The Dream feed. What is it? When to offer? How long?
The Dream feed. What is it?
The dream feed. What is it? The term was coined by Tracy Hogg, a British nurse, in 2001 as a feeding offered to your baby while still sleeping before you retire to your cozy bed. The idea behind the dream feed is that your baby will sleep longer with a full stomach.
Speaking of sleeping longer…Wouldn’t it be nice to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time?? Well, the dream feed has the intention of bringing you more hours of uninterrupted sleep. The dream feed is given to your baby while they are still sleeping by stimulating your baby’s sucking reflex to “top off the tank” with the hope of a longer stretch of sleep for YOU afterward. Of course, there are many reasons why your baby may wake up overnight outside of hunger, but this is a technique many parents opt to try starting around 6-8 weeks of age when you MAY start to notice some slightly longer stretches of sleep.
What time to offer it?
I recommend offering the dream feed 3-4 hours after your baby’s bedtime feeding and before you go to bed for the night. If your baby is able to sleep 5 hours between feedings and the bedtime feeding was at 7 p.m. that puts the next feeding at midnight which may only give you 1-2 hours of sleep before waking up again.
If you offer a feeding at 10 p.m. and go to bed this may mean that your baby is able to sleep until 3 a.m. which then gives YOU 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Research shows that our brains prioritize the most restorative stage of sleep, NREM3, at the beginning of the night, so if you can sleep for 4-5 hours uninterrupted upon falling asleep at bedtime you are less likely to feel like a “zombie” come morning!
What age should I start?
I like to introduce a dream feed around 6-8 weeks when your baby is able to sleep slightly longer stretches at a time. We’re not talking 10-12 hours here, I’m referencing 5-6 hours. Regardless of whether your baby has started to sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time, introducing a dream feed can potentially buy you 3+ hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Does it have an Expiration Date?
I recommend transitioning away from the dream feed between 5-6 months of age. Your baby’s sleep is most restorative in the first few sleep cycles of sleep overnight and there is potential with keeping the feeding beyond this age that it will disrupt these deeper stages of sleep.
Does a Dream Feed work for Every Baby?
Unfortunately, No. Not every baby will sleep a longer stretch after a dream feed. Every baby is different and will respond differently. Babies wake for various reasons outside of just being hungry. Some parents can enjoy long stretches of sleep after offering a dream feed and some will still be woken up an hour or two later. If your baby has trouble settling after a dream or is still waking up 1-2 hours after the feeding I would recommend removing it.
If you’re facing sleep or feeding challenges, I can help! Set up a 15 minute introduction call to learn more about working together with me to create a personalized sleep plan for your Wee One.
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