Night Feedings by Age -
When Do You Night-Wean?
Posted by Nicole on April 16th, 2009
A very common question I get is when a baby can go all night without a feeding. This article will outline general guidelines about how many night-feedings you can expect at each age.
Pediatricians all seem to disagree to the answer to the question when a baby can go all night without a feeding. There is Ferber who claims babies don’t need to eat at night after 3 months old and then there is Weissbluth who says that babies need 1-2 feedings up through 9 months old. Who’s right? They are both pediatricians with a lot of experience. Talk to your pediatrician and the answer will likely be even something different.
Although I do really like Ferber’s book and have learned A LOT from it, I can not, in good conscience, ever recommend night-weaning at 3 months old. I think that is extreme to think that all babies can do that, particularly breastfed babies. Some parents are lucky enough that their baby does it on his own that young or younger, but many parents simply aren’t that lucky.
I am not, in general, an extremist and when it comes to hunger at night, I err on the side of caution. I know that it would be sooo much easier, for US, to not feed at night, but there are adults who can’t go 12 hours without eating, so I am not sure why we expect our babies to. I am all for breaking sleep associations and promoting healthy sleep for our babies, but I don’t recommend night-weaning until your baby is showing signs she is ready and that age varies by child.
Below are the number of feedings at night, at various ages, that are within “normal” range (in my experience) and don’t throw up a red flag that there is more going on than just a feeding:
• Newborns to 3 months old: Feedings every 2-3 hours, on demand
• 3-4 Months: 2-3 feedings per night or every 3-6 hours, on demand
• 5-6 Months: 1-2 feedings
• 7-9 Months: 1, maybe 2, feedings
• 10-12 Months: Sometimes 1 feeding
• 12+ Months: Generally no feedings
Obviously, growth spurts are an exception and you should feed as needed during those. Growth spurts are generally over within a week.
I typically recommend at least an attempt at night-weaning by 8-9 months old, because at some point, sometimes it is a chicken and egg problem. A baby needs a certain amount of sustenance during the day and if he gets some at night, he won’t eat more during the day and if he doesn’t eat more during the day, he needs it at night. So, sometimes, a baby really does feel hungry at night, but it doesn’t mean he can’t go all night without a feeding, it simply means he needs to adjust how much he’s eating during the day. The idea is to gently help him do this.
I personally tried to night-wean around 9 months, but with both my boys, they did continue to eat at night up through a year and I weaned to cow’s milk (not sure if it was age or the weaning, though). They did, however, sleep better after I at least nudged them in the right direction, so I was glad I at least tried.
When did you night-wean?
Tags: feedings by age, night feedings, night wean, sleep through night, sleep through the night
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April 17th, 2009
Hi Nicole- thank you for this article
and for “allowing” us long time night feeders to enjoy it a few more months with our little ones. My girlfriends Pediatrician just told her to wean her daughter of night feeds at 3 months…I was pretty shocked by that and thought….’woah, what am I doing wrong? my little one is 5 months.’ Question for you. When you do night wean from 2 to 1 feedings, which feeding do you think you should wean? The first that occurs around 12am or the 2nd that occurs around 4am?
Thanks……enjoying your site.
Misty
April 28th, 2009
My son (16 months) is just getting this sleep stuff down, after he got tubes in his ears he is now sleeping 7-10 hours at night but wakes up at least once around 7 hours to nurse or get a cup of milk. Is that normal? He seems very hungry at that point.
April 30th, 2009
My now 5 month old son had been down to 2-3 feedings / night a few weeks ago. Now, it seems that with travel, visitors and possibly teething he is up ~6 times every night! I wind up feeding him each time too! It also seems that he is eating less during the day (and overall, I think). Could this be related to my suspicion that he is teething? Could it be a growth spurt? Could it be related to developmental milestones (he is trying desperately to roll over, but hasn’t figured it out yet)?
May 6th, 2009
Just wanted to post a quick comment on Ferber, since I think he really gets a bad rap (not from you, Nicole, just in general). I have spoken to him and his total number hours of sleep is much less than Weissbluth. So he really does not think a baby can go 12 hours without a feed…more like 9:30PM to 6:00AM…I know that this is still a long time without eating, but still is more reasonable.
May 7th, 2009
@Misty I am always shocked at the 3 month night-weaners, too. Typically, the first stretch of sleep would be the longest, so I’d night-wean the first feeding away. Many people think if they go 6 hours the first part of the night, they should be able to go another 6 hours, but it just doesn’t always work that way. Our internal clock figures out when it’s time to eat and more often our first stretch of sleep is the longest followed by a shorter sleep time until the next feeding. That’s why many people will get to 1 or 2 no problem and be confused why they have to feed again at 5. Good luck!
May 7th, 2009
@Tasha I don’t know all of your details, but typically by 16 months, he should most definitely be able to get through the night without a drink. He might feel hungry, but it could just be habit at this point. If you have a big “meal” at a certain time each day or night, your body will get used to eating at that time and then get hungry out of habit. You just need to reteach his body not to be hungry at night and encourage him to eat more during the day. Good luck!
May 7th, 2009
@T Developmental milestones can definitely disrupt sleep. Abrupt changes like this could also be an ear infection you might need to check out. Other than that, this can also just be good old over-tiredness and an early bedtime for a few nights can do wonders. Around 4 months, sleep also changes if you haven’t read that article yet. You might check it out: http://www.babysleepsite.com/4-month-old-sleep
May 7th, 2009
@Anita Thank you for commenting. You are absolutely correct and it’s a good point you bring up. Ferber definitely has lower averages for sleep needs for younger babies. I find with the babies I work with Weissbluth’s theories on over-tiredness and the amount of sleep needed is closer to accurate and Ferber becomes more applicable around 8-10 months. Of course, it just depends on the baby. My younger son CAN get by with less sleep and be super happy, but he also can sleep 11-12 hours at night, too and I know he needs more, so it’s interesting to have both boys to compare. It’s only since I’ve had the younger one that I can even comprehend how people don’t have routines and schedules.
May 7th, 2009
Thank you very much for this article. I’m a proud mother of a 14 month old baby boy. I’ve been nursing him since day one. However, daytime feedings have cut back significantly, but night time feedings are relatively the same. He normally goes down at 7:30pm and wakes up to feed at 11pm, 2am-3am, and between 4-6am. Now, I am not sure if he is nursing because he is hungry or if it is just a habit now. I would hate to wean him completely from his night time feeding if he is not ready, but then again, I know he can sleep much longer without it. How can I make that transition at night from cutting back from 3-4 feedings to ideally, 1? Should I try giving him whole milk instead?
May 8th, 2009
@Jen At 14 months, he should not need to eat at night let alone several times. But, that is not to say he genuinely does not feel hungry, so the idea is to come up with a plan to handle that. No, I would not switch to whole milk as that will not fix the problem. I’d need a lot more details for your unique situation to make sure I give you good advice. I hope you contact me! http://www.babysleepsite.com/services
July 3rd, 2009
My baby is almost 8 weeks old now, and he has started sleeping most nights anywhere from 4-6 hours at a time before needing a feeding. It has been becoming 6 hours more consistently. He usually finally goes down for the night anywhere between 9 and 11pm, and then will often sleep for close to 5 or 6 hours before wanting/needing a feeding. Then he usually sleeps another 2-3.5 hours before waking up for the day. I’m sure he must be getting enough….he is growing consistently and is about 11 or 12 pounds by now. We last had him weighed about 3 weeks ago, and he was 10.5 pounds. I just saw your average feedings for his age, and it says every 2-3 hours on demand……he is not doing that anymore, at least not right now. I am trusting him to be asking for what he needs….but of course after reading this…..now i sit here hoping i am feeding him enough!!! I have to say, i have been LOVING the long stretches of sleep personally….but want to make sure my baby is healthy. I also worry about my milk supply lessening because of these long stretches of him not eating at night……
Thanks for reading this! And thanks for your site.
Samantha
July 12th, 2009
@Samantha Absolutely follow your baby’s cues and enjoy the sleep! The only time you need to wake a baby to eat is when they are a newborn and need to eat every 3 hours. Other than that, healthy babies will neither undereat or overeat. Sorry I made you doubt yourself, but definitely enjoy the sleep!
July 28th, 2009
HI I was reading your article and it helped me out. My son is about to hit 8 months in a few days. I am wondering if it is time to wean his night feedings? He goes to sleep between 7:30 to 9 pm and wakes between 9 am to 10 sometimes a lil later. He wakes normally at 4am for a feeding, sometimes he will wake sooner and I will feed him and he will sleep past his normal feeding time and wake as normal, then there is times he will wake a lil later and wake at normal time. I am thinking that because when my son was teething I would get the bottle and get him back to sleep (he had 2 cut within days) So i am thinking he is doing the night feedings out of habit that he would wake and I gave him the bottle as well as he uses it as a way to sooth hmself back to sleep. Thank you for your time.
August 14th, 2009
@Alexis The first 5 hours are generally supposed to be the deepest sleep of the night and there are 3 month olds that can go 5 hours, so I typically recommend at least getting the first feeding past that point, to start. Sometimes just getting past that first waking of the night will help a baby sleep all night. Many people night-wean by 6 months, so it doesn’t hurt to try to night-wean.
November 10th, 2009
“It’s only since I’ve had the younger one that I can even comprehend how people don’t have routines and schedules.” I find it interesting that some people do not understand that not everyone has the partner, family or financial support to have the luxury of establishing routines and schedules; believe it or not, some people reading this site devoted, loving moms that are struggling just to put a roof over their heads and food on the table, and they are simply looking for any suggestions just to make sleep life for mom and baby alike just a little bit more productive…please spare me the judgmental piece.
November 10th, 2009
@Andrea I’m sorry you misunderstood me. I did not mean it that way. I meant because my son was so SOOOO cranky without his routines and schedules, I didn’t even understand how people could deal with not having them. I did not mean I did not understand how some people didn’t have them due to family structure or even just the desire not to have them. Many people don’t even believe a baby should be scheduled at all and that is completely their right. Everyone has to do what’s best for their family. I only meant that before my younger son came along, I didn’t even get how it was possible. You really should have seen how cranky my son got and you would understand. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
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November 11th, 2009
I have a 6 month old and a 2 year old. Since 4 months my little one has STOPPED sleeping through the night. He will wake up sometimes even every hour or two depending on the night, and I have not found any reason yet for this. I’ve been trying to figure out a good schedule for him to follow but I keep finding it interrupted by my 2 year old’s needs (drop off and pick up from school, etc.) Do you have any suggestions on how to get a 6 month old on a schedule while taking into account the older child? I find he will fall asleep in the car seat for a short time then wake up and not want to go back to sleep at home during his regular nap time.
Also, I was wondering if you think its okay to night wean him at this age. He’s 19lbs so I’m not worried about weight, but he definitely seems to want to eat by 4 or 5am if I put him down to sleep at 8pm.
Thanks.
November 12th, 2009
Stacy,
I read your post and wanted to suggest a couple things to help if i can. A way you might be able to get your youngest on a schedule is build it around the old childs day. If she gets up for breakfast at 7 to be at school at 8 then wake your son when shes eating to eat as well then he should be awake for the drive, That could help with the morning NOW for the after noon it depends on the older child again if she gets picked up at noon for the end of the day then you might want to have put your son down for a short nap before you leave say around 10 ish, then whenyouget your daughter its not effecting his nap he will have just woken (or had been awake and eating) and eat lunch snack with her. then the going to bed is easy cause the oldest dont need to go anywhere. My friends child is 6 months and the same wieght and she night weened him cause he was ready. he now sleeps through the night no issues. My email is strawberrypudding84 [at] yahoo. if you want to contact me. I hope I have not upset you by giving my point
November 22nd, 2009
@Stacy Some 6 month olds can go all night without a feeding, but if he’s only waking once a night at 4 or 5 a.m. he might really need to eat. There are some adults who can’t go 12 hours without a feeding, so I would not necessarily base it on weight. He might just be more active and requires more feedings (assuming that’s the only reason he’s waking). Many people do night-wean around this age, so you can try it and see how he does. Schedules for a second child are challenging and they do need to go with the flow a bit more, but sometimes you have to try to arrange the schedule around known things for the older child. I’d have to know the details to make a recommendation, though. Good luck!
November 23rd, 2009
@Alexis Thank you for commenting and trying to help!
Be careful about putting your actual e-mail address in comments because it might put you on spam lists. I have edited it for you.
December 1st, 2009
My baby is turning 11 months old on Thursday. He’s always woken several times a night to nurse, and I’ve never tried to wean him because he seemed hungry…would nurse and go right back to sleep. He’s also on the bottom 5% of his weight class for his height/age, so I figured I wouldn’t want to deprive him of the additional calories if he needs it. Right now he nurses to sleep at 7pm, wakes about 10:30-11:00pm, around 2am and again about 5:00am. There was a 3 weeks stretch where he stopped waking for the 2am feed on his own (and the sleep I got was HEAVENLY), but he started teething and the 2am feedings are back.
So when you say to drop the first feed of the night (10:30-11:00pm), how do you actually do that? Do I just try to rock him back to sleep or just don’t go to him and let him cry (if he doesn’t get too worked up) and see if he goes back to sleep on his own? I’m not a fan of CIO, but will rocking him back to sleep create a bad habit and keep him from sleeping past the 10:30 time that he’s used to waking anyway?
I’m to the point where I’d really like to start weaning him from the night feedings he doesn’t need so we both can get better sleep and be much more fun for my husband
I’ve also heard that once babies start sleeping longer through the night, their naps during the day get better too (he’s a short afternoon napper…only ever 1/2 hour).
If there’s too much detail to give in explaining how to wean that first feed and I need to contact you through your email service, just let me know. I appreciate your help!
(BTW, the new name of the site was a good choice!)
December 2nd, 2009
After I posted my message last night, wouldn’t you know it… he slept through the 2am feed! LOL I don’t expect it to “stick”, and would still love your feedback on the best way to go about dropping that feed.
Last night was the first night in a LONG time that I actually got 6+ hours straight. It’s so amazing how good it feels to actually get uninterrupted sleep!
December 17th, 2009
dito rendy.. my daughter is 11 months now and im going through the same exact thing. i miss my sleep and my husband.she is constantly getting up at nght to get some boobie lol. so if you got some help please pass it on
December 27th, 2009
@Rendy I’m so behind in replying to blog comments that I’m sure you’re done with the night-weaning. At least I hope you are.
I typically offer night-weaning advice on a case-by-case basis anyway, since it’s so tricky with night-feedings and I hate to think of a baby crying because he’s hungry. Many times just delaying how quickly you go in and discourage feedings can prompt many babies from not feeding at night anymore. If you need more help please visit my services page and purchase just a two-email package and I’d love to help! Good luck!
January 8th, 2010
Hi there! My 3 years old girl is still requesting for night feedings occassionally (sometimes once, sometimes twice). If we don’t feed her, she’ll cry either until we give in or she’s tired. I don’t know how else can I do, as I’ve tried getting her to eat more in the day, snack before night time (just to fill her stomach), refused her feed when she wakes up…
Really appreciate all advice and help given…
January 29th, 2010
@Joanne I feel your pain in that my almost 2 year old seems very sensitive to hunger, too. If we don’t give a snack before bed, he’ll either wake at night or too early in the morning. A couple of weeks ago I woke up around 5 a.m. and my stomach HURT I was so hungry. I mean it really really hurt. It made me think of all the starving children and how much it must hurt them to be hungry all day. Anyway, you can’t really force her to eat too much more and if you’ve tried the snack before bed, how about just leave something she can eat on her own in the middle of the night such as a few crackers to take the edge off? It’s not good for her teeth, but she’s probably growing a lot and will outgrow this, eventually. You might be able to change her daytime diet to be more fatty or higher calories to compensate. We have dinner around 5:30 or 6 and then have a substantial snack before bed. Sometimes it’s like another dinner. Hang in there!
February 7th, 2010
I have twin 9 month old girls that have very sensitive sleep patterns. They get up about three times a night each- so I’m really up 6 times! If we do anything out of the ordinary during the day, they are up more the night after. I think that they aren’t used to being alone and just want each other or me there, but if I put them in the same crib they wake each other up. Any ideas on how I can get them to learn to comfort themselves? Or should I continue to comfort feed? Thank you!