How Your Baby’s Growth Spurts Affect Sleep And Feeding

How Growth Spurts Affect Baby and Toddler Sleep

You may already know that things like teething, illness, and sleep regressions can affect your baby’s sleeping and feeding schedule. But did you know that your baby will go through a series of growth spurts in the first year of life and that these can cause big disruptions in sleep and feeding?

Baby Growth Spurts: When They Happen

The exact timing of growth spurts will vary from baby to baby, and not all babies will experience all the growth spurts listed below. But the following is a list of when many healthcare experts (not to mention tired parents!) notice growth spurts:

  • 7-10 days
  • 2 weeks
  • 4 weeks
  • 8 weeks
  • 12 weeks
  • 4 months
  • 6 months
  • 8.5 months
  • 10.5 months
  • 12.5 months

Growth spurts usually last 2-3 days, although they can last as long as a week.

Baby Growth Spurts: How They Affect Sleep and Feeding

During growth spurts, your baby will probably eat and sleep more than usual; this, of course, means that the sleep and feeding schedule you normally use may not work during a growth spurt. This is okay; let your baby take extra naps or go to bed earlier/wake up later. After a few days, your schedule should return to normal.

Same goes for feeding; if your baby seems extra hungry, go ahead and offer more food. If you are breastfeeding, it is especially important that you nurse more often; as your baby nurses more, your milk supply will increase, which in turn will ensure that you have enough milk to satisfy your growing baby.

Especially during the newborn stage, it may feel like all your baby does during a growth spurt is eat and sleep. For a few days (up to a week), this is perfectly normal. However, if your baby continues to only eat and sleep, and isn’t awake as often as you think he should be, you may want to take him to see a healthcare provider, to make sure nothing is wrong. It is possible for a baby to sleep too much (although this is rarely a problem.)

Need Baby or Toddler Sleep Help? You Came To The Right Place!

Are growth spurts wrecking your little one’s sleep? We can help with that! Our caring, compassionate consultants are standing by, ready to create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ that will help your baby learn to create positive sleep associations and start waking less often.
 
Browse our list of consultation package options here.
 

Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to log in and start your Family Sleep History form right away – it’s that simple!

Want more information about how personalized help works? Check out our FAQ page here, and get answers.

Are you struggling through a growth spurt? Share your questions and story with us! Have tips? Share them with your fellow parents!

 
bss_ebook_3stepsystem_leftFor those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
 
 
 
bss_ebook_masteringnaps_leftIf you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.

 

bss_email_featprod_memberspic-CROPPEDOr, join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a VIP member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.

 

Can’t decide which product or service is right for you? Visit our Getting Started Page for help.

The Baby Sleep Site® is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other product affiliate programs. If you click on a product link and make a purchase, The Baby Sleep Site® may (but not always) receive a small commission from the company selling the product, but will not affect your purchase price. We only recommend products that we believe are quality products and are good for our readers.

Holistic Sleep Solutions from The Baby Sleep Site®

e-Book bundles

Do-It-Yourself: Just getting started with your research but you want to stop Googling? Choose from any of our e-Book bundles for practical advice you can put to use TODAY!  

Become a VIP Member

Do-It-Mostly-Yourself: Would you like to continue learning with the option of chatting with a sleep consultant? We have a perfect solution! Become a VIP Member for access to all of our premium content, “ask the author,” audio courses, live weekly chat, and more!

Get a Personalized Sleep Plan

Work With a Sleep Expert: Tap into over a decade of experience with thousands of families before you! Get a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your unique situation, get guidance and answers to all your “what if?” questions while you work through your plan, and benefit from expert support along the way. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard “I wish I had done this sooner!” Not sure? Read these stories from well-rested parents.

Don’t lose another wink of sleep — GET STARTED TODAY with our gentler, kinder approach to healthy sleep!

Since starting in 2008, we’ve gained over 10,000 comments on our blog!

At this time, we’ve turned the comment sections off. We would, of course, love to hear from you! For help with your specific sleep problems, please learn more about our DIY resources or our sleep consultation services. Or, consider emailing us for a fast and helpful response!

4 thoughts on “How Your Baby’s Growth Spurts Affect Sleep And Feeding”

  1. My twin boys are 4 months on 8/24 but gestational age 3 (born 3 weeks early).

    They are doing great at night – give us anywhere between 7-10 hour stretches and do 2 small naps in the AM, 3 hour nap in the PM, cat nap before bed and then down around 8 or so.

    However this past week I’ve noticed extra napping with wake time being shorter. They are happy when up, still play, are getting in like 24 ounces a day, but ready for a nap within 1 hour (usually 1.5-2).

    Could this be a growth spurt? Is it ok if they sleep extra? Their normal feeding intake this week has been lower but not by any extreme.

    • Hi @Angie – Thanks for writing to us about your twins! Growth spurts can definitely affect sleep, and that may be the cause of the need to sleep a little more! A little extra sleep is not typically a problem, so you may want to let it continue for now! Check out this article which may also help shed some light on this, if you’re worried about them sleeping more than usual:
      https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/can-baby-sleep-too-much/
      Good luck Angie, and thanks for visiting!

  2. @ Trudy – oh no! So sorry to hear your daughter is going through this. She must be exhausted. 🙁 Night wakings should be rare after 12 months (for illness, teething, etc.); the fact that they’re regular, nightly occurrences in your daughter’s house indicates that her little guys probably just need some help in learning how to fall asleep on their own and stay asleep.

    Feel free to direct her to this site for help. We have several free guides she can utilize to get started:

    5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night (for Connor): https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-through-night-free-ebook/

    Toddler Sleep Secrets (for Josh): https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-training-secrets-free-ebook/

    We have lots of services available, too, if your daughter feels too overwhelmed (and/or too tired) to tackle this on her own.

    Thanks for reaching out, Trudy! So nice of you to be concerned for your daughter, and for your grandsons.

  3. I have 2 grandchildren that do not sleep through the night.
    Josh is 3yrs and 10mths and still wakes up 3 or 4 time s a night. Connor is 1yr 1 month and has also now started waking up through the night. As a result my daughter gets no sleep and has a rather taxing job to face the next day.

Comments are closed.

FREE Guide: Five Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night

Join over 450,000 parents around the world & sign up today to receive the guide and our Baby Sleep Newsletter absolutely FREE!