyCenter, 6-month-olds "can sleep comfortably for at least six hours without waking up to eat." And some babies will do it even sooner than that.

By this age, babies usually have structured naps during the day and have plenty of wake time where they fill up on breastmilk and formula and also are stimulated enough to make them sleepy at night. Additionally, they're able to take in more calories at a time and are able to consolidate most of their night feedings down to just 1 or 2 per night.

We want to reiterate that it's different for every single baby, but expecting a 6-8 hour stretch of sleep from your 6-month-old is not unreasonable.

Stage 2 Sleeping Through the Night Without Feeding (8-9 hours):

Around the 7 - 9 month timeframe, you'll see your baby gradually sleeping for longer and longer stretches. It's important to remember however, that baby sleep is not linear. It might look like 1 step forward, 2 steps back for awhile. In other words, a few great nights of sleep might be followed by a few not so great ones. The important thing here, however, is to notice the progression from your little one as you start to see the length of sleep they are capable of.

Even though you yourself are not likely getting a straight 8-9 hours yet (because your baby will go down before you hit the hay), this is a big turning point for parents! And Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant Kelley Thompson shared with us that this is a typical age where she sees a lot of babies even sleeping all the way through the night!

As long as you have worked hard sleep training your baby, and used self-soothing methods such as putting them in a Dreamland Baby weighted sack, your baby should easily go back down after you feed them. One 3 or 4 am feeding is really not so bad if you keep the lights low and keep your baby drowsy while you feed them. Simply put them back down and they should go right back to sleep until it's time to wake for the day.

By this point, it's so nice to look back on how far you've come. And that full night's sleep is so close you can taste it...

Stage 3 Sleeping Through the Night Without Feeding (the full night - up to 12 hours)

Sleep expert Dr. Sarah Mitchell, who did a guest post for us recently, said that she sees many formula-fed 5 month-olds who can go 11-hour stretches at night. Though this is not the norm...we're just saying that it IS possible, and just goes to show how wide the spectrum can spread.

What's more likely is a 9 to 12-month-old who sleeps their full night of sleep without waking to eat. What this means is that you put your baby down for bedtime, perhaps at 7:30, and the next time you see their well-rested happy face isn't until 6:30 or so the next morning!! This is just as glorious as it sounds.

Not only is your baby getting healthy stretches of sleep so they can grow and thrive, but so are you. And as a busy parent, you know how much you need that uninterrupted sleep (not to mention those quiet hours to yourself before you go to bed!)

Other Factors that Keep Your Baby Up at Night

It's important to know what your baby is capable of in terms of sleeping through the night without the need of being fed. Though it's perfectly normal that your baby might still be waking in the middle of the night beyond the averages, if they are, you might want to start considering if it's something else that's waking them up at night.

Baby sleep can be all over the place in the first year, and it's not always because they're hungry (though that IS the top reason). If you are sure that your baby isn't waking out of hunger, here are some other possible reasons they might be waking up:

they still have their days and nights mixed up
sleep regressions
growth spurts
lack of self-soothing skills
baby wants to see you!
teething
sickness

Some of these are completely unavoidable. We recommend taking it in stride and keeping reasonable expectations of what your baby can do in their first year of life. Beyond that, you can be sure that you're using our best sleep tips to help your baby maximize their length of sleep without waking. Here's what we suggest:

Set up a bedtime routine early on. You don't need to stress about this in the first few weeks home with your new baby, but once your baby is starting to have more noticeable sleep/wake cycles, getting into the habit of a good sleep routine is important. We discuss those steps in this article, and one item we recommend using is a Dreamland Baby weighted sack. The gentle weight feels like a hug to your baby and naturally induces sleep. Countless reviews state how well it helps little ones sleep through the night including this one from mom, Alex S.:

"This product truly saved us. It gave us back our nights, and helped our little guy sleep 6-7 hours every night. I can't thank Dreamland Baby enough for making such an incredible product. I would suggest for any new moms out there.”

Start sleep training around 4 months of age. Sometimes sleep training can get a bad rap, but it really shouldn't! It does not have to involve lots of crying and is one of the best ways to set up your baby for sleeping success! Kelley of Serenity Sleepers shares that, "most babies struggle to initially put themselves to sleep, and rely on someone or something to put them to sleep and then back to sleep when they wake during the night." Getting your baby to learn to sleep independently is really important.
If your baby seems hungry, feed them! Even if your baby has been consistently sleeping through the night, they may go through a growth spurt where they need to eat again. Always assume this is what your baby needs unless your instincts tell you otherwise. We guarantee they'll be back on track after a couple of days.

The truth is that all babies learn to sleep through the night. In time (likely before they turn one), their bodies will allow them to take in enough calories by day that they won't need to wake up to eat. Teaching them to self soothe and be an independent sleeper will also help speed along the process.

Do babies naturally drop night feeds?

As your baby grows and develops, it’s possible that she will no longer wake up for a feeding by the time she is between 4 and 6 months old. That’s because her tummy can now hold more food which may be helping her sleep for that much anticipated longer stretch of time. If you prefer to consider her weight, it’s usually at 12 pounds when babies no longer need a nighttime snack.

Keep in mind that every baby is different and you can decide when it’s time to cut back on the night time feeding when it’s comfortable for you. Of course, this is definitely something to discuss with your pediatrician if you have any concerns.

Which feeds drop first at night?

Some experts suggest to drop the first night time feeding from the routine. So if your baby feeds at 10pm and 2am, start by dropping the 10pm meal. Others suggest to cut down on every feeding by at least 3 minutes every few nights until you decrease it by enough that that feeding can be eliminated altogether. Remember that the older she gets, the less she’ll need the nighttime feed and dropping a feeding may occur naturally, ie: baby will sleep through it or show little interest in taking the breast or bottle.

How long should nighttime feedings take?

While every baby is different, depending on her age, nighttime feedings can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes for newborns, every few hours, to a quick 5-10 minute snack at 6 months, a couple of times a night. There’s no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to baby, so trust your instinct and always talk to your pediatrician if you think your baby isn’t eating enough… or too much.

How long after feeding can I put my baby down?

It’s always a good idea to burp your baby before putting her down after a feeding to avoid any kind of reflux.

Should I feed my baby every time he wakes up at night?

It may be an impulse to rush into baby’s room at every sound or cry, but remember, as a baby develops her sleep patterns, it’s okay for her to miss a feeding here and there, especially once she’s at the 6-month mark. By then, she might be sleeping for 6-8 hour stretches without waking to eat… and by the time she’s 9 months, she may even be sleeping for an entire 11-12 hour stretch!

It’s in those early newborn months that it’s important to feed baby every time she wakes, which could be as much as every two hours during a 24-hour cycle. Be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner or pediatrician if you have any concerns about your infant’s sleep and/or feeding schedule.

Will my milk dry up if baby sleeps through the night?

Some parents feel that their milk isn’t coming in during evening hours as much as it did during the day, so babies may take longer to nurse. Don’t let this worry you! It’s normal for babies to eat less at night as they begin to sleep for longer stretches. This also means that your little one is probably eating more during the day. As new feeding schedules occur, your breasts will adjust. You can also continue to pump at night to keep your milk supply flowing.

How do I increase milk supply when baby sleeps through night?

The more you nurse, the more your milk supply will increase. So as long as you continue to pump once or twice during the night while baby sleeps, your milk supply shouldn’t dwindle. It’s also advised to perhaps add an additional one or two pumping sessions whenever you believe that you have a fuller supply to pull from.

How long should a baby sleep at night without eating?

Photo credit: iStock.com / AleksandarNakic

Most babies are able to sleep through the night – or sleep for at least six hours without waking up to eat – sometime between 3 to 6 months of age. Healthy babies who are born full-term are generally able to sleep through the night without a feeding starting at 3 months of age or when they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. However, babies' sleep cycles only become consistent and predictable around the time they're 6 months old.

Just because babies are technically able to go through the night without a feeding, however, doesn't mean they will. Night wakings can happen for many other reasons, including separation anxiety, an inability to self-soothe back to sleep, sleep regressions, teething, and bed-sharing.

If your baby doesn't start sleeping through the night without a feeding between 4 to 6 months of age, you can try night weaning. There are lots of different sleep training methods, from the cry-it-out method to the fading method. Learn about your options (BabyCenter's virtual course, Baby Sleep 101, can help) and choose one that feels right for you and your baby.

How long should a newborn sleep at night without eating?

Newborns generally sleep for two to three hours before waking to eat, day and night. As they get older, babies are usually able to sleep for increasingly longer stretches of time at night without waking to eat.

Between the age of 2 to 3 months old, healthy babies are often able to sleep for six hours without feeding. Research suggests that about half of babies are able to sleep at least six hours without a nighttime feed by 3 months of age. That rate rises to 62 percent by 6 months of age and 72 percent by 12 months of age, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

So how can you prepare your baby to sleep longer periods at night without eating? Start healthy sleep habits early. Help your newborn learn to fall asleep on their own by following a bedtime routine, putting them to bed when they're sleepy but still awake, and waiting for a few minutes to respond to their fussing when they do wake at night. Although your baby may still need to be fed during the night for some time, these tactics help them learn to nod back off without the help of your breast, arms, or a bottle.

If your baby was premature or has other health considerations such as digestive problems or failure to gain weight, be sure to discuss their feeding schedule with their doctor before making changes.

Should you wake a sleeping baby to feed?

For the first one to two weeks of life – or until your newborn regains the weight they lost after birth – it's important that they wake up to eat about every two to three hours. Newborns usually do this on their own, but occasionally will sleep for longer. If your baby does sleep for a stretch of more than four hours during this period, wake them to eat.

After the first couple of weeks, when babies surpass their birth weight, most healthy babies don't need to be woken to eat as long as they're growing and feeding well. That means they're gaining weight as expected and producing at least four wet diapers and three poopy diapers per day. Talk to your doctor if you're concerned about your baby's growth or feeding habits.

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What if my baby won't wake up to eat?

If your baby is healthy, has passed their birth weight, and is feeding and growing steadily, you usually don't need to wake them to feed. Unless their doctor tells you otherwise, let your baby sleep – they'll let you know when they need to eat!

If, however, your baby hasn't yet surpassed their birth weight, or if they were premature or aren't growing as expected, you do need to rouse them to eat anytime they sleep for more than four hours straight.

Know that newborns sometimes have a hard time waking up to eat for the first few days, especially if:

they're small
they have jaundice
you had a difficult labor
you had an epidural or other pain reliever during birth

If your baby is lethargic and uninterested in eating, these tips can help a groggy baby wake to feed:

Look for signs that they're in a light sleep cycle, which include flutters under closed eyelids, arm and leg movements, and sucking movements.
Be sure the room is cool (around 18 C or 65 F) and your baby isn't overdressed, since being too warm makes babies sleepier.
Try skin-to-skin contact and/or a laid-back breastfeeding position, which can encourage feeding.

Premature babies have unique nutritional needs and may not show hunger signs like crying.

If your baby is premature, or if you're concerned about your baby's weight gain or feeding patterns, talk to their doctor about how to ensure your baby is getting enough to eat.

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Colleen de Bellefonds

Colleen de Bellefonds is a freelance health and lifestyle journalist. She's raising her toddler daughter and newborn son with her French husband in Paris.

When will my child start sleeping at night without waking up?

Interest in the world beyond the crib

When the baby starts sleeping at night without waking up is a very individual question. By responding to the needs of the child, parents can help promote healthy sleep for the child.

Starting at about 6 months old, children no longer need nighttime feedings, as at this age the rhythm of hunger and satiety in a healthy child stops at daytime. Brief awakenings at night are quite normal. Ideally, babies fall asleep quickly and on their own again.

Awakenings can have many causes

Note that waking up or crying at night can have many causes. Along with hunger, thirst, and a wet diaper, there are occasional periods (teething, infections, or an eventful day) when the baby changes his habits: wakes up, babbles, or again asks for a breast or a bottle. Some babies cry when they need attention and care, or when they need to relieve some stress. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees for an uninterrupted night's sleep for your baby. It also happens that the baby, who until now slept well and did not wake up at night, suddenly starts waking up again at night. Basically, it's just a temporary thing.

A regular daily routine is very important

A regular daily routine is important with regular meals, sleep duration and other activities such as walking. Repetitive rituals such as bathing, feeding, evening fairy tale, lullaby, as well as a calm atomosphere always have a calming effect.

Patience Needed

Don't lose patience if your child doesn't find his sleep rhythm right away. Miracles do not happen! You cannot control your child's sleep. However, you can help your child develop a regular rhythm by ensuring healthy sleep. Do not be discouraged if other children have allegedly been sleeping at night for a long time without waking up. This concept is relative, because, as for infants, we can talk about continuous night sleep even if they sleep from midnight to 5-6 in the morning. Parents of young children, as a rule, should tune in to the fact that in the first 3-4 years of a baby's life, their nights will be restless.

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How to teach a baby to sleep through the night without waking up: 6 steps0044

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psychologist

Sleep problems affect 30% of children to some extent. But according to various surveys conducted in the US, Canada, Australia and European countries, more than 70% of parents would like their children to sleep longer and better at night. It is, as you can see, a large number of people. Indeed, after birth, babies fall into one of two categories. Some children sleep well at night literally from the first days of returning from the hospital, others wake up their parents several times a night for a year or even two. Why is this happening?

First , all children are different. It is believed that any healthy baby is ready to sleep continuously for 5-6 hours from the age of about 6 weeks and when he reaches a weight of 5 kg. A healthy 6 month old baby can sleep continuously for 11-12 hours a night. In addition, some are groundhogs by nature, while others are too active to spend the lion's share of their free time sleeping (even in the first weeks of life, when, it would seem, there is nothing else to do but sleep).

Secondly , an honorable role is assigned to the organization of children's sleep rules - guess who? We, parents, and we just tend to forget this. And here the question arises: are we doing everything right? Indeed, in addition to the biological predisposition of the baby to a healthy sleep, there are also objective realities of everyday life. And in order for the child to sleep better at night, you need to adhere to certain principles of behavior.

74% of American mothers with children under the age of one say that the most important thing for them in this life is getting enough sleep. Moreover, 28% are ready to pay any money for a full night's 7-8-hour sleep.

Don't dramatize the situation

Parents' first children usually sleep worse than their younger siblings later on. Lack of experience, increased anxiety of mothers and fathers lead to the fact that the slightest groaning of a child in the middle of the night is perceived as a disaster. And now the light is on, and the whole family is awake.

What to do? Take it easy. Newborns can wake up several times a night, but at the same time they know how to fall asleep on their own, whimpering a little. In addition, if night awakenings become a cause for serious concern for parents, then the baby involuntarily adapts to the general disturbing background . If the nighttime awakenings of the baby are not the only thing that worries you, then it makes sense to pay more attention to your condition and cope with it. The fact is that babies are very sensitive to the emotional background in the house, so any conflicts or depression in the mother can provoke sleep problems in the child.

Photo: Getty Images/Vetta

Deal with colic

Up to 25% of parents experience this really common cause of sleep disturbance in their first months of life. They occur in babies older than 3 weeks and disappear by 3 months. The child tenses, blushes, brings the legs to the stomach and cries piercingly. The cause is considered to be increased gas formation in the intestines and the immaturity of the digestive tract.

What to do? Try different means - something is sure to help. Drink the baby with children's tea with fennel, dill water. Put a warm diaper on your stomach. Massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction or bend the legs at the knees, press them to the stomach and take them back. Lay the baby on your stomach. Install the gas pipe. Give the medicine recommended by the attending pediatrician in these cases. American experts, for example, recommend driving a child in a car - the pain syndrome will be removed and the baby will fall asleep. In general, in the United States, the “rule of number 3” is used to diagnose colic: if the child cries for three hours a day, three times a week and three weeks in a row. If it is less and less common, it is not colic, and the cause must be sought elsewhere.

Sleep separately if possible

Children who sleep in the same bed or in the same room as their parents wake up more often than those who sleep in a separate nursery . Upon returning from the hospital, many parents try to put the baby next to them at night: indeed, frequent feedings and changing diapers create the impression that you literally cannot leave the baby for a minute, day or night.

What to do? Once your baby has established a feeding schedule (and this happens to all babies between 2 weeks and 3 months of age), one option to ensure proper sleep is to sleep in separate rooms. Frequent awakenings of parents at night are absolutely unjustified - children can fall asleep without assistance, and the mother gets up to the baby anyway at the first call, often without waiting for the crying to begin. If the baby sleeps in another room, then those tossing and groaning that do not deserve her attention, she will not hear.

Do not combine breastfeeding and going to bed

American sleepologists say that 50% of breastfed babies wake up at least once a night (from 12 am to 6 am). This is especially true for children, who also sleep in the same room with their parents: the baby smells mother's milk even at a distance. Among artificial babies, this percentage is significantly lower - 20. Breast milk is digested faster than an artificial mixture - therefore, a baby who eats mother's milk will wake up from hunger two hours after feeding, an hour and a half earlier than the "artificial one".

What to do? Of course, it is not worth transferring the child to formula. But you should also not fall into the typical trap for young mothers: “in order for him to calm down and fall asleep, he must be breastfed.” Feed some time before going to bed, away from the crib, change clothes after feeding, and let's hold in the arms of another person, if possible.

Don't rock your arms before going to bed

Babies who are first rocked and then placed in a cradle or crib while sound asleep will wake up sooner than those who are laid awake.

What to do? Try not to accustom to motion sickness before going to bed, especially on the arms. Small children, as we noted above, are perfectly able to fall asleep on their own - they even sing lullabies to themselves. A baby who has been cradled in her arms and then placed in her crib will feel a change of scenery, either shortly after laying down or during the initial stage of awakening. Subconsciously, he considers it unnatural (it’s more comfortable and pleasant for mom in her arms, who can argue with that?) And wakes up earlier than she could.

Photo: Getty Images/Westend61

To get your baby to sleep, you can try to move him in the car, rock him in a cradle with a vibrating bottom, or turn on the vacuum cleaner or washing machine in the apartment.

Teach your baby to fall asleep on his own

Babies who are allowed to fall asleep on their own during the first months of life have much less trouble falling asleep than those who are sat with until they fall asleep and lullabies are sung every night.

What to do? Toddlers are great at calming themselves - they just don't need to be disturbed. Some suck their thumb, others stare at the ceiling, others sing lullabies to themselves... As soon as you notice that the child is preparing to fall asleep, it is better to move away from the crib, dim the lights, and reduce the noise activity in the apartment.