The Attack of the Trained Night Feeder

What Is A Trained Night Feeder?

No, it’s not a horror movie, although it can feel like it. A trained night feeder is a baby who has been conditioned to wake up at night to feed, even though they are physically and developmentally capable of going through the night without eating. A newborn needs to eat throughout the night, but most healthy 4-5 month olds are capable of sleeping through the night without eating.

How Do I Fix This?

Teaching a baby healthy sleep habits is a process, much like teaching anything else. The method that I recommend to my clients is a gradual step-down one. If your baby is eating 4 oz at his 3:00 AM feed, drop down to 3 oz for 1 night, then drop to 2 oz for 1 night and finally drop to 1 oz for 1 night. If you are breastfeeding, subtract 1-2 minutes every night from the feeding until you are at zero. This method allows him to gradually wean off this feed until it is inconsequential enough for his brain to not wake him up for it.

If you have an exceptionally hopeful munchkin who is still waking up after you have eliminated this feed, going in to give him a few soothing words can help bridge this final step, but remember that the all-night milk diner is closed and if you backtrack, you will have to start all over again. Avoid picking him up as this will re-trigger the feeding expectation and elicit a lot of loud protests when it doesn’t materialize. If baby is up twice a night, drop the second feeding first. Lastly, make sure that baby is getting a full feed right before going to bed and that any ounces you subtract from the night, you are adding to the day.

By Hannah Mira, Founder of Bonsoir Bebe Sleep Consulting