Dream Feeding: What It Is & How To Do It (2024)

So, you’ve heard of dream feeding, but what is it and how do you do it? Designed to help your baby to sleep for longer periods during the night, dream feeding is a useful technique used by parents and caregivers around the world.

But it’s not for every family. From what age to start dream feeding to its benefits, find out everything you need to know below.

What is a dream feed?

Dream feeding is when you feed your baby, without fully waking them, for the last time in the day. This is a personal choice, but lots of parents and caregivers find it’s a great technique to reduce the number of times their little one wakes during the night to be fed.

You can dream feed your baby by bottle or breastfeeding. Do what works for you and your family.

Are dream feeds a good idea?

Dream feeding is a personal choice. Some families like to dream feed because they find it helps their child to sleep for longer periods during the night. While others don’t see a difference. Find what works for you.

However, there are some risks to consider when dream feeding:

Overfeeding

Your child might not need the extra feed before you head to bed. If this is the case, dream feeding can increase the risk of overfeeding. In turn, this might lead to your little one to spitting up, becoming fussy, or needing to have their nappy changed more often through the night.

Infections

Some parents and caregivers find that dream feeding can also increase the risk of ear infections. Always follow safe feeding guidelines.

Gas

Newborn babies are naturally gassy as their digestive systems haven’t yet matured. To reduce the build-up of gas that can make your child uncomfortable, regularly burp them and always hold your child in an upright position when feeding.

How do I know if my baby needs a dream feed?

Newborn babies have small stomachs and need to be fed every two to four hours. Once your child shows signs that they can sleep for longer periods of time, you might want to consider introducing dream feeding. This is usually around two to three months old.

When is the ideal time to offer a dream feed?

The idea is to dream feed your baby before you go to sleep yourself so this might be between 10pm-12am. The parent or caregiver is the one who initiates the feed.

You can start to dream feed your baby as early as six weeks old, but it’s advised that you wait until they have developed a somewhat regular sleep pattern.

How to dream feed

From establishing a bedtime routine to burping, follow the below steps to dream feed your child safely.

Create a bedtime routine (and stick to it)

A consistent bedtime routine will help your child to understand when it is time to sleep. This might look like reading a book, singing a lullaby, or a baby massage. It’s also important to create a calming environment that will help to relax your little one. Turn down the lights, close the curtains/blinds, and speak in hushed tones.

Put your baby to sleep in their cot or bassinet

When it’s your child’s bedtime and they appear sleepy, put them to sleep on their back in a cot or bassinet. Always ensure the mattress is firm, flat, and clean. Remove any toys, loose objects, and excess blankets from the cot/bassinet before sleep. For further information on safe sleep guidelines, visit oursleep library.

Dream feed your child before bed

Just before you head to bed, this can range from 9pm to 12am, gently rouse your baby. If you are bottle-feeding your child, ensure they are not fully asleep and sit them in a semi-upright position to prevent choking. If they are not taking the bottle/breast or begin to turn their head away, this is a signal that they are full.

Do not continue to feed them. Put your baby back into their cot/bassinet quietly and with as little fuss as possible.

When to stop dream feeding

Every child is different. The age you decide to start (and stop) dream feeding is up to you. You might want to consider weaning them off dream feeding if they are waking in the night from a sleep onset association or if it appears to be negatively impacting your child’s sleep schedule.

Common dream feeding FAQs from parents/caregivers

From whether to burp your child to the disadvantages of dream feeding, we answer your questions below.

Do I burp my baby after a dream feed?

Some parents and caregivers choose to burp their child after dream feeding, as this will reduce the risk of them spitting up or growing uncomfortable from gas during the night. You might even find that they don’t need burping as much as usual as babies tend to be more relaxed during a dream feed so don’t take in as much air.

However, we still recommend holding your child upright for 10 minutes or so after feeding to allow them time to digest before going back to sleep.

Do I need to change my baby’s nappy during a dream feed?

You don’t need to worry about changing your child’s nappy during a dream feed unless it’s necessary. Make sure to always change your baby’s nappy before putting them to sleep each night to ensure they are comfortable and clean.

Is a dream feed guaranteed to work?

No. Dream feeding doesn’t work for every child. If your baby is resistant or dream feeding appears to be negatively impacting their sleep schedule, it’s not the right technique for your family.

Can dream feeding backfire?

Dream feeding isn’t for every child. In some cases, dream feeding can negatively impact a baby’s sleep schedule, increase the risk of reflux, increase the need to change their nappy during the night, and lead to overfeeding if not done correctly. Below, discover the negatives of dream feeding in more detail.

What are the negatives of dream feeding?

Dream feeding isn’t for every family. If you have tried it and your child isn’t latching or keeps turning their head away from the bottle/breast, don’t force it.

It might require you going to bed later than usual

Dream feeding requires you to wait between two to three hours after your child has gone to sleep. This can be difficult, especially if you are the sole parent/caregiver.

It can increase the risk of gas and reflux

Dream feeding can increase the risk of wind or reflux. To reduce the symptoms, burp your child after dream feeding and hold them upright for 10 minutes before putting them back to sleep in their cot/bassinet – this is especially important if they regularly suffer from reflux.

It might interrupt your baby’s natural sleep cycles

Some sleep experts believe that dream feeding can interrupt a child’s natural sleep cycles. It might also become a habit that is difficult to wean your child off of in the future.

At Love To Dream™, we know that every child is different, and we’re committed to helping you to find the right solution for your family. With you at every step, Love To Dream™ believes today’s little dreamers are the shapers of tomorrow. For further advice from our experts, visit our Sleep Library.

Dream Feeding: What It Is & How To Do It (2024)

FAQs

Dream Feeding: What It Is & How To Do It? ›

The idea is to dream feed your baby before you go to sleep yourself so this might be between 10pm-12am. The parent or caregiver is the one who initiates the feed. You can start to dream feed your baby as early as six weeks old, but it's advised that you wait until they have developed a somewhat regular sleep pattern.

What is a dream feed and how do you do it? ›

What is dream feeding? Dream feeding is exactly as it sounds. You feed your baby while they're semi-awake, or in a dreamy state. Most of us wake to feed our babies when they give us a signal (stirring or fussing), but when you dream feed your baby, you'll be the one to rouse them from sleep and initiate a feeding.

Does dream feeding actually work? ›

Dream feeds can be an effective method of extending stretches of nighttime sleep; however, they may not work for everyone. “For some babies, the dream feed can disrupt their natural sleep rhythms and actually cause them to wake more overnight,” says Torrisi.

What age should you start dream feeding? ›

If you want to try dream feeding, try to start when your baby is around 2 to 3 months old but before they're 6 months old. That's because 2 to 3 months is about the age that babies start to sleep longer stretches of five to six hours at night without needing to eat.

What is the difference between a dream feed and a night feed? ›

Many people confuse a late feed with a dream feed, a late feed if just when your baby wakes for a feed around 10/11pm at night, you feed them and pop them back to bed. A dream feed though is when you go in while your baby is sleeping and feed them, they don't wake up.

Do you burp after a dream feed? ›

Yes! It's important to always remember to burp after the dream feeding to help minimize reflux and gas, which can become very uncomfortable and lead to frequent wakeups in the night.

Should you drop the night feed or dream feed first? ›

You will wait to drop the dream feeding until your baby is able to sleep from the dream feed to their normal morning wake up time, through any other night feedings. You may choose to keep the dream feeding at that point, or you may want to wean it.

What are the cons of the dream feed? ›

Cons: Doesn't work for all babies and in some cases can cause them to wake more. If you don't have a partner who is able to do the feed, it will require going to bed later around 10-11pm. For babies who struggle with wind or reflux, feeding while they are sleepy or drowsy can exacerbate their symptoms.

How often should you dream feed? ›

Dream feed by age chart

3 months is a very popular age to add a last feed before midnight. By 12 weeks, many babies can go one stretch of about 3 - 4 hours (or longer) without a feeding. Adding a dream nursing or bottle feeding a couple hours before midnight may help your baby sleep until 1 or 2 AM.

Can dream feed backfire? ›

Can dream feeding backfire? Dream feeding isn't for every child. In some cases, dream feeding can negatively impact a baby's sleep schedule, increase the risk of reflux, increase the need to change their nappy during the night, and lead to overfeeding if not done correctly.

Do you change your diaper during a dream feed? ›

If your baby wakes because of their wet diaper, definitely change it then. Best practice is that if your baby poops while sleeping or during a dream feed, it should be changed as soon as possible.

When can you stop burping a baby? ›

Most babies will outgrow the need to be burped by 4-6 months of age. You can often tell that a baby needs to be burped if he or she is squirmy or pulling away while being fed. This being said, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents try to burp their baby: When a nursing mother switches breasts or.

When can you stop waking a baby to eat? ›

Most babies are able to sleep through the night – or sleep for at least six hours without waking up to eat – sometime between 3 to 6 months of age. Healthy babies who are born full-term are generally able to sleep through the night without a feeding starting at 3 months of age or when they weigh 12 to 13 pounds.

How to successfully dream feed? ›

How do I dream feed?
  1. Step 1: Gently take your baby out of the bassinet or crib between 10pm and 12am, or whenever when you go to bed. ...
  2. Step 2: Keep your baby swaddled. ...
  3. Step 3: Touch Baby's cheek with your breast or bottle. ...
  4. Step 4: Offer a brief feed. ...
  5. Step 5: Burp your baby.

Do you wake a baby for a dream feed? ›

It isn't considered safe to feed a baby who is completely asleep or lying down on his back. So you'll want to wake your baby up enough for him to take a bottle or do another nursing session.

Why doesn't dream Feed work? ›

One of the main reasons the dream feed might not work as well as we hope is that it can disrupt the deepest phases of your baby's sleep. Once they reach four months of age, babies, like adults, cycle through different stages of sleep, including light sleep and deep sleep.

Do you change your diaper after a dream feed? ›

A diaper change might wake them up, so avoid it if possible. This sort of defeats the purpose of dream feeding. However, if your baby wakes up a hour or two later because of a wet diaper, it might be necessary to do a quick change after the dream feed before putting them back down.

When should you stop waking a baby to feed? ›

Once your newborn establishes a pattern of weight gain and reaches the birth-weight milestone, however, it's generally OK to wait for feedings until he or she wakes up. Most newborns need eight to 12 feedings a day — about one feeding every two to three hours.

When can you let a baby cry it out? ›

Experts share that while various methods state you can start CIO as early as 3 to 4 months old (sometimes younger), it may be more developmentally appropriate to wait until your baby is over 4 months old. Some CIO methods go by a child's weight as a recommendation on when to start.

What if baby doesn't burp and falls asleep? ›

If your baby does not burp after several attempts, it is okay to let them continue sleeping, as they may not have swallowed enough air to need a burp. Always make sure to support your baby's head and neck while burping them to ensure their safety.

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