If you're concerned about whether or not you need to cut back
on nighttime feedings at this time, be sure to speak to your child's pediatrician.
See our article
on nighttime feeding for sleep.
See the article
on nighttime feeding and sleep for more on how to handle this problem.
One thing I think you should do is to cut down
on the nighttime feeding as fast as you can (if she still does get milk at night).
Most professionals will blame poor sleep habits
on nighttime feeding routines / rituals.
Some babies rely
on that nighttime feeding for adequate calories, especially if they are not keen on solids yet.
Not exact matches
Missing regular
nighttime feedings will have an immediate and negative impact
on milk production.
Nightlight: One of these inexpensive lights will allow you to get through
nighttime feedings and diaper changes without having to switch
on a light and completely awaken your sleepy baby (and yourself).
So, once I started following the plan in March, I knew roughly how many days to spend
on each step of the process as well as what to focus
on first (namely schedule changes, sleep associations and bedtime) and last (think extending the
nighttime feeding gaps).
Babies are basically
on a sleep and
feed schedule straight through the 24 hr day without little variation to indicate daytime sleep vs
nighttime sleep.
After this is firmly established you can move
on to eliminate the
nighttime feeding completely.
(She continued to have one
nighttime feeding until she dropped it
on her own around 8 months.)
Indeed, I argue that the cultural dismantling of the three basic components of normal human infant sleep i.e. sleep position (
on the back for breastfeeding which was changed to prone sleep),
feeding method (from breastfeeding to formula or cows milk, bottle
feeding) and infant sleep location (from next to the mother within sensory range to
nighttime separation, a separate room) fostered and promoted the SIDS epidemic which is was limited to the industrialized, western world.
How to solve it: Your baby's nocturnal ways will correct themselves as she adjusts to life
on the outside, but there are a few things you can do to help speed along the process of helping baby to separate day and night, including limiting daytime naps and making clear distinctions between day and night (like keeping baby's room dark when she naps and avoiding turning
on the TV during
nighttime feedings).
Here in the United States he remains one of the primary spokesperson to the media
on issues pertaining to sleeping arrangements,
nighttime breast
feeding and SIDS prevention.
If baby's a
nighttime nurser, attach a dimmer switch to a lamp and turn it
on and off slowly for
nighttime feedings.
Mr. Ezzo writes in the chapter
on «Hunger and Sleep Cycles» that, «There is a direct relationship between regular daytime
feeding periods and
nighttime sleep patterns.»
When you're ready to say goodbye to the
nighttime feedings, I'd try either 1) handing bedtime over to your partner, who can maybe fib
on your behalf that you're busy doing X, Y and Z and won't be able to sit in the bedtime chair that night.
Almost without exception, studies
on formula
feeding, breastfeeding, and sleep find that breastfed babies wake up more often than formula
fed ones at night, and breastfeeding mothers therefore get LESS uninterrupted
nighttime sleep.
Work
on eliminating
nighttime feedings.
, breastfeeding (or
on - cue bottle
feeding with love), bedsharing (which can be roomsharing or responsive
nighttime parenting as well).
The NHS says: «Research has found no clear benefit from its use» The NHS adds: «Some follow -
on formula has cereal added to it, and is described as a «
nighttime feed for babies».
Most babies struggle with giving up the
nighttime feeding, so work
on the daytime
feedings first.
Two problems can appear:
nighttime waking and development of negative associations with sleep (as when your baby gets used to depend
on rocking or
feeding, as a prerequisite to sleeping)-- this is usual as for newborns so for older children.
If you're taking
on the responsibility of all the
nighttime feedings, try to compensate for the reduction in sleep during the day by napping when your baby naps.
Many families do not adhere to recommendations advanced by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) that infants be
fed only breast milk or formula for the first 4 to 6 months of life.1 — 4 Although the health consequences associated with the early introduction of complementary foods are controversial, 5 — 8 there is evidence that early introduction of solid foods may increase infants» risk of enteric infections, allergic reactions, obesity, choking, and food aversion.9 — 13 Complementary foods are often high in protein, raising questions about the consequences of high protein intakes
on growth and obesity.14 In addition, early complementary
feeding does not increase the likelihood of
nighttime sleeping15 and may increase the likelihood of
feeding disorders, especially if parents introduce developmentally inappropriate food or
feeding techniques before children have acquired the necessary neuromuscular skills.16, 17
Because decisions about
feeding are often made by grandmothers, based
on their beliefs that complementary foods reduce infants» crying and promote
nighttime sleeping, the intervention was designed to include mother — grandmother negotiation strategies, communication strategies to read infants» cues, and behavioral strategies, other than
feeding, to manage crying and sleeping.