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Feeding your baby at night
- 0-1 Years
- Feeding and eating
Babies have small tummies and need to feed little and often, both during the day and at night, in order to receive the nutrition and hydration that they require. They may also wake for a feed because they need closeness, comfort and reassurance from their caregivers. Babies do not develop their own body clock for several months after birth and their sleep cycles are much shorter than ours as adults.
All of this means that waking frequently at night is very normal for an infant, but the disruption that this can cause to your own sleep patterns can be very challenging. It is important to be prepared and to learn what you can do to help manage this situation safely.
If you are breastfeeding, feeding or expressing overnight it is really important to stimulate and maintain your milk supply, since the milk-making hormone, prolactin, is at its highest at this time.
It can feel overwhelming when your sleep is disturbed, but remember it can also be a very precious time when the household is quiet and you can spend some one-to-one time with your baby.
Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024
