There’s a really good chance if you look this up you are going to get a number of different responses, however there does come a time that your little one may be ready to sleep through the night.
Most notably six months onwards is when many Paediatricians, Paediatric resources and Specialists believe that little ones can sustain without night feeding and may begin to sleep through for 10-12 hours. In my experience it is not uncommon that little ones may need one feed through the night up until one year of age and if they wake for that feed we absolutely encourage it.
If your little one begins to sleep through the night from a younger age of course this is okay, so long as there are no additional reasons as to why you should be waking to feed.
I typically find between the ages of three to four months some little ones may still require two feeds throughout the night but many would be okay with one. Under three months of age I don’t set a particular amount and usually rely on following your little ones quest.
So in most cases from four months onwards is when you can start to head towards one feed a night. This doesn’t mean your baby won’t awaken during the night as they transition through sleep cycles, they should ideally be able to drift between their light and deeper sleep rhythms. We all do. If however you find your babe is waking frequently and requires external input such as rocking, feeds, dummy etc this is most likely attributed to their reliance on these measures to induce sleep and we can help with this. This way
your little one is able to drift into better sleep rhythms and stay in them. Remember sleep is growth, it is the ability of your little ones tummy to rest and digest. It is the foundation of healthy development and physical and mental well-being for the entire family unit. Never underestimate the importance of good sleep when it comes to your little one’s growth and feeding.
The Gentle Sleep Specialist
