A gentle guide on how to stop nighttime feedings

As a new parent, one of the biggest adjustments you might have to make is getting used to a lack of sleep. As precious as these first few days, weeks and months with your newborn baby are, it’s normal to feel tired and even exhausted, especially if your baby is waking up regularly through the night to feed.

Whilst we’ve all heard the familiar advice to ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’, it’s not always that easy (particularly if you have other children). So, if you’re asking yourself, ‘when does night feeding stop?’ so that you can get those much-needed 40 winks, rest assured, you’re not alone.

Here we’re covering everything you need to know about how often your baby is likely to feed at night, how to stop nighttime feedings, and how to stop breastfeeding in the night. We’ll also be providing plenty of top tips from our baby experts to help make the transition from nighttime feeding a little smoother.

Night weaning means gradually stopping breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your baby at night so they (and hopefully you) sleep all the way through, or for longer stretches.

‘Sleeping through’ can mean different things to different people. You might think of it as your baby sleeping 6-8 hours uninterrupted, even if this means that they wake up at 5 am. Or you might only consider your baby fully night-weaned when they don’t wake up for any feeds between bedtime and when you start the day in the morning.

Either way, it can be a while before your baby is ready to start night weaning. For at least the first few months, your baby is likely to wake up several times through the night to be fed.

Very young babies need to be fed every few hours. This is because their stomachs are very small and they can’t hold much milk at once¹. What this means for you is that your little bundle of joy is very likely to wake up several times a night to be fed. 

So, when should night feeding stop? Well, there are no set rules here, but as your baby gets older, they may need to be fed less often during the night until you can stop night feeding altogether.

Just like we as adults have different eating and sleeping patterns, every baby’s feeding and sleeping patterns are different, too.

While some may wake up every couple of hours until their first birthday, others will sleep for much longer periods from very early on. According to the NHS and the HSE, some babies will start sleeping for longer stretches from around 3 months, and some may not require a night feed by the time they reach the 6-month mark^2,3.

Here are some examples of how many night feeds your baby might need at different ages⁴:

• 0-3 months: Your baby is unlikely to sleep through the night, and will probably wake up several times during the night to be fed
• 4-6 months: Your baby may begin to sleep for up to 8 hours at night, potentially reducing the number of feeds to 1 or 2.
• 6-12 months: Your baby may be able to sleep through the night for up to 12 hours without a feed. They may still wake up if they’re disturbed by things like teething pains.

The answer to the question ‘when should night feedings stop’ really depends on your baby’s unique sleeping and feeding patterns and needs. Some babies may be ready to stop night feeding much earlier than others if they regularly sleep through the night. There’s no real ‘normal’ here.

So, when does night feeding stop? Here are five signs to look out for that suggest your baby could be ready to wean off nighttime feedings^5,6:

1. Your baby is sleeping through (most of) the night without waking.
2. If they do wake, your baby settles back to sleep without a feed (they might just need a cuddle).
3. Your baby’s nighttime feeds are getting shorter, and they settle back to sleep more quickly.
4. Your baby is getting more of their energy from eating solid foods during the day and is steadily gaining weight.
5. You’ve already reduced the number of breast or bottle feeds your baby has during the day as they eat more solid foods.

As your baby grows, it’s likely that they’ll naturally sleep for longer stretches at night and will drop their nighttime feedings on their own. However, if you find that they still wake up for a feed and you think they’re ready to night wean, there are some things you can try.

If your baby is breastfed, how to stop breastfeeding in the night might be something you’re thinking about. It’s best to gradually reduce the time you spend on each feed over a week or so. This gives your baby a chance to adjust to the change in routine, and can help prevent breastfeeding problems such as engorgement and mastitis⁷.

An example of how to wean your baby off those nighttime nursing sessions might look like this:

• Night one: 10-minute feed
• Night two: 8-minute feed
• Night three: 8-minute feed
• Night four: 6-minute feed
• Night five: 6-minute feed
• Night six: 4-minute feed
• Night seven: 4-minute feed

Once each feed lasts less than five minutes, you may be able to stop breastfeeding at night altogether. 

Keep in mind that babies breastfeed for comfort as well as for hunger⁷, so you may find that you’re able to swap a feed for a cuddle if they do wake up in the night and soothe them back to sleep without a feed. 

You know your baby’s cues best, so if they are showing signs of hunger, it may be that they’re not quite ready to wean off their night feed. Remember, that’s okay – every baby takes things at their own pace.

If your baby is formula-fed, you can gradually reduce their nighttime feeds by focusing on the amount of formula you give them. Here’s how to stop nighttime feedings for bottle-fed babies.

If your baby currently has more than 60ml of formula in their nighttime feed, try reducing the amount they drink over the course of a week or so.

Try reducing their formula by 20 ml every few nights. For example:

• Night one: 120ml of formula
• Night two: 100ml of formula
• Night three: 100ml of formula
• Night four: 80ml of formula
• Night five: 80ml of formula
• Night six: 60ml of formula
• Night seven: 60ml of formula

Once your baby’s nighttime bottle feed is down to around 60ml, you may be able to stop nighttime feedings completely.

As with breastfed babies, bottle-fed babies may wake up in the night for comfort, especially if they’re poorly or teething. Try soothing them back to sleep with a cuddle instead of feeding them straight away.

If you think your baby is ready, here are our top tips for how to stop nighttime feedings gradually and ensure a smooth transition for you and your baby. Always speak with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your baby’s feeding routine.

One way you can help wean your baby off their nighttime feed is to help them learn the difference between day and night. You can do this by creating a soothing bedtime routine to help them wind down and get ready for bed⁸.

Your routine could look like:

• Having a bath
• Changing into fresh pyjamas
• Having a cuddle
• Reading a story or singing a lullaby

This can also be a lovely time to bond, as Seb’s mum found: “I thought establishing a good bedtime routine would be a challenge. And whilst there were a few ‘teething problems’, I also found bathtime, the low lights and sounds, and pre-bedtime cuddles to be the perfect time to bond with my baby - they were magical times.”

Your baby may wake up in the night out of habit or because they want comfort. If this is the case, you may be able to help them get back off to sleep without a feed.

Try soothing them by⁹:

• Talking or singing to them in a soft voice.
• Gently touching or rocking your baby.
• Playing soothing music.
• Having skin-to-skin contact.
• Offering them a dummy if they use one.

Making sure your baby is well-fed before bed may mean that they sleep through the night without waking up hungry. Look out for any hunger cues, particularly in the evening, and think about giving your baby an extra feed before bed.

You might even want to try ‘dream feeding’ your baby. This means gently waking your baby just enough for them to feed while they’re still half asleep – usually before you head to bed yourself – to ‘top them up’ and try to prevent them from waking in the night¹⁰. It’s worth noting, however, that dream sleeping isn’t suitable for all babies, so it’s worth checking with your GP or health visitor before giving it a try.

No, water isn’t a substitute for milk here. Breastmilk or infant formula should be your baby’s main drink until they’re at least 12 months old¹¹. Babies from 6 months can have sips of water with solid foods until then.

You should wait until your baby is 6 months old before introducing solid foods. Whilst it might be tempting to wean your baby earlier if they’re waking regularly, doing so won’t make them any more likely to sleep for longer. Your baby might be waking for any number of reasons, including wanting just a little more milk¹².

Night weaning your baby may mean that they don’t wake up for a feed during the night, but they could still wake up for other reasons, such as teething pains. Your baby may also become more fussy and need feeding more often for a little while during growth spurts¹³.

You could try to gently soothe your baby back to sleep without a feed at first. However, if they seem very upset, it may be that they are hungry and that they’re not quite ready to drop their nighttime feed just yet. That’s okay – you can try again soon.

Yes, you can breastfeed your baby for comfort during the night or day. You can’t overfeed a breastfed baby, so you don’t need to worry about them getting ‘too much’ milk.