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Your Baby’s Start On Solid Foods: A Comprehensive Guide 
A very common question we 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 for breastfeeding and formula-fed babies.
Night Weaning: What do the doctors say?
In my experience, pediatricians seem to disagree frequently with the answer to the question of when a baby can go all night without a feeding. Clients report various answers all the time. If you have read any of the sleep books, there is Dr. 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.
Night Weaning: In My Professional Experience
I have been a baby sleep consultant since 2008. Although I do really like Dr. Ferber’s book and learned A LOT from it, I can not, in good conscience, regularly 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.
When I work with families personally, I am not 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. In addition, if you are breastfeeding, we have seen mom’s milk supply decrease rapidly and irrecoverably if she goes too long without feeding too soon.
Night Feedings By Age
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:
Breastfeeding Babies, Combination Breastfed and Formula Fed Babies and/or Babies with Reflux
- 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
Formula-Fed Babies
- Newborns to 3 months old: Feedings every 2-3 hours, on demand
- 3-4 Months: 1-2 feedings per night or every 3-6 hours, on demand
- 5-6 Months: 0-1 feedings
- 7+ 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.
When to Night Wean
Now, I know that it can be difficult to tell when exactly your unique baby is ready for night weaning. That’s why I created a night weaning quiz, Is Your Baby Ready For Night Weaning? It’s very short – just 5 questions – and easy to take, so if you’re struggling with whether or not your baby is ready for night weaning, I suggest you take this quiz. The response you get will help you determine whether not you should move forward with night weaning, or whether or not you need to wait a bit and try night-weaning later.
In general, a baby needs to be able to consume all of their calories in the daytime in order to be night-weaned. This typically happens around 4-6 months old for formula-fed babies and around 6-10 months for breastfed babies. And, there are ways to know when night feedings are necessary.
I typically recommend at least an attempt at night-weaning by 8-9 months old (or sooner if you feel your baby is ready), because at some point, sometimes it is a chicken and egg problem. A baby needs a certain number of calories 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 help him do this.
My Night-Weaning Story
I was a breastfeeding mom for the first year. 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 weaning from breastfeeding, though). They did, however, sleep better after I nudged them in the right direction, so I was glad I at least tried. When I attempted night-weaning my first son, he went from randomly waking at different times a night to waking around 5 AM just 4 times a week, which was a GREAT improvement!
Already Tried Night-Weaning and It’s Not Working?
If you’ve already tried night-weaning and it’s not working, there are several reasons this might be the case. Be sure to review 7 Reasons Night-Weaning Isn’t Working.
More Help With Night-Weaning
For more guidance on night-weaning, check out our special members-only resources in our VIP Members Area:
- Example Night-Weaning Plans
- Mini Action Plan for Night-Weaning (your MAP™)
- The Members-Only Day-By-Day Co-Sleeping Transition Plan
- How Fixed and Fluid Feeding Schedules Can Help You Night Wean
- The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep e-book
- Chat live with a sleep consultant
Your turn – how often do you feed your baby at night? Are you working on night weaning? Scroll down to share your tips and questions with us and to hear from other parents just like you
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Danika says
Hi! I’m a mom of 2 girls! My first one is 2 yrs old and my newest addition is only 3 weeks old! My question is; we are only doing formula and on demand feedings day and night. Baby sleeps well during the day in her swing of course and wakes up to feed after 3-4 hrs. Once we put her down in her bed at night..she seems to only be sleeping 2 hrs and waking up for feeds often. Sometimes she sleeps for no longer than an hour and will be hard to settle back in to sleep. Am I creating bad sleeping habits for my baby eventhough she is really young? I’ve tried putting her down in crib for daytime naps but these will sometimes only last 15 mins to 30 mins. What can I do to help her sleep better in crib and longer at night? Or is this normal sleep patterns for newborns? Also, she will sometimes not finish her a bottle at night because she falls alseep, I am wondering if that will cause her to be hungry quicker and make her wake up sooner.
Thanks!
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Danika – Thank you for writing, and congrats on your newest addition!! If you haven’t yet, you can sign up to receive our free guide written just for families with young babies, “15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need to Know” here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know
This should really help answer your questions about your newborn’s sleep.
You may also want to take a look at this article, 7 Gentle, Natural Ways To Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Better: https://www.babysleepsite.com/newborns/better-newborn-sleep-7-tips
Hopefully this will help you in the right direction. : ) We do offer a few more in-depth solutions for parents who need more help. Our e-book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep, may be a good option for you. In it, we give you a complete toolkit to help your baby establish healthy sleep habits today and throughout the first year.
You can read more about our wonderful newborn options here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/essential-keys-to-your-newborns-sleep?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
I hope this helps, but please contact us if you have any other questions!
Thank you and kind regards,
Gayathri says
I have 11month baby. She won’t drink milk at night. If I wake her, she rolls from my lap to bed. Is it normal?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Gayathri, thanks for writing to us! At this age many babies can sleep through the night without a feeding, so it is very normal. 🙂 Here is a link to a sample schedule for an 11 month old so you can make sure she’s getting all of the calories and sleep she needs in a 24 hour period: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/11-month-old-schedule/
Thanks again for your comment!
Sofia says
My two month old didn’t wake up even once last night to drink. I’m scared is this normal? Or should I wake her up myself?
Neosha says
@Sofia – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing with us. We completely understand your worry – who would have thought that a baby’s long stretches of sleep could lead to worry about whether she’s getting enough nutrition! Young babies do tend to sleep a ton and eat as much as needed to sustain themselves. If you haven’t already, we’d suggest you reach out to her healthcare provider since they generally consider how well babies are growing overall to determine if all is well in their feedings and sleep and whether you can let your daughter sleep all night without waking her for a feeding. Hang in there, Sofia, and please keep reading!
Alessandra Agostino says
I have an almost 5 month old and I am at a loss, we hit the four month sleep regression hard.. previously she would only wake once a night to nurse, then hit 4 months and would wake every 1.5 to two hours.. then last week went to 2 or 3 night wakings but last night was up many times again. She puts herself to sleep in her crib for all naps and bedtime, no rocking or pacifier or any sleep props.. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!
Danielle says
Hi Alessandra,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m so sorry to hear you’re struggling with the 4 month regression – it can be really tough! This regression can last quite a couple of weeks, but if you’re still having a lot of trouble, it may be that there’s something wrong with your daughter’s feeding or sleep schedule, or with her sleep environment, that is prompting the night waking. If you feel like you’d like additional help, this is definitely something our sleep consultants work with all the time! You can see our consultation packages here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Best of luck with everything!
Rebecca says
I have recently had my 5th child with a span of 13 years between oldest and youngest (Now 4 months)
All of mine were mostly breastfed but i did to up with formula also ( i had a few 9, a 10 & an 11lber .. all very hungry babies!)
From my personal experience I have to say that it really all depends on the child. My first slept through for 12 hours one night at 4 months old.. I suddenly awoke one morning in a complete panic – fearing the worst had happened, only to see her sleeping soundly in her crib. She continued a pattern of maybe 3 half hour naps over the day and sleeping all night. She gave up day sleeping at 15 months.. i guess you could just say she was very active in the day!
The second however started off hungry enough maybe taking
2-3 feeds per night until suddenly she wouldn’t sleep in her cot for more than 10 mins… this was possibly a comfort issue, but no matter what i tried she had to be pretty much attached to me at night until about 9 months.
The 3rd was very placid, but still required night feeding upto 7 months or so before he slept through.
The fourth was born full. She would take a feed for literally 2 mins and fall asleep. I was worried she wasn’t feeding enough and constantly tried to wake her for feeds.. but she was having none of it! It was quite impossible to wake her. As the weeks went on she got hungrier, but was a little and often feeder rather than ever having a big feed. She started going the whole night around 5 months.
My 5th (16 weeks old now) is the sleepiest baby yet. She could sleep for 20 hours a day for the first few weeks ( much to the annoyance of her siblings.. She was far too boring for their liking!!)
She fed and slept at the same time from the word go and often slept for 6-7 hours straight at night from birth. She’s more alert now and totally normal development wise, (gaining weight, laughing, cooing, putting everything to her mouth etc.. ) but she still sleeps a lot of the time. I would say she’s pretty much slept through the night since birth – bar the odd time ( i do know this is amazing though and i don’t dare expect it to last!)
Anyway my point is that every baby is different and stressing about your babies sleep is only harming you. Every mother and chums figures it out eventually, the key is to trust your own instincts when it comes to your child. After all, you know them best!
Danielle says
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you so much for visiting The Baby Sleep Site, and for sharing your experiences! I know a lot of parents will appreciate reading them. Best of luck with your new addition!
Nancy Favour says
Hi
My boy is 1 year 3 months but he feeds 3 to 5 times at night. He eats well during the day, I wasn’t sure why he feeds these many times at night. Am 3 and a half months pregnant and really need my sleep but I must wake up to feed him. I share the bed with him not sure if that’s what makes him feed a lot at night.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Nancy Favour, thanks for your comment! I am sorry your son has been waking up several times a night for you – that’s a lot to handle, especially while pregnant (congrats, by the way!). We have a free guide with tips for how to help your baby sleep through the night you may be interested in looking at: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
If you want some help getting your son to sleep, let us know! We work with families who bed share as well if your plan is to continue doing that when you have the baby, or we could help you transition sleep spaces as well, whatever you need. Our team of sleep consultants want to help meet you where you are at and get the whole family sleeping better through a method that you feel good about. To read more visit this page: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/ and feel free to email us directly ([email protected]) if you have any questions!
Andrea says
Hi
I’m the mum of a 3 year old boy and 3 month old girl. I breastfed my boy until 1 and am currently breastfeeding my baby girl. We are very lucky to have two kids who enjoy their night sleep. From the very beginning my baby did 6 hour stretches at night and up to 9 hours some nights. In a 12 hour overnight period she will wake once/twice for a feed. Aside from the first three nights I haven’t woken her to feed. I don’t feel she needs it, she’s sleeping happily. I always say “never wake a sleeping baby, they’ll wake if they need to”. She’s gaining weight very well and feeds on demand every 2-3-4 hours during the day. My toddler was very similar when he was a young baby too.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Andrea, thanks for sharing! I’m glad things have been going so well for you and your baby loves her night time sleep! I’m sure your son loves having an energized mother to play with as well. 🙂 I hope the adjustment from 1 to 2 children has been going smoothly for you!
Julia says
My 4 have all slept through from 10,12,13 and 10 weeks respectively. I give them their dream feed at 10.30pm and the they wake between 6 and 7am. At 10 weeks I start to wean them by putting their dummy back in the first time they wake in the night. If they’re hungry then the dummy won’t do it and they’ll wake again hungry but if they just want to suck and are waking out of habit then they’ll go back to sleep! I’m a midwife and a scbu nurse and as long as they continue to eat well during the day and maintain good sleeping routines then they should continue to put on weight AND sleep through. Mine have all been exclusively breast feed too. Just make sure you monitor their weight for the first few weeks when they start sleeping through.
Neosha says
@Julia – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for commenting! Please keep reading!
Sechnee says
Hi, I’m a mum of 5 kids, all were breastfed, I breastfed 4 of them till 2&a half years old the 5th baby is still on breast. With all of them I fed them atleast twice during the night till 2years.. baby is 7 months old & wakes up every 3hrs for a feed, breastfed babies are different from bottle fed cos we can’t judge how much they drink, sometimes she drinks for half an hour , sometimes just 10 mins, I think we should feed on demand. Breast milk is very healthy& I feel my kids have benifited from drinking breast for longer, they are strong healthy kids , who don’t get sick very often, they all have good body’s& are all very sharp.
Neosha says
@Sechnee – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing. Breastfeeding most certainly has many, many benefits and works well for many families – we’re glad to hear it’s worked (and is working!) so well for you all! Please keep reading and commenting. 🙂
Brittanie says
My baby is 7 weeks old today and the last time he fed was at 7 pm and when he would wake up I would just give him his binkie and he would go back to sleep well he didn’t eat until 6 am well I had been up myself all night
For two nights In a roll and I just feel like I starved him should I be scared
Janelle Reid says
@Brittanie, thanks for writing to us! I am sorry you have been scared about your baby’s sleeping. At this age newborns often need multiple feedings a night, and sometimes they need to be woken up because they are still super sleepy. For your situation, I would really suggest calling your baby’s doctor and seeing what they suggest. Since they have your baby’s information on weight gain / growth over the last 7 weeks they will be able to correctly answer if it is safe for him to sleep such long stretches at night without a feeding. I hope that helps!