Wondering about the dream feed? Here is all you need to know about having a dreamfeed and when to stop. This post goes along well if you are thinking about sleep training.
Oh these little squishy babies…
I remember the first time I heard about a dream feed with my firstborn.
What is it?
Why do you do it?
Why all these names for things?
Why? Why? Why?
I read around and then tried to implement the dream feed with my baby girl. It took a while, but eventually we got the hang of it and Oh My Goodness… game changer.
If you don’t currently do a dream feed then this post will help you for a few reasons.
In This Post...
What Is A Dream feed?
A dreamfeed is a feeding you do in the late evening hours before you go to bed. You’ll usually have to rouse baby for this feed.
I’ll get into the details… keep reading.
Read: End Baby’s Witching Hour — In 4 Simple Steps
Why A Dream feed?
First, let’s tackle why we want to do a dream feed in the first place. Here are the two main reasons dream feeds are a good idea.
Necessary? Of course not! Helpful? Absolutely!
- You get a longer stretch of sleep each night | By feeding baby in the later evening, before midnight, you’ll hopefully get yourself a longer stretch of sleep. Sleep is very important to moms for sanity (lack of sleep is literally like torture), healing, and to help you get back to your normal self in the postpartum fog.
- Baby will eventually do the dream feed then sleep until your desired wake time | It’s hard for a baby to sleep from 7 pm to 7 am. When baby is old enough, adding in a dreamfeed can get baby to sleep from the dream feed until your desired wake time.
Read: Baby Bedtime — 4 Essential Elements For Success
Dream feeds: The Why, The How, & When To Stop
So let’s dive into it. By the end of this post I hope you’ll have all you need to know about the dream feed and why its so useful.
Read: Simple Baby Advice That Stands The Test Of Time
When To Dream feed
Ideally, you want to dream feed right before you go to sleep, but usually no later than 11:30. Somewhat, the time you feed depends on what time you go to bed.
You want to feed baby right before you go down to sleep. So if you go to bed around 10:00 then feed baby at that time, then lie down to sleep.
If you feed baby while keeping him swaddled and not fully rousing him, then baby will sort of feed in his sleep and “top up” his tummy. Doing a dream feed between 10:00 and 11:30 is usually a safe bet, but any later than that becomes a night feed.
Read: The Ultimate Newborn Sleep Schedule: Week By Week
This convertible swaddle will allow you to keep baby’s arms swaddled while you zip up and change diaper at night.
How To Dream feed When Baby Is Drowsy
Those first early hours after you’ve put baby to bed are often baby’s deepest sleep. This means it can be tricky to rouse baby enough to get them to feed.
That’s okay.
We don’t want to force it when it isn’t working. However, often you’ll be able to rouse baby enough to take a feed, even half a feed, and this can help them sleep longer at night.
For those first few weeks, there’s really no need for this feed.
It comes in most handy when baby is a bit older and you’re trying to make the stretches between night feedings longer. If baby is drowsy, here are some ways to rouse him enough to give him the feed.
- Unswaddle from the bottom to change his diaper.
- Rub a wet wipe or cloth across his cheek.
- Rub the bottom of his feet or cheek.
- Put some milk on his lips.
If these don’t work, then put baby gently back down. If you’re still up half an hour later then you can try again briefly. If it still doesn’t work, go to bed. In a few weeks time it might start to work and that’ll be a sign baby is likely ready to sleep longer stretches.
Read: Want an Easy Baby? Use The Foolproof Baby Schedule
Does It Always Work?
Now, I’m a big believer in the dream feed. I know – having had 5 babies – it’s the reason they routinely slept until at least 7 a.m., if not on closer to 8, even as tiny babies.
They were given milk at the dream feed which enabled them to sleep later in the morning.
Then – when they were ready – I dropped the dream feed and they slept all night!
That said, sometimes they can be a bit tricky. If you wake your baby for a dream feed at 11:00 pm and baby wakes at 12:30 am for another feed, then baby might be resistant to that.
It might work out better for baby to simply go to bed at night, sleep a long stretch, and then wake up for that 12:30 am feed. This will mean baby sleeps a long restorative stretch.
You can, with time, add in that dream feed if you want them to sleep later.
Often babies will start sleeping through the night but waking up at 4:30 or 5:00 am and not want to go back down. This is why the dream feed is so helpful. It means they will feed at 10:30 pm or so and then sleep until 6:30 or 7:00 am instead.
Unless you need baby up that early to leave the house, it’s a more pleasant proposition for baby to sleep later.
Read: The Fastest Way To Get Through The 4 Month Sleep Regression (With Sanity Intact)
When To Wean… This is Important !!!
I want to reiterate here that if you only have one feeding per night, it’s very helpful if it’s a dream feed. It should – theoretically – be the last feed you drop.
Here’s the reasoning…
By having a dream feed you are helping baby sleep longer stretches between night feedings. They may need a 3:00 am feed and a 5:30 am feed then sleep on until 7 or so.
You’ll eventually drop that 3 am feed and focus on the 5:30 am one. After a while, you’ll work to drop that 5:30 am feed so they are sleeping later in the morning.
The way they make it until 7 or so in the morning?
The dream feed!
If you haven’t had a dream feed and baby is under 6 months but not yet sleeping through the night, try adding it in.
See if it helps baby sleep later. I always kept the dream feed even though I dropped all the others because that extra time in the morning meant a lot to me.
Read: A 7 Month Old Feeding Schedule That Works Like A Charm
Need sample routines for babies 6 weeks and older?
By now, you know how to handle the newborn days, but what after? The good news is this: you’ve set your baby up for a foundation of success.
Now all you need to do is continue to find routines that work for you and your baby as they grow up and begin getting bigger and bigger. Sob. After having had 5 babies with 5 different personalities, I know a thing or two about finding a good schedule.
This is why I’ve created a book of sample routines and schedules for babies ages 6 weeks up to 5 years.
The book includes information on how long to let baby stay awake, how much play time is good for each age, what to do with baby when baby is awake but not quite mobile, and even how to manage toddler and baby joint routines.
Chapters covered in Rhythms, Routines & Schedules include:
Section One: Sample Schedules
- 6 Weeks to 3 Months Old
- 3-6 Months Old
- 7-9 Months Old
- 9-12 Months Old
- 12-18 Months Old
- 2-3 Years Old
- 4-5 Years Old
Section Two: Tips and Tricks
- Tips for Managing the Day With Multiple Children
- Daily Rhythms for an Only Child Ages 1-4 Years Old
- Daily Rhythms for Multiple Small Children Ages 0-5
- Sample Bedtime, Mealtime, and Playtime Routines
- Tips for Keeping Kids Busy Throughout the Day
For more sample routines, mom tested and approved schedules for babies ages 6 weeks and up, check out Rhythms, Routines & Schedules right now.
Dream Feed FAQ
When do you stop dream feeding?
The dream feed is the last feed that you drop. So, you usually drop the dream feed when baby is able to sleep from their bedtime until their morning wake time with only the dream feed.
When you’ve dropped all night feeds and early morning feeds, then you should wait around 2 weeks or so and then try dropping the dream feed. It’s usually a quick wean.
I have an 8 month old who falls asleep by himself between 6:30-7 and sleeps through til about 4-5. I then breast feed then he goes back to sleep til 6-6:30.
I want to drop that feed. He eats plenty during the day. Can starting to dream feed at maybe 3:30, make things worse or is it worth trying. He overall does really well, I’m just over that last feed.
So, feeding at 3:30 am is not a dream feed, that’s an early morning feed. A dream feed is a feed that’s between 10:00 and 11;30 generally. The goal of the dream feed is that you feed then go to bed and sleep a long time.
In theory, if baby got the dream feed then you’d feed at 7 ish, then feed again at 10:30 pm or so, then baby would sleep until 6:30 am. This way you’re not waking up in the middle of the night to feed, you’re feeding before you go to bed. THEN once he’s sleeping through until the morning at 6:30 am, you’d then drop the dream feed. This post is informative too.
I have 13 week old twin boys, I have been dream feeding since 6 weeks and it works a treat, I dream feed them about 10:30 and they sleep through till 6:30-7am.
I am wondering when and how I drop this feed?
You’ll drop the dream feed when baby is sleeping all night long (bedtime to wake up time) except for the dream feed. When that happens, let that go for a few weeks so that baby is regularly sleeping to the morning wake time.
Then, gradually decrease the time you dream feed. So if you did a dream feed for 20 minutes, feed for 10 for a few nights. If he continues to sleep until the morning wake time, then you’ll just eventually drop it totally. It’s usually a very easy drop.
My 5 mo dream feeds around 10:30 pm and still wakes around 4 am. She’ll stay awake unless I feed her (eats for a few minutes then falls back asleep until 7 ish; I wake her to take older son to school).
Trying to figure out how to get her to stay asleep until 6 (which would be an ok start time for our day). FYI – she goes to bed around 7-7:30 and takes 3 naps a day. Any advice?
So the 5 month old month is super tricky, to be honest. Babies are gearing up for solids and are hungry. Often they’ll need more daytime feeds and then by around 6 months when you begin feeding solids, their sleep will even out.
If you go in to feed her at 4:30 am, say, for a quick feed, she might sleep until 7 or so. It’s hard to get babies at 5 months to sleep super well if they’re hungry because they simply need more food.
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Rachel
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Amy says
Hi Rachel,
I’ve just stumbled across your blog whilst looking for help. My LO is 9 months old, we have been giving him a dreamfeed since he was 2-3months at 11pm. However he has always still woken up between 5-6am! When he was younger I thought this was ok and as he got older he would sleep longer after weaning but no luck. He is having 3 meals a day with the last one being between 4.30-4.45pm. Throughout the day he is having 4 bottles of formula of 5-6oz then the dreamfeed on top. I feel like he is having a lot but he still doesn’t want to sleep later in the mornings. I have a 3 year old daughter, and she is constantly being woken up early. Which in turn makes her very grumpy! If you have any advice I would be so grateful!
ASHLEY says
I have the same problem of baby waking up around 6 AM and being done for the night. He is 2 months old and we do a dream feed around 10 PM each night. He wakes for feedings around 2-3 AM and then again between 5-6 AM. We can rarely get him to sleep again after 6 AM. I feed him between 7:15-7:45 AM each day to try to get his metabolism to get used to that time for waking and being hungry, but still no sleep after 6 AM for us thus far.
Sobia says
Exact same issue with my 6 week old by. Doesn’t sleep after 6 am. Please help.
Linda says
My baby is 12 weeks old. I breastfeed him at 10:00 pm and he will religiously wake up every two hours to feed! Is he too young? Sometimes I try for him to take more milk but he will just spit it out
Kelly says
How do you work to get rid of feedings like the 3 and 5 times? Do babies just drop them naturally? I have an 8-week old that does a 6pm, 12am, 3 am, 5am, and then is up for 7am on through the day.
Rachel Norman says
Kelly, I found baby just naturally started to drop the feeds. I usually kept the 5 am and the dreamfeed and then dropped the 5 am first, then the dream feed
Amanda says
Rachel – my 5mo dream feeds around 10:30pm and still wakes around 4am. She’ll stay awake unless I feed her (eats for a few minutes then falls back asleep until 7ish; I wake her to take older son to school). Trying to figure out how to get her to stay asleep until 6 (which would be an ok start time for our day). FYI – she goes to bed around 7-7:30 and takes 3 naps a day. Any advice?
Jackie says
Hi Rachel, love your blog, I have 13 week old twin boys, I have been dream feeding since 6 weeks and it works a treat, I dream feed them about 10:30 and they sleep through till 6:30-7am. I am wondering when and how I drop the dream feed?
Cheers
Jackie
Nancy says
At what age should you start dreamfeeds? My baby is almost 5 weeks old & falls asleep between 7-8:30. He will sleep at 3.5-5 hour stretch & is waking to eat two times. I have a two year old, so no matter what, I’m up at 6:30. Therefore, I’ve been sleeping when baby does. If I did a dreamfeed, I would have to set an alarm to wake myself, so I’m not sure if it would benefit me right now. I dreamfed my older son but can’t remember when I started!
Kayla says
Rachel we have a 4 1/2 month old baby boy who has all of a sudden for the past couple of weeks has not been wanting to sleep, take naps, and waking up at crazy times during night. He is also teething. He has never been a big sleeper but he atleast use to go to bed around 730pm would wake up around 3am feed and sleep till 7am. We would like him to get back like that go to bed around 730pm and wake up around 7am if possible. His naps he will only sleep maybe a hr at most. We have been trying to get him to take 3 naps if not he is so ill and fussy. We would like to know what you recommend on getting him to sleep all night and nap better during day? Also what times are best during the day for nap times and what is the best bedtime for his age. Thank you so much.
Laise says
Hi Kayla you should look into a 4 month old sleep regression, I had the same exact issue once I finally came across the sleep regression and moved his bed time to 6pm no later than 6:30pm it worked like magic. Good luck !!!
Isma says
Hi I have a week old baby boy who will not let me sleep at night. He will cluster feed continuelly all night stopping and starting. Is he too young to introduce a dream feed? He sleeps during the day sometimes.
Taylor says
Hello, I am wanting to start my 6 week old on a routine & will need to start the day around 5am. What could a routine/schedule look like for that start day time?
Laura Metier says
I have an 8 month old who falls asleep by himself between 6:30-7 and sleeps through til about 4-5. I then breast feed then he goes back to sleep til 6-6:30. I want to drop that feed. He eats plenty during the day. Can starting to dream feed at maybe 3:30, make things worse or is it worth trying. He overall does really well, I’m just over that last feed.
Rachel Norman says
I’m answering this in the post above to help others as well!
Patty says
Hi Rachel
We just started working with our 7 weeks old baby and it’s working good. But For the last couple of days he’s been having a bath around 8-9 and then he does a long stretch 12:30-1:30 dropping the dream feed that he should’ve got at 11-12. He wakes up one more time at5:30-5 and then I start The first feed of the day at 7am
Should we just leave it like that? Should I wake him up at 11/12 for that last feed instead of leaving that long stretch he does after the 8-9 night feed? Please help!
Rachel Norman says
Patty, I’d say keep the dream feed because you’ll want it when you’ve droped everything. The dream feed is usuallyt he LAST feed to drop. So keep the 530 one and then in a month or two months or so, wheneever it seems right for him, drop that morning feed. THEN the dream feed!
Pooja says
Hi, I stumbled across this article and thought this might be of somehelp to this stressed mum. I have a 13 month old, goes to bed by 8, everynight wake up at 12 and then every 1.5hr. He wouldnt settle without a bottle. This has been happening since he was 5 months. I understand that the bottle may now be a sleep association. Would a dream feed ar 10 help him sleep longer?
Rachel Norman says
Hi Pooja, a dream feed is usually not going to work at that age. It’s most likely a habit that is causing this. Will he eat plenty of solids during the day?
Pooja says
Hi Rachel, yes he does.
Rachel Norman says
So if he’s getting plenty of food during the day and only waking from habit, you’d want to eliminate the habit in a way that you’re comfortable with.. Have you taken my free course?
Pooja says
Hi Rachel, no i havent taken your free course. Wiuld you be able to send some information please
Rachel Norman says
IF you scroll to the bottom you’ll see where it says top 3 reasons babies don’t sleep. It’s a free email series and it’ll help :)
Mila says
Hi! I had a question. My son almost overnight became a WONDERFUL sleeper at about 14 weeks, and it lasted until 18 weeks. (Was doing 7-7 with a dream feed at around 11pm, and then 6-6 after daylight savings, still with dream feed. He seemed to not want to stay up later than 6 and we decided not to fight it.
However, starting at 4 months he went through a 4 month regression, followed by learning how to roll (He still gets stuck on his belly at times in the middle of the night) and then an illness. As a result, he’s now 5months: and not interested in eating as much during the day, and gets very hungry at night right before bed. We try the dream feed, but it doesn’t work as well as it used to (only takes 2-3oz), and now wakes up at about 3:30 for a full feed. I SO miss the full nights of sleep. Any tips?? He is not yet on solids.
Rachel Norman says
Hi Mila, honestly with all that’s happened it’ll likely take time to get him back to normal. AND the 4 and 5 months are so hard because their body is gearing up for solids so they are legitimately hungry, yet we are told not to feed until 6 months (which I’m not disputing) so it means they are, kinda, sort, basically, really hungry through that 5th month. I’d keep feeding as much as baby will take during the day and offering a pacifier or something similar (dad going in instead of you) at night for a bit and see if the habit breaks. If he’s waking at 3:30 a.m. every morning it’s likely a new habit that has formed. Sickness will totally do that!