Too Much Feeding At Night

by Fyonna

My 3 1/2 month old used to feed every 3 hrs during the day and would only wake once in the night for a feed.

Now she's only hungry every 4 hrs during the day but has started waking every 2 1/2 - 3 hrs at night!!!

How do I stop her waking up so much at night?

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Baby Help Line:

Tips When Baby Eats Too Much At Night

I'm afraid that babies don't stay in the same routine! As they grow and develop they go through different phases, and unfortunately it is a bit of shock when your baby starts waking more at night. It won't last forever, she will settle again and sleep better at night, but for now you are probably just going to have to bear with it.

Babies wake at night for a reason, it isn't always hunger though. Sometimes babies wake at night as they start to become more aware that they are on their own and miss Mom or are scared. Sometimes they are too hot, or too cold, wet or have a tummy ache, and not actually all that hungry, so just be aware of other factors that could cause baby to wake up. If she is clearly getting stuck into a feed then she is going through a growth phase and is hungry.

It may just mean that she is so interested in other things during the day that she is not so keen on feeding during the day, or it could be any number of things that could change her feeding routine. All babies are different, and we just have to do our best to keep them fed and comfortable and happy and try to catch up on sleep during the day when she naps.

Once she starts solids at about 6 months she will change again and may start sleeping more during the night. But just to warn you, my babies woke in the night until they were about 2 1/2. Some babies sleep right through from a very young age, and some never seem to settle with a routine until they hit school years.

You can try waking her for a feed before you go to bed and try to keep her awake long enough to have a really good feed to top her up, but at such a young age, you really can only feed her when she is needing it and cope as best as possible with the lack of sleep. You can also try introducing a dream feed for her just before you go to bed. That may lead to more undisturbed sleep for yo uduring the first few hours of the night.

It is an exhausting but amazing time, so just relax with any other household chores and make the most of the time with your little one.

Try to maximize your own sleep, using these sleep tips for new moms, and also take a look at our tips to improve a baby's sleep habits here.

all the best,

Annie

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Read more about feeding your baby here:

• Return to Baby Feeding Q&A
• Feeding your baby solid foods - tips, recipes, safe foods, picky eater and more