Dream feed - what it is an how to do it

What is a dream feed?

A dream feed involves gently waking your baby a few hours after they’ve gone to sleep for the night to nurse or bottle-feed them one last time before you head to bed. The idea is to extend the time you can sleep before your baby wakes up, helping their longest sleep stretch align with when you go to bed.

A dream feed isn’t a usual recommendation but rather a method developed by sleep coaches and experts. It’s perfectly fine to give it a try if you think it might help you get a bit more sleep.

When should you offer a dream feed?

Typically, a dream feed is offered about 2-3 hours after your baby has fallen asleep, usually around 9-11 PM, depending on when your baby goes down and when you want to go to sleep. The exact timing will vary. Try different times to find what works best for you, aiming for a moment when:

• Your baby has slept long enough to be hungry for a full feeding

• It’s good timing for you to go to bed afterward

• Your baby hasn’t slept so long that they’ve used up their longest sleep stretch

How to offer a dream feed

Step 1: Gently wake your baby

Pick up your baby to nurse or bottle-feed, or lie down next to them for side-lying breastfeeding, gently waking them just enough to get interested in eating. Keep in mind, it’s important to always bottle-feed your baby while holding them; feeding while they’re lying down isn’t considered safe. Side-lying breastfeeding is fine as long as both you and your baby are lying on your sides in a C-position, with your baby facing you.

Try to avoid fully waking your baby. Keep the room dim, and calm—don’t talk much or stimulate them. The goal is for them to wake just enough to want to eat, but not so much that it disrupts their night and makes it hard for them to fall back asleep.

Step 2: Feed your baby

Give your baby the breast or bottle, aiming for them to have a full meal, just like they would during other feedings throughout the day or night. How long or how much they eat will depend on their usual feeding habits. Try to nurse for about the same amount of time as you normally would, or offer the same amount of milk in the bottle.

If it’s tough to get your baby to eat during a dream feed, this method might not be the best fit for you. Check out the section “Is dream feeding right for everyone?” for more guidance.

Step 3: help your baby fall back asleep

After feeding, help your baby go back to sleep if they haven’t already drifted off during the feeding. This can be a bit tricky, so try experimenting to see what works best.

Speak softly and move slowly. You might try gently rocking your baby in your arms or sitting on a yoga ball. When laying them down, do it gradually—start with their feet, then their bottom, and finally their head. Keep a hand on their belly for a little while afterward. You can also try making a steady, continuous “shhh” sound while rocking and laying them down.

Some babies need to reach deep sleep before being laid down, which usually takes about 8-10 minutes. If the sleeping area is cold, it might make laying them down more difficult, so warming the spot slightly can help.

Should you change their diaper during a dream feed?

Dirty diapers should always be changed, but if your baby is only a little wet, you can leave it if you prefer. However, if the diaper is very wet, it’s best to change it.

Changing a diaper during a dream feed is a bit of a judgment call. On one hand, it can wake your baby up too much, making it harder for them to fall back asleep. On the other hand, a wet diaper might cause them to wake up earlier than they would during their longer sleep stretch.

It might be a good idea to change the diaper before or halfway through the feeding to make it easier for your baby to fall back asleep afterward.

Is it okay to feed a sleeping baby?

Yes, you can feed a baby who’s almost asleep but still awake enough to nurse or bottle-feed actively. Just look for movement at their temple and listen for swallowing sounds. For a dream feed, your baby doesn’t need to wake up more than necessary to eat enough.

If you’re bottle-feeding, always hold your baby while feeding—never feed them lying down in a crib or similar. Make sure they’re awake enough and actively feeding to avoid any risk of choking.

When can you start offering a dream feed?

Most babies start to develop a day/night rhythm and sleep for longer stretches at night between 3-6 months of age. This might be a good time to try a dream feed.

It's also perfectly fine to try earlier. If your baby is older than 4 weeks but hasn’t started sleeping longer at night, they probably still need to eat more frequently. In this case, the goal of a dream feed could be to let you go to bed when you want and avoid the frustration of your baby waking up just 15 minutes after you’ve finally fallen asleep.

Is dream feeding right for everyone?

In short, no. Whether a dream feed fits into your sleep routine (for both you and your baby) depends on your current schedule and how your baby reacts. Babies can respond very differently to a dream feed. For some families, it works great, and for others, not so much. The best approach is to try it for about a week and see how it goes.

A dream feed might not be suitable if:

• You and your baby go to bed around the same time (in which case, there’s no point)

• Your baby wakes up too much after a dream feed and is hard to settle back to sleep

• Your baby is too sleepy to take a full feeding during a dream feed

• Your baby wakes up at the same time, despite the dream feed

• Your baby starts waking up too early in the morning after starting a dream feed

A dream feed might be a good fit if:

• There’s about 2-3 hours between when you and your baby go to bed

• After introducing a dream feed, your baby’s longest sleep stretch lines up with your bedtime

• Your baby usually falls back asleep easily after a dream feed

• A dream feed doesn’t disrupt your other routines

If a dream feed doesn’t work for you, that’s totally fine. It doesn’t mean something is wrong—it’s just that every baby is a little different, and this method might not be the right fit for your situation.

When should you stop dream feeding?

There’s no specific reason to stop offering a dream feed as long as it works for you.

Should you burp your baby after a dream feed?

It depends on whether your baby usually needs to be burped. If you typically burp your baby after feedings during the day, it’s good to do so after a dream feed as well.

Benefits of dream feeding

It can help you get more uninterrupted sleep

By syncing your first sleep stretch with your baby’s longest sleep stretch, you can get more uninterrupted sleep hours at the beginning of the night, instead of part of the longest sleep stretch occurring while you’re awake.

It can help you sleep longer before the first night waking

Even if your baby isn’t sleeping a long stretch yet, a dream feed can help prevent them from waking up 30 minutes after you’ve gone to bed—often the most frustrating time to be woken up.

It works even for parents with young babies

Dream feeding is not a method aimed at reducing night feedings but rather slightly adjusting when the feedings occur to better align with your needs. It can often be used even for young babies, as soon as they start sleeping a longer stretch at night.