How to dream feed your baby: a complete guide

If you’ve got a newborn, you’ll probably know that life as a new parent can mean anything but a peaceful night’s sleep. 

In the hope of reducing those infamous sleepless nights, some parents have opted to give dream feeding a go, a technique that’s used to help babies sleep for longer stretches during the night.

But what does it involve? Here, you can discover everything you need to know about how to dream feed, including when to start and stop, the benefits it could bring, and whether or not it’s right for you. Welcome to the dream feed, baby!

The dream feeding technique involves feeding your baby (whether they’re breast- or bottle-fed) while they’re asleep or semi-awake¹, rather than waiting for them to wake up on their own.

It’s important to remember that all babies are different. While some babies sleep for longer periods during the night from an early age, others will only sleep for short periods before waking up for a feed, cuddles, and comfort.

The bottom line is that whatever your baby’s sleep habits are, they’re unlikely to match your own. This is especially so in the early days, weeks, and months, when your baby doesn’t understand the difference between nighttime and daytime.

You might be thinking that dream feeding your baby is the same as giving them a night feed. However, they’re not the same thing at all. 

A night feed can refer to any feed you give to your baby during the night, when they wake up after they’ve gone to bed. Dream feeds happen at a set time, in accordance with your own bedtime schedule.  

It’s up to you whether you decide to introduce a dream feed to your baby, but it’s generally not recommended for newborns, with many parents choosing to wait until their baby is anywhere between 2 and 4 months. If you’re considering the dream feed, there are some things to consider.

Your newborn baby has a lot of growing to do in the first few days and weeks after birth. The recommendation from healthcare professionals is to feed your baby on demand (also known as responsive feeding), following their hunger cues and feeding them when they want to be fed. Spoiler alert: this can be pretty frequently! Breastfed newborns, for example, can feed every hour in the first few days of life².

If you’re exclusively feeding with breast milk, you may want to wait until breastfeeding is fully established before you get going with a more structured feeding routine. Breastfeeding at night is very important here, as that’s when your body produces more of the hormone prolactin, which helps to build your milk supply².

When to drop the dream feed all depends on how your baby takes to it, and whether it’s working for you both. If it has made a difference and both you and your baby are getting more sleep, you could try dream feeding for a few more weeks before gradually phasing it out or simply not offering it anymore.

It’s also a good idea to keep a lookout for signs that your little one no longer wishes to be a dream feed baby. For example, if they don’t have much appetite for a feed when they wake up in the morning, they might be too full. This could mean that it’s time to put the dream feed to bed.

For some babies and parents, the dream feed doesn’t make a difference in how much sleep they get. If this is the case after a few weeks, chances are the dream feed isn’t for your baby, so it’s best not to continue trying.

When it comes to how to do a dream feed, many parents find it helpful to do a little preparation first: “I always made sure the lights were low in the bedroom, and that there was no noise going on around us. For me and my baby, a gentle, peaceful environment was the key, especially when the dream feed was over and I was putting her back to bed.” (Emily’s mum). 

Once you’re all set, try following our suggested steps:

For dream feeding to have the best chance of success, your baby should be semi or fully asleep whilst taking their milk. Pick them up slowly and gently stroke their face as you get into a comfortable position.

You can do this by very gently bringing your breast or bottle to your baby’s lips. Support their head and hold them in a semi-upright position¹.

Once your baby has finished their dream feed, it’s time to put them back to bed. Wind them gently before laying them on their back in their cot.

Many parents report that dream feeding works well for them and their baby, with benefits including:

• A more settled and predictable routine.
• More sleep for both babies and parents. While there’s no solid evidence that dream feeding will help your baby sleep for longer, there’s a chance that it might. And if your baby is sleeping for longer stretches, then hopefully you will too, leaving you feeling more rested.
• Unlike some sleep training methods, dream feeding ensures that your little one isn’t going for long periods of time without a milk feed.

Of course, along with the potential benefits, some drawbacks of dream feeding also need to be considered. For example:

• Your baby may struggle to get back to sleep after their dream feed - which is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve!
• It may prevent your baby from learning to rely on their hunger cues, resulting in them feeding when they don’t need to. This could lead to overfeeding¹. 
• The dream feed can interfere with your baby’s natural sleep patterns and encourage them to wake up for a feed.
• Safety is a consideration, too. You’ll need to keep a close eye on your baby to ensure they don’t choke on their milk, and stay awake until they’re safely back in their cot on their back¹.
• You’ll need to wind your baby after each feed¹.
• Dream feeding may not be suitable for your baby. If your baby is underweight, for example, or if they have a medical condition such as reflux³.

The jury is still out. The results of one study found that babies fed breast milk or formula milk in a bottle at their bedtime slept for an hour longer on average³. However, there’s no firm evidence that it definitely works, or that it’s suitable for all babies.

There’s nothing to suggest that dream feeding isn’t safe, although as we’ve said above, it’s not suitable for all babies - ask your midwife if you’re unsure. Always feed your baby in a semi-upright position to help them swallow their milk, gently wind them after feeding, and always put them back down to sleep on their back¹.

Yes, you can dream feed both breast and bottle-fed babies. 

There are no set rules here, and it depends on what works best for your baby and you. Many parents choose to dream feed their baby between 9 pm and midnight, while others prefer to do so in the early hours. 

As with all of your baby’s feeds, there’s no way of telling how long the dream feed will take. They’ll let you know when they’ve had enough, so just follow their lead.

If you find that your little one is mistaking bedtime for playtime after their dream feed, try getting them back to bed as soon as possible and giving them some time to fall back to sleep. In addition, only change their nappy if you need to, and keep light, noise, and other distractions to a minimum.