We all know that waking up at night to care for or feed a newborn is part of motherhood, and those late-night feedings can be some of the most peaceful and wonderful moments. However, there comes a time when the importance of sleep for both you and your baby needs to be prioritized over those nighttime feedings. So, when can you stop feeding your child at night? This is a common question most of parents ask
1. Should You Feed Your Baby at Night?
Whether to feed your baby at night is a question many parents, especially first-time parents, grapple with. Experts agree that if your baby is under six months old, you should feed them whenever they wake up at night.
However, once your baby passes the six-month mark, consider eliminating late-night snacks. The goal is to separate eating from sleeping, so that if your child wakes up at night, they won’t rely on your breast or bottle to fall back asleep.
Most toddlers do not need nighttime feedings to develop normally. Generally, toddlers get all the nutrition they need through daytime meals, whether they are breastfed or formula-fed.
2. Nighttime Feedings Based on Age
Many infants will continue waking up at night to feed until they are two or three years old. Children aged 2-3 years have outgrown the need to feed but may have developed a habit of consuming calories at night.
Often, these feedings are linked with their sleep patterns; children may demand to feed in order to fall asleep. This means they could wake up at the end of each 60-90 minute sleep cycle needing to eat to go back to sleep, even if they don't actually need to eat anymore. Sometimes, these feedings may simply be a brief comfort mechanism, and other times they might sustain calorie intake that isn’t necessary.
Before taking steps to reduce nighttime feedings, you need to assess whether you’re asking your child to do something they can achieve! If your child is healthy and gaining weight well, you can determine how many nighttime feedings they might still need based on the chart below.
The chart shows common nighttime feeding expectations for infants in their first year. Additionally, always consult your pediatrician to ensure your baby is ready to reduce their nighttime feedings, and always adjust according to your child's age based on their birth date. If your baby consumes more than indicated on this chart and you feel content with their situation, there’s no reason to reduce their nighttime feedings. If your child eats less and your pediatrician is satisfied with their weight gain and growth, this means they likely do not need nighttime feedings anymore.
Nighttime Feeding Chart by Age:
- For children 0-2 months:
- Breastfed infants need 3-5 feedings per night.
- Formula-fed infants need 2-4 feedings per night.
- Note: Infants need to be fed throughout the day; they should not be left hungry for more than 4 hours, and it’s best to feed them on demand with intervals not exceeding 3 hours.
- For children 3-4 months:
- Breastfed infants need 3-4 feedings per night.
- Formula-fed infants need 2-3 feedings per night.
- Pay attention to your child's sleep in the first 4 months. If your baby suddenly wakes more often, this may relate less to eating needs and more to sleep pattern changes.
- For children 5-6 months:
- Breastfed infants need 1-3 feedings per night.
- Formula-fed infants need 1-2 feedings per night.
- You may notice a decrease in nighttime feedings around this age, paralleling changes in your child's sleep patterns. At this stage, most children sleep less during the day and consolidate their sleep into longer periods at night.
- For children 7-9 months:
- Breastfed infants need 0-3 feedings per night.
- Formula-fed infants need 0-1 feeding per night.
- Experts note that most formula-fed infants start to wean off nighttime feedings by this point. They recommend that both breastfed and formula-fed children can wean off nighttime feedings during this stage if it makes both you and your child comfortable.
- For children 10-12 months:
- Breastfed infants need 0-2 feedings per night.
- Formula-fed infants need 0-1 feeding per night.
- Formula-fed children usually complete their evening bottle before bedtime by the time they reach 12 months. If your baby is 10-11 months old and still feeding at night, this can be entirely normal as well but also try to reduce to 1 feeding per night if possible
These nighttime feedings are considered standards, assuming the baby is healthy, gaining weight appropriately, and not experiencing food allergies or other health issues,...
3. When can you wean your baby off nighttime feeding?
It's really not easy to determine exactly when your child is ready to wean off nighttime feeding. The timing for weaning each baby is different and depends a lot on their age, but we can't simply decide that once your child reaches a certain age, it’s time to wean off nighttime feeding.
In addition to the child's age, factors regarding the child’s health must also be considered. A newborn may need nighttime feeds longer than other children, especially if they have health issues.
Furthermore, weaning off nighttime feeding sometimes depends on parental preference. A mother may want to continue nursing at night even if it’s no longer necessary, simply because she cherishes that special time with her child.
However, the question of when to wean off nighttime feeding is one that many parents are concerned about, so it's essential to have grounds to determine this timing relatively. You can assess whether your child is ready to wean off nighttime feeding by answering the following five questions:
- Does your child wake up only 1-2 times a night to feed?
- Does your child always fall asleep right after feeding?
- Does your child not need to feed to fall asleep?
- Has your child started eating three meals a day?
- Is your child under 9 months old?
By answering these questions, you can determine whether your child is at a stage where they need to wean off nighttime feeding or if they need more time to do so.
4. What should you do if the child still wants to eat at night?
What should you do if the child still wants to eat at night? Here is some advice from child psychologists and sleep specialists such as Jodi Mindell, experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics, and pediatricians Richard Ferber, T. Berry Brazelton, and William Sears.
- According to Mindell: At this age, your child should be getting enough nutrition during the day so they don’t need to eat at night. Continuing to breastfeed or bottle-feed when they wake up at night may make it harder for them to fall asleep.
If you are breastfeeding, gradually shorten the time you breastfeed. Change the timing of breastfeeding so that it doesn’t coincide with your child’s bedtime and have someone else put them to sleep so they don't smell your milk.
You can reduce bottle feeds by cutting down the amount of formula by 1 ounce (about 28 grams) each night.
- Another expert suggests that if your child has gotten used to eating a lot at night, it’s time to gradually retrain them. For example, if you’ve been giving them milk when they wake up, dilute it or switch to water, and gradually stop offering them anything to drink. The baby needs to learn that nighttime is for sleeping.
- Ferber's view: try not to associate feeding with bedtime. If the child falls asleep while eating, stop and place them in their crib. As they get older, gradually reduce the number of feedings.
- Brazelton's view: if your child still wants to drink all the milk, you can incorporate it into a bedtime routine along with a story, etc. At this age, the child needs comfort and relaxation more than anything else.
- Sears's view: you need to try to teach your child various ways to fall asleep that aren’t related to eating, so they’re not dependent on food to help them sleep.
For example, you might give the child a bottle while rocking them, then help them cuddle a transitional object, like a stuffed animal. After that, move the child and the stuffed animal to bed, but leave the bottle behind.
In general, a baby needs to be provided with enough calories during the day to eliminate nighttime meals. Typically, this happens around 4-6 months for formula-fed babies and about 6-10 months for breastfed babies.
Experts recommend trying to wean off nighttime feeding no later than when the child is 8-9 months old, or sooner if you feel your child is ready. This is crucial because it can impact the child's daytime eating needs.
Children need a certain amount of calories during the day, but if they are getting some of these calories at night, they won’t eat as much during the day. When they don’t eat more during the day, they will need to eat more at night. This creates a never-ending cycle.
Thus, sometimes children may genuinely feel hungry at night, but that doesn't mean they can't sleep through the night without feeding. You simply need to adjust the child's daytime intake and be patient in this process. This will help both you and your child have longer and better night’s sleep.
For children to be healthy and grow appropriately, they need a nutritious diet that is sufficient in quantity and balanced. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it can lead to deficiencies or excesses negatively affecting overall development, both physical and mental.
Children who be fed improperly are at risk of lacking micronutrients, leading to issues like poor appetite, stunted growth, and malabsorption. If parents notice these signs, they should supplement their children with supportive products that contain lysine, essential micronutrients, and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins. These essential vitamins not only meet the child's nutrient needs but also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, and help improve appetite, making meals more enjoyable for the child.
Parents could learn more about:
Signs of Zinc deficiency in children
Mineral deficiencies and poor weight gain in children
