Water is wet. The sky is blue. Babies eat at night. These are basic facts of life.
Except that last one isn’t quite so straight-forward, is it? I mean, yes, newborns eat at night (a lot), and even as they grow, babies need to eat at night for awhile – night feedings help to ensure proper growth and development.
But what about unnecessary night feedings? You know – those ‘feedings’ that are actually just nursing or bottle-drinking for comfort? Those ‘feedings’ that last 2.2 seconds before your baby is conked out again? Those feedings that happen 20 minutes after the last feeding ended? Yes, night feedings are necessary, but how can you tell when night feeds are necessary, and when they are not?
Read on and find out!
Baby Night Feedings Are Probably Necessary When…
- …your baby stays awake for long periods if you don’t feed. A baby who fusses or cries persistently if he’s not fed is likely hungry and needs food. This is a pretty reliable sign that your baby’s night feedings are necessary, if you’ve ruled out poor sleep habits.
- …your baby is not eating enough during the day. Some babies get in a bad pattern of eating little and sleeping lots during the day, and then waking often and feeding a lot at night. In this case, a baby technically does need the night feedings – but the larger goal should be to reverse the pattern, so that most feedings happen during the day! You can download our free guide, 5 Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, for more tips on how to reverse that kind of eating/sleeping pattern.
- …after feeding, your baby sleeps soundly in 3-4 hour stretches. A baby who wakes at night, takes a full feeding, and then goes back to sleep and sleeps well was probably a hungry baby who needed the feeding in the first place.
- …your baby is a good self-soother who can fall asleep independently and goes back to sleep without help after a feeding. This may be the best sign that your baby’s night feedings are necessary. If your baby has overcome all his sleep associations, is able to fall asleep without your help, and goes down awake in his crib after a feed (and is then able to put himself back to sleep), you can rest assured that the night feedings likely necessary.
Of course, age is a factor in night feedings, too. Newborns and young infants must feed at night in order to grow and develop properly. And it is perfectly normal for babies to feed once per night up until 12 months old (although we do recommend an attempt at night weaning at 9 months). So keep your baby’s age in mind when looking at the factors above. Not sure when your baby should be feeding at night? Check out our sample schedules by age for night feeding tips.
Baby Night Feedings May Not Be Necessary When…
…your baby is waking out of habit (not hunger) and is using night feeds to soothe back to sleep. Only one point necessary in this section, because unnecessary night feedings are pretty straightforward. (At least, they are straightforward to understand – actually fixing them may be more challenging! 😉 )
Unnecessary night feedings are unnecessary because your baby is using them for soothing and comfort and not for food. The scenario goes something like this: your baby wakes during the night and is unable to fall back to sleep without help. So she cries for you, and you offer a feeding (because you think she may be hungry). She feeds for a short time and then falls asleep mid-feed. You lay her back down to sleep carefully (so as not to wake her up). But then, just a short time later, she’s awake again and crying. So you repeat the process. You may do this 6, 7, 8 times each night (or maybe even more!)
THIS right here – this pattern – is the #1 sign that your baby’s night feedings are probably not necessary. There are exceptions to this, of course, but by and large, this pattern represents a sleep problem that will need to be fixed eventually.
How To Stop Unnecessary Baby Night Feedings
If, after reading this, you feel confident that your baby’s night feedings aren’t necessary, the question remains: what should you do about it? How can you solve this problem?
That’s up to you, of course; there are many ways to sleep train your baby and change her sleep associations so that she is able to fall asleep without help and stay asleep until she is truly hungry and ready to eat. But sleep training can be an overwhelming task. That’s why we created The Baby Sleep Site®, and it’s why we are here to help! If you want personalized help for your baby’s sleep from a trained sleep consultant, browse our list of consultation packages and and choose the one that looks best for your unique situation.
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For 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.
If 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.
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
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For 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.
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If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, 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 worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
Learn More About Mastering Naps
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
Learn More About The 5-Step System
Join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, and more. As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.
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Cecilia says
Hello,
Im having trouble finding out if my baby needs all his feeds at night.
He is 4 months old, will be 5 at the end of the month , he never fed a lot during the day is always 6 -10mins feeds, I’ve been told he is very efficient.
He will eat for around 20 mins just before bed, then he wakes up 3 sometimes 4 times.. and he will feed for 6-15mins.
Sometimes he will go back to sleep for another 30mins or 1 hour, but wakes up crying.
He self settles on bedtime and begining of his naps .. I’m just exhausted and wondering what to do!!
Love your website
Neosha says
@Cecilia – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us! We’re so glad to hear you love the site! It can be confusing to know when night feedings are necessary, for sure. Generally, we’ve found night feedings 2-3x a night for a baby your son’s age can be normal. Here’s a chart (it’s printable!) that may make that easier for you – https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/baby-night-feedings-age-chart/ You should also know that babies go through a sleep regression around 4 months old that will often times trigger extra night wakings as well. If you have not done any formal sleep coaching for him and his sleep doesn’t settle back down in the next week or two, this is also a good next step to consider. We’re here to walk you through that process if you’d like. Hang in there, Cecilia!
Kim says
My 5 week old sleeps at 7:30pm. The last week she hasn’t been making any noise but has been waking up around 3-4am. She lays there quietly for a very long time but does not go back to sleep. I did not know she was waking at that time because she’s not making noise. If I feed her she’ll go back to sleep. Do I continue to feed her at this time or wait till she makes noise?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Kim, thank you for writing to us and congratulations on your new baby! I would suggest feeding her. Babies that little definitely need the calories, and they also need the sleep and help flipping their days and nights around, so I would try to avoid any long stretches of wakefulness at night to make sure that doesn’t become a regular thing for her. Your doctor might have suggested the amount of feedings she needs at night based on her birth weight and current weight, so I would be sure to stick to that even if it means you do need to set an alarm for yourself to feed her. I hope this helps! Here is a link to download a free guide with tips for parents of newborns if you’re interested: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/
I hope this helps!
Nikki says
I love your site! It’s so helpful! But I do have a question. My 8 month old is pretty good at self settling since about 5 and a half months old. Normally he will only wake up one time between 2 and 5 for a feeding and then will be back to sleep until about 7 or 8. The last three nights he’s been waking up at 11pm and then again at about 4am and I cannot get him back to sleep unless I feed him. Once I do that I’ll lay him back down and he falls right to sleep. Am I creating a habit by feeding him at 11pm? Does he really need it when he’s never woken that early for a feed before? We were down to just one feed at night and now we are doing two again. I’m lost!
Danielle says
Hi Nikki,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site – I’m glad to hear you’ve found some useful resources! I’m sorry to hear you’re having some trouble with your baby’s night feedings. Since he’s falling asleep right away after being fed, it’s very possible he’s going through a temporary growth spurt and will just need to eat more at night for a couple of days. But, if it lasts longer, then you may want to consider whether something else is going on, like a scheduling issue with naps or the 8 month sleep regression. I hope this helps, but please let me know if you have more questions! Good luck!
Mary says
My almost 8 month old used to only wake once at night but two weeks ago she has decided to wake up every 3 or 2 hours. She’s not crying at first, just wide awake, moving and yelping for someone to get her. Then it turns into crying.i nurse her and she’s super hungry. What do I do?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Mary, thanks for writing to us and I’m sorry to hear you’ve experienced a sudden change in your daughter’s sleep patterns. At 8 months some babies are able to sleep through the night, and others may need 1 feeding to hold them over through the night. There are a lot of developmental things that are changing around this age (as well as a sleep regression) so hang in there. Hopefully things will smooth out soon but here is a link to a free guide with some tips to help improve night time sleep you may want to try if you haven’t yet: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
If the problems persists or worsen, please let us know! You can contact us anytime at [email protected] and we can help you more from there.
Emily says
My 11 month old son falls asleep for naps and bedtime on his own but still wakes 1-2 times a night. Generally after midnight and anytime before 5:30. It’s usually about 7-8 hours after his last just before bed nursing. I only feed him once but I’m not sure if he needs it. Most of the time he goes straight back to sleep after nursing, unless he’s got another issue like gas. I just found out that I’m 5 weeks pregnant and have already noticed a drop in my supply. I don’t think he’s needing the nursing’s for most of his nutrition as he generally is a good eater. I am really needing to get a full nights rest and I don’t want to be hindering him either.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Emily, thanks for writing to us and congratulations on your pregnancy! My son was similar to this as well, I think he just liked seeing me in the middle of the night, but he never would turn down a nursing session from me (I wasn’t pregnant though so I let it go until he was 1 then I weaned him off nursing at night totally). Most babies are able to sleep through the night at this age, although we’ve found that some do better with 1 feeding at night to just get them through. Here is a link to download a free guide with tips to help your baby sleep through the night which can hopefully provide some tips that help: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
If you need more specific help with this, especially as first trimester exhaustion is likely setting in, let us know. We have a team of amazing sleep consultants that would love to help you work through this if you need more support. You can read more about our personalized consultation packages here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
I hope this helps!
Jenneke Noorani says
Hi! Thank you so much for your resources. My husband and I are new to parenting. The past couple nights our 3 week old has been waking up at 2:30, 3:30, 5:15 and then 6:45 to start the day. Is she not getting full feeds? I try and wake her to keep eating but it doesn’t work. She wasn’t doing this last week. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Jenneke
Danielle says
Hi Jenneke,
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m glad you’ve found our resources useful. There are a lot of growth spurts in the first months of a newborn’s life, and sometimes a baby will increase milk consumption for a couple of days during them. KellyMom has a great article on cluster feeding that may be helpful here: https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussy-evening/
I hope that will help, but if you have any concerns about feeding, or whether your baby is gaining weight appropriately, I’d encourage you to check in with your pediatrician or lactation consultant! Cluster feeding can be very normal, but it’s always better to be sure baby is getting enough to eat, if you’re not sure. I hope this helps!
Jennifer says
My 5 month old still eats 2-3 times at night (generally every 3-4 hours). Lately she’s been doing a 1am feed and a 4am feed. She eats a lot at the 1 am feed, not so much at the 4am feed, and then she is almost NEVER hungry when she wakes up in the morning. I’ve been told that it’s likely because she needs to wean the night feedings. Should I try to push the 1am feed back or the 4am? Thanks!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Jennifer, thanks for writing to us, I’m happy to help. At 5 months we’d expect 1-2 night feedings a night, so it may be possible she needs help giving up one of them. Here is a link to provide you with tips to help your baby sleep through the night that can help decide your approach to this: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
If you need more help, let us know!
Claire says
Baby is 6 months old, self settles to sleep and had the correct amount of naps but is waking every two hours! Not sure if this is growth spurt or habit? He was waking every night at around 10 and 3 up until few nights ago!
Neosha says
@Claire – Thank you for reading and for sharing. Self settling to sleep is a big (and great!) step – kudos to you and your little guy! Such frequent night waking could be due to a variety of issues – you didn’t say, but if you happen to be feeding him when he awakens (and he doesn’t really need to eat), this could cause likely cause more wakings (not less!). Growth spurts (short-term) and habits (long-term) do both lead to night wakings or disrupted sleep in many cases – this article will help you figure out which one you may be dealing with: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/baby-toddler-sleep-regression-phase-habit-2/ Hang in there, Claire!
Maya says
My breastfed baby girl used to sleep through the night since she was 3 months old. At 5months she suddenly started waking to feed around 3am. She basically wakes up crying, and theres no soothing her, she just seems really hungry. So I feed her and put her back down awake, and she has no trouble going back to sleep alone.. According to your article, all the signs are there that she really needs to eat. She’s now 6months old and I’m trying to ween her off that last feed, but it’s really not working.. and nothing will calm her down at night besides feeding.. so I dont know if I should keep trying or not… I dont understand why she was able to sleep through the night when she was younger, up to 10 hour stretches, and not anymore..? Great article by the way!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Maya, thanks for writing to us. Here is a link to a sample schedule for a 6 month old baby: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/6-month-old-baby-schedule/
You’ll see 1-2 nighttime feedings at this age are totally normal! So while it is really a huge bummer to have to wake up when you were use to full nights of sleep (I’ve been there myself) it may be best to continue for a while and she may drop the feedings on her own, or you may need to help her later. As to why that happens, I don’t really know why! I would guess that activity plays a huge role, and that they stay awake for longer stretches during the day they are just likely expending more energy? As a mom of two and expecting my third, I still haven’t figured them out! Ha! I hope this helps, thanks again for visiting. 🙂
Stephanie Pratt says
My almost 6 week old will cluster feed before bedtime. A few times she has stayed alseeo through her normal night feeding. She has regained her birth weight. She has only just stirred. Should I just let her sleep? Should I wait for her to cry out for a feeding at night?
Neosha says
@Stephanie – Thank you for reading and for sharing. Congratulations on your new daughter! 🙂 It can definitely be a bit confusing to know when night feedings are necessary. Cluster feeding is a super common phenomenon for just that reason, Stephanie. We don’t always advise waking sleeping babies and know many pediatricians will use the whole health of a baby to determine how often they need to be awakened to feed. Please reach out to your daughter’s healthcare provider for more specific instructions on when to wake her as we just don’t have enough information about her to give a good suggestion. Hang in there, Stephanie and please keep reading!