Breastfeeding tips

Dream feeding: What it is, when to start and stop, and tips you need to achieve success

Hey there mommy, tired of waking up again and again during the middle of the night to feed your little bundle of joy? Well, then you don’t have to keep stressing about going to bed every night. You can reduce the number of nighttime feedings by introducing dream feeding to your child. Dream feeding is like filling the gas tank to the brim before any journey so that your car doesn’t need to be stopped for a refill. Dream feeding will help you stop or delay night time feeds by keeping the baby’s belly full.

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What is dream feeding?

Dream feeding is rousing your baby from their sleep without fully waking them up to feed them one more time before you turn in for the night yourself. Usually, parents choose the time for dream feeding when they plan on going to bed themselves or what they think is the best time for their babies. The main idea behind this school of thought is that if you feed your baby without fully waking them up, they will be full enough to sleep for longer stretches during the night. This means you won’t have to wake up in the middle of your sleep to feed a hungry baby.

The benefits of dream feeding?

  • Dream feeding helps you prevent broken sleep cycles. As you feed the baby just before you turn in for the night it keeps them full for another few hours so you can also enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before they wake up again for their next feeding session. Newborns wake up multiple times during the night due to hunger because their metabolism rate is fast and they have very little stomach volume which results in a disturbed sleep cycle for you and your baby. So, by introducing dream feeding, you can ensure that the baby doesn’t wake up often for the feeds and you can enjoy a peaceful sleep.
  • The baby will get all the food they need while having a good night’s sleep.
  • It makes it convenient for you to feed the baby whenever you want to turn in for the night, which helps you sleep better.
  • Dream feeding helps you fill up your baby’s tummy during the sleep and thus it prevents babies from associating feeding with sleep. As the baby is asleep while feeding, so they won’t associate sleep with feeding.
  • They’ll eat less during the night and therefore be hungrier in the morning, which will boost their daytime eating.

When to start dream feeding

You can start dream feeding as soon as the baby is ready and able to feed while sleeping and keep their tummy full for a longer period. So, dream feeding is not feasible for the first few weeks of the baby’s life (approximately the first 8 weeks) because at this stage baby wakes up frequently i.e. every two hours during the night. So, the baby will continue to wake up even after a dream feed, and thus it will be ineffective. So, start once your baby reaches 3 months mark.

When to stop dream feeding

It truly depends on your baby’s sleep habits and your convenience. If you see that your baby can sleep for a longer time without being fed in between, then it is time to quit dream feeding. Usually, babies sleep better once they eat solid foods. So, stopping around the age of 9 months is a good idea. Though you must not stop dream feeding suddenly. Do it gradually because a sudden change might disrupt your baby’s sleep cycle. Here are some tips about how you should go about stopping dream feeding gradually.

  • If your baby has their usual midnight feed routine, then push the dream feed by 15 minutes every day so that it gradually coincides with their usual midnight night feed routine.
  • Another way to do it is by gradually decreasing the quantity of milk during each dream feeding session every day.

Dream feeding tips to achieve success

These tips will help you in getting a good start towards dream feeding.

  • Take your baby out of their crib or bassinet gently around the time you turn in for the night. Bring the baby’s lower lip towards your breast (or a bottle if you’ve chosen to bottle feed your baby), they should start feeding right away even if they’re not fully awake.
  • If you’re breastfeeding, then offer one side for 5-10 minutes then switch to the other side and let them feed on that side for 5-10 minutes as well.
  • If your baby is too sleepy to feed, then try to rouse them by changing their diaper, tickling their feet, or by cooling their legs or face with the help of a wet washcloth.
  • Remember to burp the baby after dream feeding them and before putting them down for sleep again.
  • You can put your baby to sleep after a dream feed session with the help of the 5S’ i.e. swaddling, side/stomach, shushing, swinging, and sucking. So, swaddle your baby and play some white noise music. Gently rock them in a rocking chair or walk in the room with your baby in your arms and offer a pacifier.

As everything has its pros and cons, so does dream feeding. Therefore, it’s up to you to decide whether to start dream feeding or not. If you’re tired of waking up after every few hours to feed your baby then you can try it for a few days and if it yields positive results for you, then you can continue it. The main idea behind dream feeding is to have a good night’s sleep for you and for the baby. So, if your baby is sleeping well through the night and you’re getting the required amount of sleep, then there’s no need for you to try it.

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