will Starting Solids Affect Sleep?

If you have a baby between 5-6 months of age, chances are you are getting ready to explore the exciting world of solids! This is an exciting milestone for parents, but may have you wondering if starting solids will affect sleep?

There are 4 scenarios here to consider:

Your baby has been sleeping well and continues to sleep well after introducing solids.
Your baby was not sleeping well prior to starting solids, but after the introduction of solid foods, their sleep improves.
Your baby has never slept well and after introducing solids still doesn’t sleep well.
Your baby was sleeping well prior to starting solids, but now has new onset sleep disruptions.

If you fall into category 1, YAY! Celebrate this and continue to enjoy the wonderful world of sleep and exploring new foods.

If you fall into category 2, then celebrate the addition of solids to your baby’s daily routine and improved sleep!

If you fall into category 3 or 4, then read on!

Starting solids and impact on your baby’s tummy

Solid foods can be a bit of a “shock” to the gastrointestinal tract as it is only used to digesting breastmilk or formula up to this point.

Once solids are introduced, the “GI” system starts releasing new enzymes for digestion and to break down the new foods. The tummy is made for this, but any new and drastic change can cause sleep disruptions for a few days.

This may be attributed to an increase in gas, pooping, or just general tummy discomfort. This is why it’s important to initially offer solid foods in the morning to avoid potential overnight sleep disruptions related to tummy issues.

why solids are not the magic solution to most sleep problems

If your baby has never slept well and you were hoping solids would solve the sleep problem, then it’s time to evaluate how your baby is falling asleep and how much help they need from you during the process.

Just because your baby is eating a few more calories during the day doesn’t always translate to improved sleep!

Suppose your baby is falling asleep with feeding, or rocking, or needs the pacifier to fall and stay asleep. In that case, they may continue to wake overnight during sleep cycle transitions and need your assistance to fall back asleep by feeding, rocking, or giving them the pacifier.

If this is the norm night after night, you may consider using sleep training to establish independent sleep skills.

The Well Rested course includes a customizable stepy by step plan or we can help you with our 1:1 coaching program.

solids are a complement and not a replacement

If your baby was sleeping well prior to starting solids but has new-onset sleep problems, evaluate what foods you have offered and how much. Between 6-9 months, solid foods are meant to complement and not take away from the amount of breast milk or formula consumed.

If you find your baby is taking a large amount or volume of solids in a short amount of time and breastmilk or formula intake is decreasing before 9 months, this can contribute to new overnight awakenings!

Breast milk and formula are meant to be the primary source of nutrition in the first year of life and should be offered before solids.

As your baby approaches 10-12 months, you will likely see a gradual decrease in milk consumption and an increase in solid food intake! This is normal in older babies.

nutrient dense solids are important

When offering solids to your baby think Quality over Quantity in the early stages. Yes, we want to brag about how much our baby eats at a meal, but try offering calorically dense and highly nutritious foods over high volume low-calorie foods.

For instance, 1 ounce of sweet potato, meat, or beans has more vitamins and minerals and more calories compared to eating something like zucchini which would take a much larger volume to meet the same calories.

Your baby’s stomach is much smaller than that of an adult, so it’s important to monitor the volume of solids and continue with breast and formula feedings. If your baby’s stomach is full from a large volume of solids, they will be less likely to want to take a full breastmilk or formula feeding which can lead to more sleep disruptions overnight.

Learn more tips for starting solids HERE.

Enjoy the wonderful world of solid foods with your baby! And always talk to your pediatrician before starting!

Sleep Resources to help your baby

If overnight wake ups, short naps, and bedtime struggles are your norm, I have a class for you. The 4-24 Month Well Rested Collection will walk you step-by-step through a completely customizable sleep training experience. In just a few weeks, your baby will be getting 11-12 hours of independent night sleep, AND you’ll have a plan to navigate any future regressions or bumps in your journey. I’ll also help you set up a daytime routine and nap schedule that fits your family’s lifestyle and values. And you’ll get age-specific guidance to meet your baby right where he or she is developmentally at every stage from now until your baby turns 2.

We also offer 1:1 personalized sleep coaching to families starting at 3 months of age! We have multiple options that can help your baby get the sleep their body needs for optimal growth and development!

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