Night Feeds: What’s Normal and When to Drop Them

A common question I get is: “Does my baby still need feeding at night?”  After some digging into other daytime patterns, appetite, understanding how they settle, their age, personality and how the parent feels about the night feeds, I can generally get a good idea of the answer but every baby is different, and that answer can vary widely.

There are however, some typical patterns and gentle ways to reduce night feeds when the time feels right for you and your little one.

How many night feeds are normal by age? Newborns (0-3 months): Frequent night feeds are absolutely normal. Newborn tummies are tiny, and they need to feed every 2-4 hours around the clock to support their rapid growth. Night waking at this age is expected and healthy.

3-6 months: Expect one to three night feeds at this age, though some may naturally begin to stretch their sleep longer. Growth spurts can temporarily increase night feeds, even if your baby had started going longer. My advice - try to go with it particularly if your baby is in the midst of the 4 month developmental leap.

6-10 months: One to two night feeds can still be common, especially for breastfed babies. Some babies may no longer need night feeds after around 9 months if they’re feeding and eating well in the day, but plenty of little ones continue to wake for comfort or reassurance.

10-12 months: Most will be down to one feed by now and some showing signs they are ready to drop the feed all together.

18+ months: By this stage, night feeds are less about nutrition and more about comfort, habit, or connection. Many toddlers enjoy the closeness of feeding in the night even when their bodies no longer need the calories. By 18 months I would advise full night weaning unless there is a medical reason or you are all simply more than happy to continue, which of course is absolutely fine!

How to know if baby no longer needs night feeds?

Every child is different, but here are some possible signs that your baby may be ready to reduce night feeds:

• They wake for milk but only drink a little before falling back asleep

• They can be comforted back to sleep with cuddling, patting, or a dummy, just as easily as with milk

• Alternatively, offering milk has the opposite effect and actually wakes them during the night

• Their growth and weight gain are on track (check with your health visitor or GP if unsure)

• They're over 9-12 months and confidently eating at least 2 solid meals during the day

• The first feed of the day is hit or miss because they've filled up over night. Ideally we want that first feed of the day to be the biggest!

  
  

How to gently drop night feeds

If you feel ready to start reducing night feeds, here are some gentle, responsive strategies:

• Shift calories to the daytime: Make sure daytime feeds are optimised, or add extra if you need, as well as offering high calorie solids.

• Reduce gradually: If you're breastfeeding then shorten the length of a feed. If you're bottle feeding then slowly decrease the amount in the bottle.

• Sleep associations: Sometimes your baby just wants reassurance or to return to sleep. If the only way they know how to do this is through a feed then it can help to adapt your response and get them used to patting, shushing etc. Take a step back and work on that at bedtime first if they really struggle in the night.

• Tackle one feed at a time: Focus on reducing a single night feed first, rather than trying to stop them all at once.

• Stay consistent: Babies adjust best when the approach is steady and predictable.

  
  

There are times when it’s best to hold off any night weaning, particularly if your baby is under 6 months, if they’re unwell, teething, or going through a big developmental leap or if you’re worried about their growth.

Night weaning should always be looked at in context of the bigger picture and what else is going on with sleep.

If you would love more help with night weaning, or sleep as a whole, then I'm here to guide you through what actually works for your baby.

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