Dream Feeds

“Do you recommend “dream feeds”?”

First off- let’s define a “dream feed”. A dream feed is usually when you wake (or try really hard not to wake) your baby while they’re sleeping, so they can eat, usually between their usual eating times, so they can sleep longer at night.

Now that we know what they are- do I recommend them?

This answer is a little more complicated than a “yes” or “no”.

When I get asked this question, I generally respond with a question- “is it working for you?”

If it’s working for you, that’s fantastic, keep going with it.

If it’s not working for you- you do not have to keep going.

My one-on-one clients hear this a lot from me. “Is it working for you? If it is, that’s great. If it’s not, let’s change it!” That’s one thing that is so great about sleep, there are so many little tweaks we can make that make a world of difference. I’ll get off my tangent now, though.

Back to dream feeds- the last thing I feel is important to note is that I don’t recommend waking your child to eat between 8pm and midnight (unless instructed by a doctor, of course), after 4 months of age. By 4 months, we want to prioritize sleep and that deep, restorative sleep during that period of the night.

Do you have a question you’d like answered here on the blog? Email me! Put “Blog Question” in the subject line and I’ll add it to my lineup. melissa@saltcitysleep.com

Are you interested in one-on-one sleep help? Head over to my “work with me” page to get a consultation scheduled with me.